chapter thirty-six. frank hardy. when things get ugly.

The heavy door to Jake's car slams behind me, colliding with the silence. I turn and step into the low-lit office. And there he is—at the far end of the room, leaning back in his chair with his feet up on the desk. Reading something of probably no significance or interest. He doesn't seem to notice my entrance, so I clear my throat in the quiet to get his attention.

"Oh, hey—so someone finally found you, huh?"

"I was never lost, actually," I run my fingers through my messy hair. "I was just waiting around for you guys to show up."

He glances up for more than a few seconds, taking his feet off the desk. And closing the book. "Oh I see." that's the last he says for a minute, just kind of studying my expression. "…So, I guess you're probably wondering where your brother and Nancy Drew are,"

"No actually. I already know. They're back at the mine." I force my voice out, emotionless. Calculating the best way to corner this coward once and for all.

"Oh yeah? Who told you?" there's something about the way he says it—gaze unflinching, still monitoring my expression.

"Lori."

He scoffs something like a dry laugh, looking down at the book under his hands. "Lori's been… quite the case, lately."

"Yeah," I nod slowly. "I've become aware of that."

Tino glances back up—trying to read my face. My excellent poker face. It's impossible, bro.

"She isn't seeing anyone. She isn't talking to anyone." he shrugs, acting clueless. "She's just been totally ballistic over nothing."

"I'm surprised you didn't do anything to help her—seeing as you seemed to care about her once,"

His expression turns confused. "What are you talking about? We all tried to help her." he laughs. "It's not that easy when she won't even tell anyone why she's so hysterical. Like I said, she doesn't talk to anyone."

"She talks to me." my words hit the quiet, and you would think I just said something important. Because he kind of freezes up and just looks at me, like he wants to kill me. But he doesn't say anything. So I fill the empty space.

"She's really upset."

"Lori's nothing but a stupid little blonde actress. She exaggerates or makes everything up all the time." Tino laughs slightly when he says this—like if the whole idea of her is a joke to him. "Yeah, I might've been dumb enough to like her at one time, but I thankfully realized what a waste of time she is and decided to back off—and as a word to the wise? I'd advise you to do the same."

You ripping jerk. Sure, Lori might not be a rocket surgeon, but she's definitely not a waste of time. And anybody who disses her like this guy just did deserves something like a kick in the face. But I don't give it to him. Not yet, anyway.

"Lori doesn't trust you—"

"Do I care?" he scoffs, looking amused. And ticking me off.

"You should. She doesn't trust you because you lied to her about Joe and Nancy. She knows their dead. She knows that you killed them." I bring my voice down, leaning against my hands on the edge of the desk. "Is that true? Or is that just one of those "exaggerated or made up" circumstances you were just talking about?"

Boom. Silence.

"….She had no right to spread false information like that,"

"False information? So you're denying it then,"

"I said that Lori doesn't have any right—"

"Well legally she actually does," I state matter-of-factly, annoying him with my self-assurance and cool. "but that's not even the point—Lori has nothing to do with this."

"What is the point, then?"

"The point is Joe and Nancy." I want to scream it, but keep my cool. "Lori told me about what happened—and I believe her. She told me that you lied to her about Joe having his phone. You said something else, too. You slipped up." I shake my head slowly. "And you thought she was too dumb to notice—too dumb to see it."

"I did not slip up, I didn't say anything to her—"

"What did you say to her, then?"

He freezes up, lost. "…I can't remember, okay?"

"Well she remembers," I take my hands off the desk, straightening up. "She told me everything you said."

Tino looks at me for a long time before speaking again. Like if he has no idea what to say. "You're right. She remembers it all, I'm sure. I told her the truth—I told everyone the truth. I told them that Nancy and your brother are back at the mine. And that they wanted us to come back here, to Copper Gorge and get you to go and check out the mine with them."

"I don't care what you told them. I want you to tell me what really happened back there. I have a right to know. As Joe's brother, if nothing else."

"What are you talking about?"

I don't reply yet. I just let the silence kill us both for a few seconds. I just let him look at me like that for a few seconds. Reading his expression—guilty.

"How did you kill them." Emotionless. And good at it. And ticking him off. I can tell.

"Why are you so set on this, Hardy?" he folds his hands unfeelingly on the desk. "Framing a person for murder is serious business."

I nod stiffly. "And murder itself is even more serious."

"And I didn't murder them!" he stands up to get at eye level with me, his voice echoing through the room for a second. I just stare at him, letting the way he said that sink in—how he stressed the 'I'.

"You didn't…?" I take one cautious step forward. "You didn't murder them? Is that your response? Or do you want to rephrase that?"

Silence.

"Tino," my voice comes out not even sounding like it belongs to me. "Is my brother dead? Is Nancy dead?"

A short pause. That I can't stand.

"I said, are they dead?" I repeat, willing myself to not explode.

Tino nods slowly. "Unfortunately, yes."

"And yet, you didn't kill them." I pause. "You wanna tell me how that works?"

He just stares at me for a few seconds with a look that I can't read, finally speaking in a unfeeling tone and blowing my mind.

"There was a collapse."

I feel like my heart will explode if I don't let out the words, "Are you frickin serious?" I blow up. "How can you just make up all this stuff? How can you hide your hands behind your back and think that nobody will notice the blood dripping from them? Do you seriously think you can bullshit your way out of this?" I shake my head slowly. "Yeah, you may a good liar, Tino—but not good enough."

Then he slams something down on the desk under his hand with a thud—heavy metal against wood. It's a suppressed pistol. I look back up to him.

"Not good enough?" he forces a sick half-smile, lowering his voice. "Now that's unfortunate…. isn't it?" he slowly shakes his head. "'Cause I can get rid of you in a second. Just like I got rid of them."

Bam. That's it. I can't take anymore. I totally lose all control of my mind and my emotions and my hands—more specifically my right hand which has been aching to fist this whole time.

I punch him. Right in the jaw. He reels backwards a few steps, swearing and letting one hand fly to his face.

Something in my subconscious tells me to run, but I don't. Instead I jump a step forward and land one hand down on the desk, grabbing the unmanned pistol. I pull back, but not fast enough. He grabs my wrist, twisting it backwards and ripping the gun out of my hand. He locks one cold, muscley hand down on my shoulder and drags me backwards, then slams me against the wall. I struggle to knock him off, but fail.

My heart almost stops beating as he shoves the barrel of the gun up against my chest.

"You started this, Hardy. Now things will get ugly."

FlightFeathers: EEEP I'm so happy you liked that last chapter! :) Joe's dream was fun to write...I hope it wasn't too confusing lol. Oh don't worry, I ship Joe and Nancy sooo hard too. 3 They're just perfection. Can't wait to see what you think of this chapter!