CHAPTER 8

"You're lying!" Joe exploded, springing up from his seat.

"Cool it, Joe," Frank warned him quietly, pulling his brother down. Calmly he turned to Mr. Bauer. "Do you have any proof that Duncan kidnapped your daughter?" he asked.

"I don't have to get any proof, I just know it," Mr. Bauer replied crisply.

"Um, what is your daughter's name?" Frank asked curiously.

"Marilyn," he replied shortly, and stood up. "I call her Lyn for short." He began pacing in front of the fireplace.

This time Frank and Joe exchanged uneasy glances. "Is she also studying in Bayport University?" he asked again.

"Yes," the businessman said and frowned. "How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Lucky guess," Joe put in. "What makes you think Duncan did that?"

"Maybe I should start from the beginning," he sighed heavily. "You see, I've already arranged my daughter to be married to the son of one of my associates after she has graduated. Then six months ago, I found out she's been seeing Duncan without my consent. I have checked out the guy, and I must say I don't want my daughter to mix up with a gold digger like Duncan," he scoffed.

Joe fought hard to hide his disgust for Mr. Bauer. Frank shot him a warning look.

"So, what did you do?" Frank asked calmly.

"I forbade her from seeing him," he replied simply. "She agreed, maybe too easily, so I sent some of my men to check on her."

"You were spying on your daughter!" Joe stated in disbelief.

"This is for a good cause," Mr. Bauer waved off Joe's comment.

"Yeah, good for your own interest, I'll bet," Joe retorted sarcastically.

"That's when she started behaving secretively and suspiciously," the elderly man continued, ignoring Joe's comment.

"Gee, I wonder why," Joe continued his tirade, crossing his arms. Frank nudged him by the side as a warning.

"I believe she's still seeing him behind my back," Mr. Bauer concluded. "And when this murder business came on, I knew I have to find her."

"But she's been missing before the murder. I don't see any connection with that," Frank pointed out. "Did you check out with the university? It's summer now, I think most of the classes are closed."

"Yeah, but she is taking a summer course – she's managed to evade my men well. I'll bet that no-good Blackwell kid taught her that," he said, grumpily.

"So, your daughter wasn't really kidnapped," Frank concluded, "She left in her own free will."

"She's been kidnapped," Mr. Bauer stated stubbornly. "I'm going to do everything I can to bring Duncan to justice. So, are you going to accept this assignment or not?"

Joe was about to protest when Frank cut him off. "We'll take it," Frank told him. Joe looked at him in disbelief.

"Good," the man smiled in satisfaction. He shook hands with the Hardys before letting them out. "I'll tell my men to send you back home."

"Oh, by the way, you've forgotten to give your daughter's picture," Frank said before they headed out.

"I have it here somewhere," Mr. Bauer said as he walked to the fireplace. He picked up a framed picture on the mantel. He removed the frame and handed the photo to the Hardys. "This one is about a year ago."

"Wow, she's kind of good-looking," Joe commented as he looked at a colored photo of a young woman with long straight black hair, and a pair of blue eyes.

"And she's not for you!" Mr. Bauer glared at Joe.

"It was just a compliment. That doesn't mean I'm interested," Joe shot back. "And I'm glad that she ran away from you."

Frank sighed heavily, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. Manners, Joe, where are your manners?, Frank thought, feeling an urge to strangle his brother.

"I think both of you have to leave now," Mr. Bauer told them crisply.

Suddenly, there were shouts of warning coming from outside of the house. Alarmed, all of them rushed out of the house to see what the ruckus was all about.

"Eric! What's happening?" Mr. Bauer shouted to the blond man that had accompanied them earlier. Eric was speaking to his walkie-talkie.

"Someone's trespassing on the property, Mr. Bauer," he said turning to his boss.

"Did you get him?" Mr. Bauer demanded, marching toward the man.

"Tim and Fred are tracking him at the back," Eric reported firmly. The crackled from the walkie-talkie came on. Eric answered it. "What have you got there, Tim?" he asked. After listening to the reply, the bodyguard turned to Mr. Bauer grimly.

"It's a clean sneak, sir," Eric reported. "The intruder climbed over the fence and escaped."

Mr. Bauer looked like he wanted to strangle somebody. "I'll bet that person was that Blackwell kid," he growled.

"You don't have any evidence to back that up, Mr. Bauer," Frank pointed out. "It could be a common burglar."

The businessman glared at Frank. "Eric, send these boys home," he ordered the blond guy.

"Yes, sir," Eric replied. He walked to the boys and ushered them toward a black BMW.

"You mean we're not going back in a limo?" Joe asked.

"Get in," Eric told them, ignoring Joe's jibe.

The ride back home was also in silence. Frank and Joe tried to make a conversation with the man, but he never uttered a reply. Fifteen minutes later, the boys arrived back home. After dropping the boys, Eric drove off without giving a glance at them.

"That was very friendly," Joe muttered as he walked along the driveway with his brother. "But I can't understand why you accepted Mr. Bauer's offer? He's a creep to me," he told him.

"Think for a minute," Frank said, "If we manage to find Lyn, then maybe we'll find Duncan, too. But we didn't promised Mr. Bauer that we're bringing his daughter back to him, did we?" he said with a mischievous smile.

"No," Joe agreed with a wicked grin, following his brother's thoughts. "Do you think Mr. Bauer could have murdered McGuire just to frame Duncan? After all, he really hates Duncan down to the bone."

"He could have, but I'm sure he would send one of his men to do the dirty job," Frank surmised. "It's going to be hard to prove that though. But I don't see the connection with the CD that McGuire had given Duncan."

"It's a bit late to see Phil now. I'd say we meet him tomorrow," Joe suggested, stepping inside the living room after Frank had unlocked the door.

"I guess you're right," Frank replied reluctantly. "What's for dinner?"

"Pizza," Joe replied simply and picked up the phone.

After ordering the pizza, Joe was about to put down the receiver when Frank dashed down the stairs.

"Joe! Call the police. Somebody's ransacked our rooms!"