Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the canon book characters, and am making no monies from this story. Any Original Characters belong to the author(s).

Note: This story was written around 2007, so technology is not as advanced as it is today. Also it was originally co-written with another person, to whom I give much credit for the plot and many of the original characters, and unending thanks.

Thank you so much, to the lovely, kind people who have been posting feedback on this story! You're the best!

DEATH ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

By EvergreenDreamweaver and SparksJSH

Chapter 14

"Bella! Bella, what's the matter?" Tony Prito ran into the living room, his eyes frantically searching for the source of trouble. But the only person in the room was Bella herself, who was lying on the couch, eyes closed – screaming.

"Bella!" Tony bent over her, shook her gently. "Bella, wake up!"

Down the hall, a door was flung ajar, and Joe Hardy erupted from the bathroom, bath towel wrapped around his waist, his upper body still wet from his shower, and his hair dripping water. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"She's having a bad dream – Bella, cara mia, wake up!" Tony shook her again, and this time the blue eyes opened. She stared at him in fear for an instant, tears in her eyes.

"T-tony?" She relaxed a little, realizing who it was.

"It's all right, you just had a bad dream," Tony reassured her. Joe hovered over his shoulder, worry evident on his features. Tony flinched as water dripped on him.

"I thought – I dreamed Alex – was here, with a gun…pointing a gun at me!" Bella faltered. "It was so real…."

Joe moved quickly to check the door. "Locked," he reported. He slipped the safety chain on as a precaution. "It was a dream, Bella – just a nightmare, that's all." He hitched up his towel absent-mindedly as he moved about the apartment, still searching for any sign of an intruder. "You must have heard the door close when Frank left…."

Bella sat up, and Tony put a comforting arm about her shoulders. "It was so real…" she repeated. She meekly accepted the tissue he handed her from the box on the end table, and wiped the excess tears. Her chin was still quivering slightly as she tried to regain control over her emotions. "I'm sorry – I guess it was just a dream, but I – how can you guys do this all the time? I guess I'm just not cut out for the life of a detective."

Tony offered an encouraging grin. "It takes some getting used to. You sure you're all right?"

Bella nodded her head and smiled gamely. "Yes – but I think I'd like to go home now."

"I'll take you," Joe offered immediately.

Bella eyed him warily. "Uh – thanks, Joe…but don't you think you should get dressed first?"

Joe gulped – and his blush spread downward from the roots of his blonde hair.

###

Twenty minutes later, Tony was opening the door of the Aztek once again and Bella stepped out onto the walk in front of her home.

"I'll see you later – thank you for the ride, Tony." Daringly, Bella reached to kiss his cheek, and he caught her hand and pulled her into a quick hug, then released her, just as quickly.

"Goodbye, Bella."

She gave him a sparkling glance over one shoulder as she hurried into the house.

When she reached the kitchen, she found Laura Hardy sitting at the table and glancing through the newspaper. Her aunt looked up and smiled warmly.

"Bella, dear! Have you had breakfast? And how are the boys? Fenton talked to Frank before he left, but…."

"I haven't had breakfast, but I'm not really hungry," Bella replied. She sat down at the table. "Where's Mr. Har—Uncle Fenton?"

"He went to see your mother's lawyer, honey," Laura said gently. "He went to find out about her will – if there is one, I mean."

"I think there is," Bella said, "but she didn't use a lawyer much. She wasn't too fond of them, I think." She grinned a little shamefacedly at her aunt. "Maybe it was too much 'law' from your father?"

Laura was slightly taken aback. "I didn't think you knew—"

"Joe told me," Bella smiled. "Last night, when he should have been asleep…he woke up for a while."

"Is he feeling all right today?" Laura asked again, with a worried look on her face. "He sounded miserable last night when I spoke to him.

"He wasn't feeling too bad, I guess. But his mouth is awfully sore," the girl replied. "He said he'd make it to work, though."

"Would you like some tea, Bella?" Laura gestured towards her own steaming cup.

Bella glanced at the contents. "Umm, no thanks. That's that licorice stuff, isn't it? My mom used to drink it, but I can't stand the stuff – nor could Daddy. Help yourself to all you want!"

