The List
Chapter Six
Frank had decided to meet Joe at his locker instead of outside as he normally did. As he got within view, he saw Tim Wyman, one of the school's bullies, cornering Joe. He picked up speed as he hurried to Joe's aid, but before he could get there, Tim took off and Joe turned back to his locker.
"Hi," Frank said, coming up beside Joe. "Wasn't that Tim Wyman?" he asked.
"Yeah," Joe replied. "He's in my Creative Expression class," he added but never said why Tim had been talking to him outside of class. Joe grabbed a couple of books and closed his locker. "Ready," he said.
Frank bit his bottom lip and followed joe outside. "We're meeting Callie and the guys at Mr. Pizza," Frank told Joe as they got into the van.
"Great!" Joe said. "I'm starving."
"Hey guys!" dark-eyed, dark-haired Liz Webling greeted the brothers as they joined their friends at a booth in Mr. Pizza. "Have you seen today's paper?" she asked, her eyes bright. Liz worked at the Bayport Times and was always up on the happenings around town.
"We didn't get a chance," Frank said with a shake of his head. "Why?"
Liz handed the paper she had been reading over to Frank. Joe leaned over to read along. "The Seventh Avenue jewelry store was robbed last night," Liz said as they read the details in the paper. "And the thief killed the guard!"
"Why did the paper publish a list of stolen items?" Joe asked, lookinjg over at Liz.
"Mr. Parrapet, the owner, insisted it would make it harder to fence the stolen items," she answered.
"Maybe we ought to check it out," Joe suggested, looking at Frank.
"Uh," Frank hesitated, not sure whether it was a good idea whild Joe was thinking about suicide, if he were, Frank amended, remembering what Phil had said earlier. "That's a good idea," he finally answered, looking away from the questioning look in Joe's eyes.
"You okay?" Joe whispered later while Callie was chatting with Liz and Biff had gone to the bathroom.
"I'm great," Frank declared. "Why?"
"You didn't seem to want to look into the theft and murder," Joe said, watching Frank's face closely.
"I do," Frank assured him. "I was just wondering if I would have time for that and an essay I have to do for English too," he fibbed.
"Don't worry about that," Joe said with a chuckle. "I've got to keep up with my homework too. Speaking of which," he added in a louder voice after checking his watch. "We had better get going if we want to talk to Mr. Parrapet."
Joe stood up and looked down at Frank. "I'm going to call Vanessa first and see how her mom's doing."
"Her mom?" Callie asked. "Is that why she wasn't in school today?"
"She came to school," Joe informed the group. "But her mom called during first period and she had to go hoime. Mrs. Bender twisted her ankle yesterday," he explained. "She's on crutches for at least a week.'
"How did you find out?" Frank asked him, but Joe pretended he hadn't heard and took off for the phone.
"Vanessa probably told him this morning," Phil told Frank as Biff returned from the bathroom.
"No," Frank said, shaking his head. "Joe saw Vanessa last night but she nor he will tell me anything."
"Joe's keeping secrets?" Chet demanded.
"From you?" Biff added in surprise.
Frank's face crumbled and he looked down at his empty plate. "What's going on?" Liz asked, her reporter instinct taking over.
"Maybe you should tell them," Callie suggested. "They care about Joe too."
"All right," Frank agreed with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Joe...." he began but broke off when he saw Joe approaching.
"It was busy," Joe said. "Let's go."
Frank stood up and gave a brief nod to Phil which Joe never noticed. "See you guys later," he said.
"Bye," Joe added, nodding at everyone.
Frank and Joe arrived at the jewelry shop a little after five. When they walked into the store, the proprietor moved to the center of the counter. "May I help you?" asked the middle-aged man. He had thinning black hair and was a rather chubby five fiit seven, but he stood looking at the boys as if daring them to try anything.
Frank smothered a grin as he stepped clsoer to the counter with Joe staying a few feet behind. "My name is Frank Hardy and this is my brother Joe," Frank introduced himself to the man. "We were wondering if we could speak with Mr. Parrapet."
"I am Mr. Parrapet," the man stated. "It's almost closing time," he continued. "Perhaps if you two would care to return tomorow?"
"We don't want to purchase anything," Joe said, stepping up. "We would like to speak with you about the robbery last night."
"I...I see," Mr. Parrapet said nervously, his eyes twitching. "Well...well, you had better just give my merchandise back," he said bravely.
Joe's and Frank's eyes widened in surprise at the man's sudden bravaod until they heard a voice order, "Put you hands over your heads and turn around real slow."
Frank and Joe broke out in huge grins, startling the poor man again by their behaviour, then they did as they had been instructed.
