CHAPTER 13
"Dad!" Frank Hardy exclaimed when he answered the door.
His father stood outside the boys' room with a weary smile on his face. He looked like he hadn't shaved for days. It made his handsome face looked a bit rugged.
"Hello, Frank. How you've been?" Mr. Hardy asked in concern as he stepped inside the room.
"I'm fine," Frank replied nonchalantly, but his father could detect a hint of fear in his voice.
"Where's Joe?" his father asked when he noticed there was no one else in the room.
"I don't know, probably investigating. He was gone when I woke up. I can't believe he left me like that again," Frank couldn't help saying in anger. "Doesn't he realize I've got not much time – " he stopped suddenly when he noticed his father paled.
"Don't even say it, Frank," his father told him sternly. "No one's going to die."
Frank gave a sarcastic laugh. "I guess you haven't heard, Dad. There's been a murder yesterday," he stated. He quickly explained to his father about Jim Owen's death.
Mr. Hardy looked grim as he listened. "It sounds like one of Mr. Owens's blackmail victims might have had it with him," he hypothesized after Frank had done explaining.
"Or Ms. Matteo could have sent someone to kill him. When Shane had confronted her yesterday, maybe she realized her jig's up, and decided that she won't be needing Jim's service anymore," Frank suggested.
"I guess it's time to interview Ms. Mateo. She might know something," Fenton Hardy said thoughtfully. "We don't have much time."
"We should find Joe and tell him about our plan," Frank said.
"You're not feeling sick anymore?" his father asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, Dad," Frank answered with a dismissal wave. His headache had increased, but he refused to let it hinder from his investigation. He had a hard time fighting an urge to massage his temple, or to lie down on the bed. He wouldn't want his father to see that he was in pain at the moment.
"Let's go," Mr. Hardy said and headed for the door.
Both of them began searching for Joe inside the building, but he was nowhere to be around. They even looked for him at construction site, and the crime scene. But when they discovered he wasn't there either, they went to Shane's office.
"Yeah, he was here this morning asking about Neil," Shane replied, as he did some paperwork at his desk.
"When was this?" Frank asked quickly.
"About an hour ago," came the reply.
"He didn't say where he was going?"
"Nope."
After thanking the man, the Hardys left the room. Mr. Hardy looked thoughtful.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"Hmm, nothing I guess. Just thinking about something."
They went outside the building again.
"Hmm, maybe he's gone to Inzell?" Mr. Hardy suggested, as he glanced around the quiet surrounding.
"Joe would leave a note if he's investigating in Inzell, unless he's getting some food. But he already bought the breakfast," Frank said. "I guess, we leave him a note, just in case. Maybe he's still somewhere on this island."
After leaving a note for Joe in the room, the Hardys headed for the dock. Another boat was arriving when Frank and Mr. Hardy was about to climb into one.
"Lucian, what are you doing here?" Frank asked in surprise when the boat stopped beside the dock.
"Just want to check at the crime scene one more time," he replied.
Then Frank quickly introduced Lucian to Mr. Hardy. "Have you found out anything about the case?" Frank asked after the introduction was made.
"We found out the knife wasn't the murder weapon. The blade was a bit wider than the stabbed wound," Lucian reported.
Frank frowned thoughtfully. Neil's dagger has the right size, and narrower blade, he thought, remembering the blade that had stabbed him.
"Does that mean Joe is off the hook?" Mr. Hardy asked him.
"I would say so."
"So, someone was either trying to frame Jane, or Shane," Frank mused. "They are the only people who spend a lot of time in the office. Joe's prints happened to be a coincidence."
"That's why I want to talk to Shane, Neil, and Jane again," Lucian told them.
"Well, there's no one here but Shane," Frank told him.
"Great, I think I'll go and see him," Lucian said.
After they parted, the Hardys headed for Inzell Island. Frank found the Matteo's house after consulting his map.
The Matteo's home was practically a Victorian-style mansion. The entrance was a wrought iron gate, painted in gold, placed between a pair of stone pillars. The name Matteo was placed at the entrance arch. The driveway was lined with neatly trimmed lilac shrubs.
Mr. Hardy pressed the intercom buzzer that was mounted next to the gate. Frank glanced up. He wasn't surprised when he saw a video camera placed up high on a tree branch.
"Yes?" a gruff masculine voice suddenly came over the small speaker.