"I have been, thank you." Laura smiled reminiscently. "Linda and I used to drink licorice tea by the potful when we were growing up. We'd make a pot of tea and take it to one or the other of our rooms, and then talk over the day." She laughed. "But you're right, no one else liked it then, either."

"I'll just get some cocoa." Bella stood up and busied herself with a package of instant-cocoa mix and another mug. "Frank went to work," she commented over her shoulder. "He said he wanted to get back into the files; after what happened last night to him, he feels there's something there that he needs to find."

"I hope he's successful," Laura commented – and then realized how her words would sound to Bella. "Oh honey, I didn't mean it like that! I can't imagine either of your parents doing anything shady with the books!"

"I know what you meant." Bella smiled stiffly as she sat down across the table with her cup of cocoa. "But I don't want him to find anything…even though it means we'll have to look elsewhere for my mother's murderer."

The two sat for a minute or two, companionably sipping their beverages. Finally, Laura spoke again.

"Bella, your mother's funeral service is arranged for tomorrow, you know."

Bella nodded quickly. "Yes, that's fine." She said nothing more, and after waiting a few moments, Laura continued.

"Honey, I realize that everything is crazy right now, with the boys and Fenton trying to get to the bottom of who's responsible for your mother's death. It would be easy to get caught up in that, and ignore the feelings of loss you have. But eventually you are going to have to face them."

For a long moment, Bella sat there, her hand curved around her mug of cocoa, staring across the table at Laura with her green ceramic mug of tea. Then she abruptly turned away, but not before Laura saw two huge tears slip down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," the girl murmured. "It's just that – for a minute – you weren't you. You were Mom, sitting there drinking that tea that only she would touch, and you are saying almost the same things Mom said after the police came to tell us about Daddy…." She rose to her feet, nearly overturning her mug. "I'm sorry. I can't do this right now…it's too spooky. I'm going to go take a shower, or something." Turning, she nearly ran from the room.

Laura stared after her with troubled eyes. Then she leaned back in her chair and pressed her hand against her stomach, grimacing slightly. I must have picked up a flu bug somewhere or other….

#####

Frank eased himself carefully into the desk chair and leaned down to turn on the computer, wincing at the twinges in his ribs. He was determined to find whatever it was that had caused him to receive those rib injuries the night before. It stands to reason, ran his thoughts, that if someone beat me up to keep me away from here, then there's something that I might find! Otherwise, why bother? He tapped his fingers, waiting for the computer to finish booting up.

Once the machine was purring and awaiting his instructions, Frank stopped and thought for a moment. Where's the best place to start? Financial records? Personnel? He clicked for "Files" and scanned the display.

After a fruitless half-hour of perusing personnel records that were simple and boring in the extreme, he switched to financial records. These weren't simple, but they were boring, just the same. Marco's had made money, and that money seemed to be all accounted for; most of the profits had been reinvested into the restaurant.

There has to be something here! Frank brought up the file list once again. Out of the mass of names, one that didn't fit the mold caught his eye. THE FILE, in bold typeface. Wonder what that is? With a mental shrug, he double-clicked.

A file opened, but before Frank could read any of it to discover what it contained, a second message popped into view. "File Restricted. Enter Password." it read.

Password? Where did this come from? His heart suddenly beat harder in his chest. Was this what he had been looking for? Gone were the aches and pains from last night's beating; Frank Hardy had a challenge facing him.

A password…okay, let's try names first…. Frank typed and entered, in rapid succession, every name he could think of that Linda might possibly have used as a password. He was glad he had some new ones to try – but it made no difference. Access Denied, Invalid Password popped up, again and again and again.

Dates? This was more difficult. Frank knew his mother's birth date, which of course was Linda's also. But he didn't know Bella's, or Marco's, or Linda's parents', or an anniversary date. He surmised that Marco and Linda had married in either January or February, and tried every combination he could think of for dates in those months…all to no avail. Trick passwords? No success.

Finally, he knew he was licked. But he had an ace up his sleeve – or rather, in his jacket pocket. Frank drew out his cell phone and consulted his number log. Finding the one he desired, he hit 'Call', and waited….