"You are under...." the voice trailed off as Seargent Con Riley, a brown-headed, green-eyed man in his mid-twenties, recognized the boys. He and the two officers accompaning him lowered their weapons. "Do I need to ask what you two are doing here?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Hi, Con," Joe said as he and Frank put their arms down. "We just wanted to help."
"Help?" asked Parrapet in confusion. "I thought you two were here to rob me again."
"Frank and Joe are detectives," Con informed the jeweler. "But, you two are not to get involved in this one," he added to the boys.
"Why not?" Joe demanded.
"The guard, Kelsey Fenmore, was a cop. He worked here as a security guard in his off time," Con explained. "Don't take this the wrong way fellas, but this case has top priority and you two..."
"Would get in the way?" Frank finished for him.
"Look, I jsut don't want you guys to get hurt," Con told them. "This guy has already commited first degree murder on an officer. He's not someone you should tangle with."
"We've tangled with worse," Joe pointed out.
"Be that as it may," Con acknowledged. "But do this my way, huh?" he begged. "Besides, Mr. Parrapet isn't going to help you boys out."
"Indeed not!" Parrapet assured them. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I do appreciate your offer, but I think the police can handle this."
"All right," Frank said and grabbed Joe's arm, hauling him away before he could start arguing. "Let us know if you change your mind," he added, pushing Joe out of the door ahead of him.
"You gave in awfully easy," Joe complained once they were back in the van.
"They don't want our help and we need to get into a routine with school before we really start on another case," Frank pointed out, grateful Con had forbidden them to work on the case.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Joe asked Frank for the second time that afternoon.
"I'm fine," Frank assured him.
They arrived home right at dinner time. Joe told his parents about the robbery and murder while they ate and after dinner they all played a game of trivia before the boys went to their rooms to do their homework.
Breakfast the next morning went much better than the day before. When Frank and Joe sat down at the table, their mother gave them each a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage. The biscuits and gravy were already on the table. Mr. Hardy folded the morning paper and was preparing to put it down when Joe caught sight of a familiar face on the front page.
"Can I see that?" Joe asked, holding out his hand for the paper. Mr. Hardy handed the paper over and watched as Joe read an article on the front page.
"What is it?" Frank asked.
"Craig Sommers," Joe replied, turning the paper around so Frank could see the boy's picture on the front page. "It says he died in a freak accident."
Chapter Six
Frank had decided to meet Joe at his locker instead of outside as he normally did. As he got within view, he saw Tim Wyman, one of the school's bullies, cornering Joe. He picked up speed as he hurried to Joe's aid, but before he could get there, Tim took off and Joe turned back to his locker.
"Hi," Frank said, coming up beside Joe. "Wasn't that Tim Wyman?" he asked.
"Yeah," Joe replied. "He's in my Creative Expression class," he added but never said why Tim had been talking to him outside of class. Joe grabbed a couple of books and closed his locker. "Ready," he said.
Frank bit his bottom lip and followed joe outside. "We're meeting Callie and the guys at Mr. Pizza," Frank told Joe as they got into the van.
"Great!" Joe said. "I'm starving."
"Hey guys!" dark-eyed, dark-haired Liz Webling greeted the brothers as they joined their friends at a booth in Mr. Pizza. "Have you seen today's paper?" she asked, her eyes bright. Liz worked at the Bayport Times and was always up on the happenings around town.
"We didn't get a chance," Frank said with a shake of his head. "Why?"
Liz handed the paper she had been reading over to Frank. Joe leaned over to read along. "The Seventh Avenue jewelry store was robbed last night," Liz said as they read the details in the paper. "And the thief killed the guard!"
"Why did the paper publish a list of stolen items?" Joe asked, lookinjg over at Liz.
"Mr. Parrapet, the owner, insisted it would make it harder to fence the stolen items," she answered.
"Maybe we ought to check it out," Joe suggested, looking at Frank.
"Uh," Frank hesitated, not sure whether it was a good idea whild Joe was thinking about suicide, if he were, Frank amended, remembering what Phil had said earlier. "That's a good idea," he finally answered, looking away from the questioning look in Joe's eyes.
"You okay?" Joe whispered later while Callie was chatting with Liz and Biff had gone to the bathroom.
"I'm great," Frank declared. "Why?"
"You didn't seem to want to look into the theft and murder," Joe said, watching Frank's face closely.
"I do," Frank assured him. "I was just wondering if I would have time for that and an essay I have to do for English too," he fibbed.
"Don't worry about that," Joe said with a chuckle. "I've got to keep up with my homework too. Speaking of which," he added in a louder voice after checking his watch. "We had better get going if we want to talk to Mr. Parrapet."
