Chapter 18

"Gywneth? Noah Colsen's girlfriend?" Frank asked. Noah, like Frank and Joe, was one of the players in the baseball team at Bayport High. Frank's not very close to the guy but they talk every now and then, since Noah was one of the nice guys in the team.

"Yup and Van's partner in the laboratory," Joe informed. "Van called her right after she realized that she forgot to return a book of Gwyneth's. But the housekeeper of the Rayner's answered the phone and told Vanessa what happened."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Frank asked Joe.

"If you think that Gwyneth's brake lines are slashed and there's probably a note attached, then yes," he answered with a sober expression. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Poor girl," Laura said softly just as Fenton entered the living room.

Seeing everyone's face, he asked, "What happened? Was there another attack?" and Laura filled him in.

"Are you calling the police?" Frank asked, walking closer to Joe.

"Yeah. I hope Con's there now and he's heard – Hello?" he asked. "Can I talk to Officer Riley please?" There was silence then, "Joe Hardy."

"Wait a minute," came the answer to the young detective.

"Hey Joe?" Riley's voice came.

"Yeah, I'm here Con. Listen, have you heard about the other car accident that took place? To Gywneth Rayner?"

"Yes. That was the first thing Chief told me when I came here," the officer answered.

"Where's the car now?" Joe asked.

"Here in the police station's parking lot. A tow truck was called. Joe, I know what you're gonna ask next."

"Oh yeah?"

"The car's brake lines were also tampered with! Like Callie's!"

"I was sort of expecting that actually," Joe said with a grim smile.

"Uh-huh? I can think of two reasons for that. One- you and Frank are on the case. Two- you're the one behind everything," Con joked, hoping to lighten things a little. "You can't go and visit Rayner as of now. Visitor's hours will be soon over and I doubt if Laura will let you out. It's almost supper time, you know."

"Yeah, we figured that out. But can you do us a favor?" Joe asked.

"Now it's my time to say I was also expecting that," Con said lightly. "Shoot."

"Can we come over there after supper time? We just want to check out the car," Joe said.

"Will Laura let you?" came the amused reply.

"Well, I suppose so, if Frank and I will eat our dinner like good boys," Joe said. "Or maybe…"

"What?" Con asked warily.

"Maybe you could talk to Mom now and tell her to let us go there now or later?" Joe asked hopefully.

"No way!" Con exclaimed.

"Please? Please Con?"

"No, Joseph," the officer answered flatly.

"I'm letting you check the car out but it's up to Laura to let you out," then added, "You've gone out of the house already after school. You haven't done your homework, haven't eaten your dinner, haven't…"

"Okay! Okay! But you'll let us in the car okay?" he asked again.

"I guess so. Chief left already and will be back tomorrow morning. If you can see the car without the noticing of the other officers left here, then fine."

"Thanks Con. See you later, I hope," Joe finished, glancing at Laura.

"What did he say?" Frank asked as soon as Joe put the phone down.

"Brakes were slashed," he said, informing his parents as well. "And I also asked him if we could go to the station to check the car for clues…" looking at Laura with his puppy dog eyes.

His mother raised an eyebrow. "It's almost suppertime."

"Well, yeah Mom, but maybe…" Joe said, looking at Frank for help.

"How about after supper, Mom?" Frank asked.

"You haven't done your homeworks since you left right away when you received that call from Callie," she pointed out.

"We'll do it as soon as we get home," Frank promised while Joe begged with his father for help silently.

"Laura, the boys won't be long," Fenton joined in. "Right boys?"

"Right," they chorused.

Laura was just silent. But she thought, Of course I'm going to let my boys out. It's just so sweet of them to still ask permission from me. Then she smiled.

"Of course, I am letting you. But be back early, okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course Mom," Joe said, kissing her in the cheek.

"Thanks Mom," Frank said with a hug. "We'll just clean up before having our dinner," eyeing Joe dirty clothes, since he went under Callie's car.

* * *

"Just make sure nobody, as in no one, will see you okay?" Con said, leading the two boys into the dark parking spot near the police station where he parked the van of Gwyneth Rayner. "I moved it here a while ago to make sure you're not seen."

"Did the police check the brake lines?" Frank asked Con, as he lowered himself underneath the black van, which looked like the Hardy's van.