"We'd like to meet Ms. Matteo," Mr. Hardy announced.
"Do you have an appointment?" the voice asked again.
"No, but we'd like to talk to Ms. Matteo. It's very important. It might concern about Zach Matteo, too," Mr. Hardy replied.
"Your name?"
"Fenton Hardy, and my son, Frank."
"A moment," the voice told them.
"Do you think she'll see us?" Frank asked anxiously.
"We must talk to her anyway we can," his father replied with a frown.
A few minutes later, which seemed like hours to the Hardys, the same voice came over the speaker. "Ms. Matteo would like to meet you, Mr. Hardy. Please go through the front gate." As if on cue, the front gate swung open.
Frank couldn't help feeling relieved. He followed behind his father and walked through the gate. Frank could see the wide manicured lawn at both sides of the mansion. He even saw a few men in dark suits guarding around the area. Matteo's guards, Frank told himself silently. A few minutes later they were standing in front of the doorstep.
"I think this is the largest house on this island," Frank commented as his father knocked using a brass knocker on the huge oak double doors.
"I know," his father agreed. "But Mr. Matteo had connections with the underworld. I'm not surprised that was where he got his income," he added grimly. "But I'm not sure what his daughter does for a living though."
"You did testify against him in court, right?" Frank prompted with a curious look.
"I was just a minor witness on Mr. Matteo's case. I overheard him trying to buy off Chief Peterson," he told Frank. He didn't manage to elaborate further when the front door was opened.
Frank had expected a butler to answer the door, instead if was Ms. Matteo herself standing behind the door. She was wearing a dark pantsuit. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a French braid. She looked at them coolly.
"The Hardys I presumed?" she prompted. Her eyes landed on Frank with a faint recognition. "I remember you," she spoke up. "You were in Mr. Unterhauser's office." Her tone suddenly turned hostile. "And if you're one of Mr. Unterhauser's friends, then I guess we don't have much to talk about."
She was about to close the door, but Mr. Hardy shot out his hand to stop the door from closing. "Look, we're not really Mr. Unterhauser's friends. He only hired my sons to investigate his resort," he explained quickly.
"And your investigation leads back to me?" Ms. Matteo prompted evenly.
"Something else came up, and we found out it might connected to your father's death," Mr. Hardy told her.
She raised her eyebrows. "What do you know about my father's death?" she challenged.
"I think it's better if we speak privately inside," Mr. Hardy suggested.
Ms. Matteo thought for a moment before reluctantly agreed and let them in. As they stepped inside, Frank found himself facing a long hallway. The floor was wood-polished. Paintings and portraits hung on the wall as they walked. They passed a couple of French windows that faced the back of the mansion. He could see a glimpse of tennis court and a swimming pool far behind. She led them into the drawing room.
After they seated comfortably on plush velvet couch, Ms. Matteo started the conversation. "What do you know about my father's death?" she asked again. She was sitting on a separate single couch.
"We found out he was poisoned," Frank answered simply.
Ms. Matteo took a large intake of breath. "Who told you that?" she hissed. "Nobody should know about this."
"Because I've been poisoned the same way as your father had," Frank told her grimly.
"I must have a word with Dr. Nilson after this," she said in anger.
"Don't blame him. He had to tell because I have the same symptoms as Mr. Matteo's," Frank said quickly. "He's trying to find the antidote."
She snorted. "I doubt he would find the antidote," she retorted.
Frank stiffened by her remark. Mr. Hardy gave his son a warning glance. He was worried Frank might lose his temper over this, considering the pressure that he had been through.
"Why did you want your father's poisoning to be a secret?" Mr. Hardy asked the woman.
"Because I thought Mr. Unterhauser is behind it," she answered crisply.
"Has he been meeting your father a few days before his death?" Frank asked, frowning.
"No," she replied grudgingly. "But that doesn't mean he didn't do it. My father saw him at a courier service company in New York. He even mentioned he bumped into one of his workers there."
Frank sat up straighter, trying not to look interested. "Who and when?" he prompted.
"Which courier service?" Mr. Hardy asked sharply at the same time.
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure, Flash Courier or something like that. The man was here last night, very tall and muscular. Looks as if he's sucking lemon all the time," she said carelessly. "He bumped into my father a couple of days before my father died."
Mr. Hardy and Frank exchanged knowing looks. Neil Sterling!
