I'm really sorry this took me so long, but I've been ill, and then had a lot of work to catch up on. For that reason, this chapter is a little shorter than I intended, but I hope you enjoy anyway. Thank you for all your kind reviews - please keep them coming.


The Case of the Missing Paintings - Chapter 7

Frank and Joe entered the museum, and headed over to the security entrance. They'd been informed that the two museum directors would meet them in the conference suite. Letting themselves through the door with their swipe cards, the two young men made their way there.

Inside, a tall, slightly portly man was waiting for them.

"Frank and Joe Hardy? My name is Walter Featherstone. I'm afraid Mr Gilbert couldn't make this meeting, but you won't need to speak to him once you have heard what I have to say."

"What do you mean, sir?" Frank asked, curious.

Featherstone gestured towards the comfortable leather chairs at the table. "Please, sit down. It's a long story."

As Frank and Joe sat, they noticed that, although impeccably groomed, Mr Featherstone looked tired and strained. There were deep lines around his eyes, and his glasses didn't quite hide the dullness in them.

They waited patiently for a few minutes. Mr Featherstone seemed to be gathering his thoughts. Finally, he looked at them with resignation on his face.

"Gentlemen, there is no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I hope that, once you have heard my explanation, you will not think too harshly of me. I understand that you will have to report my actions to the authorities… But then it is of no consequence what happens to me."

Frank leaned forward. "Sir, are you saying you had something to do with the theft at the museum?"

"Yes."

Frank and Joe were astonished, but the director gave them no time to voice their astonishment.

"I provided the codes for the gang to get into the museum and disable the alarm system. I also provided information on the guard rotation, and the thieves were able to trick the guards into missing their shift, leaving the museum empty. I am to blame for the theft on the museum."

Words couldn't describe the shock Joe and Frank felt. This man was sitting here calmly confessing to a crime that would give him a lengthy jail sentence, yet he seemed completely unmoved. Something wasn't right about this situation, Frank could feel it. He managed to overcome his shock to ask, "Mr Featherstone, I think the obvious question is why you did this. There is something you're not telling us. If you want us to help you, you have to tell us everything."

"I assure you, Mr Hardy, my actions were not precipitated by any ill will towards the museum on my behalf. Quite the contrary is true – this museum is extremely important to me. I have been a director for fifteen years, and never once regretted taking up the post. However, the thieves used something against me that is even more precious to me than the museum. They kidnapped my daughter."

Frank and Joe listened in horror as Mr Featherstone revealed his tale.

"My daughter, Emiliy, is seventeen years old. Her mother died when she was a baby, and we are everything to each other. The thieves kidnapped her from her school around four weeks ago. I was frantic when she didn't come home, but I soon received the group's demands. As long as I co-operated and helped them get into the museum undetected, she would be unharmed. They promised to return her to me once they were sure they had escaped without detection. They also said that if I told anyone at all, they would kill her. They have spies in the police department, Mr Hardy, so I knew they would know if I betrayed them. What could I have done? I provided the information they needed. It broke my heart to do it…" He trailed off for a minute, lost in thought, and this gave Joe the chance to ask a question.

"Why are you telling us this if you're so worried they will harm her?"

The answer was heart-wrenching. "Because my daughter is dead. They promised to return her no later than one week after the theft. It has been two weeks. I have no other explanation other than the worst. I did everything they asked. She is dead. This is why I am telling you – I have no reason not to now. And there is no reason for me to continue with my life without her. I don't care if I go to prison, gentlemen. Please, do what you have to do."

Frank wasn't entirely sure what to say. The man was clearly too distraught with grief to think clearly. The daughter could still be alive. He tried to convey this to Mr Featherstone, but the grief-stricken father clearly thought Frank was grasping at straws.

"Believe me, Mr Hardy, this group are incredibly ruthless; they will do anything to reach their goal. If it suited them to kill Emily, they would have done so without a second thought. They have no scruples."

Joe chimed in, "Did you hear anything from your daughter while they had her? Did they let you speak to her?"

"Yes, once. I recorded the conversation…it's now the only memento I have of her." Joe immediately asked if he could borrow the recording, hoping it might reveal a clue about the whereabouts of the captive. He was by no means convinced the girl was dead, but they needed to move quickly to have any hope of saving her.

Featherstone handed him a tape. "Of course. Please return it though, when you have finished with it."

"Do you know anything about the group you haven't told us yet, sir? Anything at all?" Frank asked.

"Not really. They were always very clever, never telling me their names or locations. My initial contact called himself Ringo, but I know that isn't his real name. They never gave me any other information."

"Ok, Mr Featherstone." Frank rose, glancing at Joe, who did likewise. "Thank you for being so honest with us. We'll do our best to find the people responsible."

"Aren't you going to arrest me?" the man asked, a faint tremor creeping into his voice.

"We'll have to inform the police of your involvement, of course, but we won't be in any rush about it. Just… don't leave town," Joe said, with a faint smile. "We can find our own way out."

Both Frank and Joe were lost in thought as they made their way back to the hotel to inform Fenton and Nancy. It seemed too terrible to believe that the thieves had become the murderers of an innocent teenage girl, but they had to admit the possibility. Still, the Hardys were not going to be beaten by a gang of thieves, and even if the unthinkable had happened, they still had to try and catch them and bring them to justice. Hopefully, there would be something on the tape that would help them further.

Arriving back at the hotel, a shock awaited them. Fenton was standing in the lobby looking severely distraught. He turned to them as they came in.

"Nancy's gone!"


Evil cliffhanger I know, but I'll try to get the next chapter up asap. In the meantime, reviews make me write faster!