"Phil? It's Frank! Hey, how're you doing? Keeping busy? Yeah, I'm in New York for a couple of days…." After a few minutes' conversation and catching-up time, Frank got to the purpose of his call, and explained his dilemma. Phil Cohen, the most computer-savvy person Frank knew, listened carefully, as Frank told him all the different combinations of names and dates he had tried, and which had proved to be completely useless.

"Have you tried the obvious ones?" Phil asked. "Things like 'Password'? Or "LetMeIn?'" He thought a moment more. "Or how about 'OpenSesame'? Or that one from The Hobbit – 'say Friend and enter'?"

Frank typed rapidly, holding his cell phone precariously cradled between his shoulder and his ear. "Nope," he said at last. "Nothing worked."

"Okay, let me send you a decoding program you can try," Phil suggested. "You can get your email there, can't you?"

Frank affirmed that he could, and a few moments later, Phil reported that the program was on its way through cyberspace. They chatted a few more minutes, then Frank, still managing to multi-task, reported that the program had arrived in his inbox.

"Okay, install it and run it," Phil instructed. "And see if it helps. If it doesn't, Frank…well, I'm about out of suggestions!"

"I'll try it, Phil, and give you a call back," Frank promised, "and let you know what happens." He shut off his phone, and set to work, fingers tapping across the keys.

Fifteen minutes later, Frank sat staring at the words on the screen in front of him. Silently he read them, over and over.

"In the event of my death…a message to Laura. There is a safety deposit box to be opened, at the West 72nd Street branch of Citibank of New York. The KEY to get in lies in the LUXURY of my past, and the tranquil blue waters around it."

Frank took a long breath. Bingo!

#####

Frank looked at his watch, and was amazed to discover it was past noon. He had spent over two hours messing with those files. But it was worth the time! I've found something important! He stood up cautiously and stretched his shoulders, wincing as the movements made his ribcage throb. He wondered if it would be possible to get some lunch quickly, before going over to Bella's house to consult with Laura.

Just as Frank was about to open the office door, there was a light tap on it, and to his surprise, his cousin Bella popped her head into the room.

"Bella? What are you doing here?"

"I just came back over to see how you and Joe were feeling," she replied. She gave him a searching glance. "You look flushed – are you all right?"

"I'm fine – I've found something!" Frank told her exuberantly. "But I need to show it to Mom and Dad." He showed her the sheet of paper where he had copied down the strange message, and explained about the encrypted file.

"The key to get in…" she pondered. "That would be the key to the safe deposit box, of course. I wonder where it could possibly be? Luxury? Something luxurious? I have no idea!" Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at her tall cousin.

"Let's hope Mom does." Frank guided Bella toward the door. "I wonder if Joe would let me borrow his car…I want to get over and talk to Mom right away about this."

"You don't have to try and coax the car away from Joe," Bella told him. "I brought my Dad's car over. We can go back in that. You need me along anyway; you haven't been there yet!"

Frank forbore to mention that he had driven extensively in New York City, and could very likely find the Scarpetti home without difficulty. "Okay, let me just tell Joe where we're going. He'll probably fuss about not going along, but he needs to rest; he's got to work tonight."

"I'll ask Rick to stick a couple of sandwiches in a bag," Bella said, turning towards the kitchen. "We can take them with us and eat on the way."

Frank was right; Joe fussed about not being allowed to come along with his brother and cousin, but Frank reminded him that he needed to be on duty at five, and the more rest he could manage to get, the better.

"You stay put," Frank told him. "You've got to look sharp tonight, remember? Tuxedo and all? You don't want to spoil the looks of it with a swelled-up jaw, do you?"

Joe, who had spent most of the morning stretched on the couch with ice on his chin, grimaced. "I'd like to spoil the looks of it," he mumbled. Frank just grinned, waved at Tony, and departed.

"Oh nuts!" Joe sat up suddenly, as his brother clattered down the stairs. "I meant to tell Frank about Bella dreaming that Alex came after her with a gun! It might not mean anything…but then again, it might!"

"Tell him when he comes back," Tony advised. He craned his neck to see Joe's face. "You're not swollen any more, but you're gonna have a heck of a nasty bruise there. How's the inside feel?"