"His real name is Nicholas Stein. Do you know that he used to work for Kurt Bianco?" Mr. Hardy asked seriously.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "I know my father had a huge grudge against the Biancos, but why would he want to kill my father?" she asked.
Frank studied the woman carefully. There seemed to be a flicker of recognition on her face when his father mentioned the name Nicholas Stein. "Because the island used to belong to the Bianco family?" he guessed. "Remember, your father was planning to buy the island."
"Why didn't he kill Mr. Unterhauser, too?" she challenged.
"Maybe he's working on it," Mr. Hardy said. "Too many deaths could make someone suspicious."
"But he didn't bother to hide Jim Owen's murder," Frank pointed out.
"Jim Owen's dead?" Ms. Matteo asked in shock. Frank could see her shock was genuine. It was too good to be manufactured.
Mr. Hardy nodded grimly. "Mr. Sterling is getting desperate," he said. "I just hope he hasn't left the island yet."
"Jim had confessed you had hired him to spy on Mr. Unterhauser," Frank stated to Ms. Matteo.
Ms. Matteo's face reddened. "All right, all right! I thought Mr. Unterhauser had cheated to get the island. So, when Owen came to me and tried to blackmail me, I've had an idea to turn this thing around and had him to work for me for a price. Since he hated Unterhauser, I decided to turn him as my insider on Verin Island," she fumed.
Frank closed his eyes, as a wave of blackness almost enveloped him. His knuckles were white as he clutched the edge of his seat. He barely heard the voices of Ms. Matteo and his father talking. He blinked his eyes several times before focusing on Ms. Matteo.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ms. Matteo answered the door. A large man in dark suit handed her a couple of envelopes. Frank could see one of the enveloped was marked 'Urgent'. She opened the marked one and read. Then she gave a gasped. Her face had turned pale, and lost its shrewdness.
"Are you all right, Ms. Matteo?" Mr. Hardy asked worriedly.
The woman didn't answer him for a moment before turning to him with a grave look. "I guess you might be right about Mr. Stein," she said slowly. "This is a letter from the police in Delaware. My family lawyer, Mr. Moore, the one who has the copy of the agreement of Verin Island, has been dead for almost five months - stabbed."
"Why does it take such a long time to report to you?" Mr. Hardy asked curiously.
"His body was found only yesterday in a landfill by one of the workers over there," she explained. "Looks like he didn't manage to migrate to Italy after all. There goes my chance to get the island."
"Stabbed – just like Jim," Frank mused.
Mr. Hardy turned to his son, looking alarmed. "We can't let Neil Sterling escape! If he runs away, our chance of finding the antidote is gone."
***
Something wet dripped on Joe Hardy's face. He forced his eyes to open. He found himself staring into darkness, with a single light on ahead of him. It was the water flowing down the craggy wall that landed on his face.
"So, you've woken up," a familiar male voice sneered from somewhere in front of him.
When he finally adjusted his eyes, he realized he was in a dim room. A musty smell filled his nostrils. The sound of dripping water told him he might be inside a cave. He could see a silhouette of a person beside him.
A hand slapped him, and Joe instinctively tried to block the blow, but his hands were held back by something. He finally noticed that he was bounded on the ground.
"All right, all right, I'm awake!" Joe yelled angrily.
"I hate smart mouth people like you," Neil Sterling a.k.a. Nicholas Stein said and raised his hand again.
Joe steeled himself as he felt the impact against at the side of his face.
"You killed Jim Owen, didn't you?" Joe accused when Neil had stopped hitting.
"No one squeezes money from me," Neil replied gruffly. "When he set up a meeting with me last night, that was my chance to finish him off. That man knew too much for his own good."
Joe digested the information quietly. "And what do you want from me?" he asked coldly.
"Finish the task that I've started," he replied simply and pulled out a syringe from his leather pouch around his waist.
Joe gulped nervously when he realized what it was. "You don't seem afraid to conceal your identity now, Nicholas Stein," he retorted. He started shifting and squirming against his bound, but it was too tight. Not to mention he was already cornered against the rough wall of the cave. He looked on in fear as Neil came closer with the needle. Joe trashed around against his bound as the needle started closing the gap in-between, but Neil had him on chokehold, pinning him to the ground.
"By the time you escaped this place, I'll be long gone, and you'll die either way," he told Joe simply. "Now, you'll get what you deserved," Neil sneered as he plunged the needle into Joe's arm.