Joe stood up and looked down at Frank. "I'm going to call Vanessa first and see how her mom's doing."
"Her mom?" Callie asked. "Is that why she wasn't in school today?"
"She came to school," Joe informed the group. "But her mom called during first period and she had to go hoime. Mrs. Bender twisted her ankle yesterday," he explained. "She's on crutches for at least a week.'
"How did you find out?" Frank asked him, but Joe pretended he hadn't heard and took off for the phone.
"Vanessa probably told him this morning," Phil told Frank as Biff returned from the bathroom.
"No," Frank said, shaking his head. "Joe saw Vanessa last night but she nor he will tell me anything."
"Joe's keeping secrets?" Chet demanded.
"From you?" Biff added in surprise.
Frank's face crumbled and he looked down at his empty plate. "What's going on?" Liz asked, her reporter instinct taking over.
"Maybe you should tell them," Callie suggested. "They care about Joe too."
"All right," Frank agreed with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Joe...." he began but broke off when he saw Joe approaching.
"It was busy," Joe said. "Let's go."
Frank stood up and gave a brief nod to Phil which Joe never noticed. "See you guys later," he said.
"Bye," Joe added, nodding at everyone.
Frank and Joe arrived at the jewelry shop a little after five. When they walked into the store, the proprietor moved to the center of the counter. "May I help you?" asked the middle-aged man. He had thinning black hair and was a rather chubby five fiit seven, but he stood looking at the boys as if daring them to try anything.
Frank smothered a grin as he stepped clsoer to the counter with Joe staying a few feet behind. "My name is Frank Hardy and this is my brother Joe," Frank introduced himself to the man. "We were wondering if we could speak with Mr. Parrapet."
"I am Mr. Parrapet," the man stated. "It's almost closing time," he continued. "Perhaps if you two would care to return tomorow?"
"We don't want to purchase anything," Joe said, stepping up. "We would like to speak with you about the robbery last night."
"I...I see," Mr. Parrapet said nervously, his eyes twitching. "Well...well, you had better just give my merchandise back," he said bravely.
Joe's and Frank's eyes widened in surprise at the man's sudden bravaod until they heard a voice order, "Put you hands over your heads and turn around real slow."
Frank and Joe broke out in huge grins, startling the poor man again by their behaviour, then they did as they had been instructed.
"You are under...." the voice trailed off as Seargent Con Riley, a brown-headed, green-eyed man in his mid-twenties, recognized the boys. He and the two officers accompaning him lowered their weapons. "Do I need to ask what you two are doing here?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Hi, Con," Joe said as he and Frank put their arms down. "We just wanted to help."
"Help?" asked Parrapet in confusion. "I thought you two were here to rob me again."
"Frank and Joe are detectives," Con informed the jeweler. "But, you two are not to get involved in this one," he added to the boys.
"Why not?" Joe demanded.
"The guard, Kelsey Fenmore, was a cop. He worked here as a security guard in his off time," Con explained. "Don't take this the wrong way fellas, but this case has top priority and you two..."
"Would get in the way?" Frank finished for him.
"Look, I jsut don't want you guys to get hurt," Con told them. "This guy has already commited first degree murder on an officer. He's not someone you should tangle with."
"We've tangled with worse," Joe pointed out.
"Be that as it may," Con acknowledged. "But do this my way, huh?" he begged. "Besides, Mr. Parrapet isn't going to help you boys out."
"Indeed not!" Parrapet assured them. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I do appreciate your offer, but I think the police can handle this."
"All right," Frank said and grabbed Joe's arm, hauling him away before he could start arguing. "Let us know if you change your mind," he added, pushing Joe out of the door ahead of him.
"You gave in awfully easy," Joe complained once they were back in the van.
"They don't want our help and we need to get into a routine with school before we really start on another case," Frank pointed out, grateful Con had forbidden them to work on the case.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Joe asked Frank for the second time that afternoon.
"I'm fine," Frank assured him.
They arrived home right at dinner time. Joe told his parents about the robbery and murder while they ate and after dinner they all played a game of trivia before the boys went to their rooms to do their homework.
Breakfast the next morning went much better than the day before. When Frank and Joe sat down at the table, their mother gave them each a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage. The biscuits and gravy were already on the table. Mr. Hardy folded the morning paper and was preparing to put it down when Joe caught sight of a familiar face on the front page.
"Can I see that?" Joe asked, holding out his hand for the paper. Mr. Hardy handed the paper over and watched as Joe read an article on the front page.
"What is it?" Frank asked.
"Craig Sommers," Joe replied, turning the paper around so Frank could see the boy's picture on the front page. "It says he died in a freak accident."