"Like I've been chewing razor blades," Joe admitted. He settled back on the couch and readjusted the ice pack.

###

When Frank and Bella reached Bella's home, they hurried inside, anxious to share their momentous news with Laura and possibly Fenton, had he returned. Somewhat to their surprise, they found Laura lying on the couch. She looked pale, but sat up and smiled when they entered the room.

"Frank, how are you feeling now?" Laura asked, a worried look settling over her pretty features.

"I'm okay, Mom," Frank said impatiently. "Look, I found something in a file on the restaurant computer system – and it's a message to you."

"To me?" Mrs. Hardy stared at him in surprise. "What on earth…?"

"It's about a safety deposit box in a bank, Mom – look!" Excitedly, Frank thrust the paper at his mother. Laura took it and read it. She frowned, and read it again.

"The luxury…and the tranquil blue waters around it…" she mused. "What a strange thing to say! Why would Linda leave a message to me like this?"

"It's like a riddle," Frank said. "If you can solve the riddle, you can find the key to the safe deposit box – and apparently there's something in that box that she wanted you to find."

Laura still looked puzzled. " 'The key lies in the luxury of my past…' Our past wasn't all that luxurious. I wouldn't have put it much beyond 'comfortably well off.'" She frowned, as a sudden thought struck her. " 'Luxury'…wait a moment. The Luxury was the sailboat that we owned!" She suddenly looked very sad. "The sailboat that our parents were on when they died."

"Is it still around?" Frank demanded. Perhaps if it was, the key was hidden somewhere on it!

"No," was the disappointing reply. "The boat was destroyed in the accident that killed my mother and father."

Frank sat down and folded his arms across his chest, staring glumly at the floor. He had been so sure…!

"A sailboat?" Bella spoke up. "There's a picture of a sailboat in the study…maybe it's that one. Come and see." She led the way to the small paneled room which had apparently served as a home office for Linda Scarpetti. Frank and Laura followed. Hanging on the wall was a framed enlargement of a photograph – a beautifully fashioned blue sailboat, with white sails. Standing on the deck and squinting into the sunlight was a young woman with blonde hair, dressed in white shorts and a dark blue top. "It's a photo of Mom, right?"

Laura gazed at the picture and tears stood in her blue eyes. "No, Bella – your mother took that picture. That's me." The tears were threatening to spill over now.

"Don't cry, Aunt Laura!" Bella begged. She reached for the photograph and unhooked it from the wall. "Mom loved this picture – I just assumed it was of her, naturally. But now I know why she was so fond of it."

Frank extended his hands. "Could I see it?" he requested. Bella started to hand it to him, but suddenly something caught her attention.

"What's that on the back?" she cried, and flipped the rectangle over. Strips of clear mailing tape secured something to the photograph's backing – and that something was a key!

"Ooooh, look!" Bella squealed. Her slender fingers tore at the tape ineffectually. Frank reached out a cautioning hand, then felt in his pocket for his knife. Carefully, he cut the key loose, and examined it.

"Definitely a safe deposit box key," he noted. "Now we get to take it to the bank and find out what's in that box!" He started towards the door. "Come on, Bella, come on, Mom!"

Bella followed him immediately, but Laura didn't move. Frank paused by the front door, and turned back.

"Mom, aren't you coming?

"I'm sorry, Frank – I don't think I feel up to it just now," his mother answered. She had gone very pale again. "I've been feeling sick to my stomach this morning, off and on….I think I'd better lie down for a little while. Perhaps we can go to the bank a little later." Laura walked to the study door, and turned towards the bedrooms, but before she got there, she suddenly put a hand over her mouth and dashed into the bathroom instead.

The teens watched her departure; both looked very worried. "I wonder what caused that?" Frank commented. "Nerves? I mean, I know Mom's been upset, but—"

"It's odd…." Bella said thoughtfully. "it's really funny – not ha-ha funny. Mom did it too. That's the way she was acting, the last few weeks. She was sick to her stomach a lot. I thought it was because she was so upset about Daddy…."

"Your mom – acted the same way?" Frank struck his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Bella!" he nearly shouted. "We've had it wrong! Your mother wasn't being poisoned at the restaurant; she was being poisoned here! And now my mom is too!"