"Yeah, and they didn't find anything. Now, whatever you see there, tell me okay? But in the meantime, I'll be going back inside before the other officers notice that I'm out here," Con said then discreetly walked back to the brick building.

"I'll go down and see the brake lines," Frank volunteered. After getting down, "Hand me the flashlight, Joe," Frank's muffled voice came from beneath the car.

"Here."

After a few seconds, Joe asked, "See anything?"

"Nothing, yet," the older Hardy answered.

After another few moments, Frank gave up. "Nothing!" he whispered to Joe.

Joe looked stunned. "You mean, this isn't part of the sabotage that has been happening?"

"Uh-uh. We don't know for now. Let's see the other parts of the car for more clues."

The brothers looked around the car, including inside of it, using the car keys Con Riley supplied them with.

"You check here Frank. I'll just go check something else outside," Joe said as his brother rummaged through the inside of the van.

Frank looked around every possible place for anything that would look like evidence. After a few minutes of searching, he heard Joe outside.

"I can't believe the police didn't see this," Joe said unbelievingly.

"What is it?" Frank asked, turning his head to see Joe, crouched down near the front left tire of the van, holding a piece of paper inside a small clear plastic. Oh no, he thought. I guess this is still part of the sabotage.

"Don't tell me you saw it in the tire?" the older Hardy asked, a bewildered look on his face.

"Yeah," Joe responded, standing up. "Chet did this to our old sedan once. He taped a, a letter to our tire…" He looked at his brother, as if waiting for him to remember something.

"Oh!" Frank suddenly remembered what his brother was talking about. "Iola's letter."

"Yeah…" was all Joe could reply as they started to close the door of the van and pick up their tools.

"Let's go back to Con Riley and return these keys," Frank said quietly.

"Okay," the suddenly quiet Joe answered.

They walked into the red brick building of the Bayport Police Station, heading to Con Riley's desk.

"Here's the keys Con," Frank whispered as to avoid perking up the interest of the other officers in the room.

"Saw anything?" Con asked, but he knew that if the boys did find anything, they wouldn't tell him about it.

"Nothing," Frank answered, knowing their friend knows that he is lying.

"Whatever you say," Con answered back. "Good luck in your case. Now, go home before Laura gets worried." He looked at Joe who was just quiet, standing beside his brother.

"Yeah. Thanks officer. Good night," Frank said.

"I'll drive," Frank told Joe as they were nearing their black van, which looked very familiar to the van they searched a while ago.

As Frank drove, Joe was trapped in his own thoughts.

"I have a letter for you, but you have to use all the detective skills you have in order to find it," Iola said over the phone.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be finding it in no time," Joe joked.

"Oh yeah? Let's see that!" Iola challenged, trying to stifle her giggling.

After a few days, during their lunchtime at school…

"So, have you found it, honey?" Iola asked Joe with a small smile.

"Well…"

"See?? I told you! You'll be having a hard time looking for that!" Iola said, laughing, her pixie-like face blooming with happiness.

"Uh, guys, I forgot something in my locker," Chet suddenly said. "I'll go get it, " he added, then left.

That afternoon…

"See you tomorrow guys!" Frank called to the Mortons as they were about to leave the school parking lot.

"Hey Frank, wait!" Joe said as he was about to climb into the passenger seat of their sedan. He saw something white in the tire of their van so he crouched down and looked at it. "Hey! What is this? Got some tissue or cloth there, Frank?"

Frank took a rag under the driver's seat and gave it to his brother, who used the rag to remove some of the dirt that hid a small plastic taped tightly to the tire. Then he pried off the plastic from the tire and saw a folded paper inside. Joe's eyes widened as he realized that that was probably Iola's letter.

"We're here Joe." Joe heard his brother, breaking his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Uh-huh," Joe unfastened his seatbelt and climbed out of the van.

"The letter, huh?" Frank asked softly as they walked to their front door.

"Nah. We know it was Iola's last letter for me before she, you know…" Shaking his head, "I have Vanessa now anyway…" came Joe's reply as they entered their house.

But I know you're still hurt by the memory Joe, Frank thought as he watched his brother greet their mother.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter even without a cliffhanger. J