Frank got out of the van and opened the back. He pulled out the new window and carried it over to the basement and set it by the broken one. The boards he had lain against the broken one were no where to be seen.
He returned to the van and pulled out a tool chest and carried it over to the house. Then he returned to the van once more to retrieve the binoculars from the glove compartment. He put them to his eyes and gazed over to where he had seen the police cruiser last night. One was still present although he was sure it was a different officer on duty. Next he turned his gaze toward the bay where the Gallena was moored. He saw no movement save for the gentle lapping of the waves against the bow.
He lowered the binoculars and carried them with him to the house. He set them down and set about replacing the basement window. When he had finished, he carried the broken window and tool chest to the van and locked them in the back. He started to climb in the van when he remembered the binoculars.
He went back to retrieve them and held them up, once again, to his eyes. From this vantage point he couldn't make out the Gallena, but he did see something to make him inhale sharply. At a house, not too far away, was his brother, looking none the worse, laughing at something someone was telling him. Frank looked at the three men with Joe. He recognized Dobson from the file his father had shown him last night after the police had left. The other two men matched the description of the men who had kidnapped Joe.
Frank lowered the binoculars and raced to the van. He grabbed his cell phone from the seat and called police headquarters where he was put through to Chief Collig. Frank told him about seeing Joe.
"I'll have Officer Sorrenson go with you," the Chief told Frank. "He's watching the Gallena."
"No!" Frank disagreed. "They might get away and head toward the boat. Joe was acting friendly with them," he continued. "I'm going to see what's going on. You can send some men out, but no sirens and keep the Gallena under surveillance."
Frank hung up and drove the van closer to where Joe was being held captive, either willingly or not. He got out of the van and made his way closer to the group, being careful not to be seen or heard.
"This has been fun," Billy said, smiling as he leaned back in the lawn chair.
"Any excuse not to work," Darryl teased him. "But we did deserve it after taking care of that tree."
"Well, I enjoyed it," Joe said, grinning. "That was too cool the way you two carried on," he continued. "You guys are regular Stooges. The only problem is, your both like Curly. Except for the hair thing," he ended.
"Joe," Dobson said, getting his attention. "I'm going into Fairfield. Want to come?"
"Sure," Joe agreed, standing up.
Dobson looked over at Darryl and Billy. "You two better finish that job you started," he told them.
"What job?" Joe asked.
"They have a delivery to complete," Dobson replied, going over and putting an arm around Joe's shoulders and leading him inside.
"And, oh boy, will the Hardy's be surprised when they get it," Billy said, grinning in delight as he and Darryl headed toward the garage. A few minutes later, a brown and beige Cadillac pulled out of the garage headed toward Bayport.
*************************************************************************
Frank crept up to the house and peered inside the kitchen window. Seeing no one, he went inside and cautiously made his way toward the living room.
"Ready?" Dobson yelled up the stairs.
"Yeah," Joe replied as he came running down the stairs. "Let's go."
"I'll grab the keys and meet you in the car," Dobson told Joe.
Joe went outside and headed for the car as Dobson came into the living room to find his keys. Frank quietly backed out into the kitchen. Seeing the keys on the table, he laid a dish towel on top of them, then ran to the garage where Joe was waiting.
"Joe," Frank hissed as he neared his younger brother. "What's going on?" he demanded. "We've been..."
His words were cut off as Joe swung around to face him. Instead of the friendly smile of recognition Frank had expected, Joe was glaring at him. His blue eyes were filled with intense hatred.
"You stinking, low-down, dirty..." Joe said, getting closer to Frank with every word, his hand balling into a fist. He broke off and swung his fist upward, connecting with Frank's jaw and sending him reeling backwards into the garage wall.
"Get out of here!" Joe snarled at him. "If you're here when we get back, I'll kill you," he added menacingly.
Frank looked up at his brother. He felt the blood poring from his lips and knew Joe meant every word he said.
He returned to the van and pulled out a tool chest and carried it over to the house. Then he returned to the van once more to retrieve the binoculars from the glove compartment. He put them to his eyes and gazed over to where he had seen the police cruiser last night. One was still present although he was sure it was a different officer on duty. Next he turned his gaze toward the bay where the Gallena was moored. He saw no movement save for the gentle lapping of the waves against the bow.
He lowered the binoculars and carried them with him to the house. He set them down and set about replacing the basement window. When he had finished, he carried the broken window and tool chest to the van and locked them in the back. He started to climb in the van when he remembered the binoculars.
He went back to retrieve them and held them up, once again, to his eyes. From this vantage point he couldn't make out the Gallena, but he did see something to make him inhale sharply. At a house, not too far away, was his brother, looking none the worse, laughing at something someone was telling him. Frank looked at the three men with Joe. He recognized Dobson from the file his father had shown him last night after the police had left. The other two men matched the description of the men who had kidnapped Joe.
Frank lowered the binoculars and raced to the van. He grabbed his cell phone from the seat and called police headquarters where he was put through to Chief Collig. Frank told him about seeing Joe.
"I'll have Officer Sorrenson go with you," the Chief told Frank. "He's watching the Gallena."
"No!" Frank disagreed. "They might get away and head toward the boat. Joe was acting friendly with them," he continued. "I'm going to see what's going on. You can send some men out, but no sirens and keep the Gallena under surveillance."
Frank hung up and drove the van closer to where Joe was being held captive, either willingly or not. He got out of the van and made his way closer to the group, being careful not to be seen or heard.
"This has been fun," Billy said, smiling as he leaned back in the lawn chair.
"Any excuse not to work," Darryl teased him. "But we did deserve it after taking care of that tree."
"Well, I enjoyed it," Joe said, grinning. "That was too cool the way you two carried on," he continued. "You guys are regular Stooges. The only problem is, your both like Curly. Except for the hair thing," he ended.
"Joe," Dobson said, getting his attention. "I'm going into Fairfield. Want to come?"
"Sure," Joe agreed, standing up.
Dobson looked over at Darryl and Billy. "You two better finish that job you started," he told them.
"What job?" Joe asked.
"They have a delivery to complete," Dobson replied, going over and putting an arm around Joe's shoulders and leading him inside.
"And, oh boy, will the Hardy's be surprised when they get it," Billy said, grinning in delight as he and Darryl headed toward the garage. A few minutes later, a brown and beige Cadillac pulled out of the garage headed toward Bayport.
*************************************************************************
Frank crept up to the house and peered inside the kitchen window. Seeing no one, he went inside and cautiously made his way toward the living room.
"Ready?" Dobson yelled up the stairs.
"Yeah," Joe replied as he came running down the stairs. "Let's go."
"I'll grab the keys and meet you in the car," Dobson told Joe.
Joe went outside and headed for the car as Dobson came into the living room to find his keys. Frank quietly backed out into the kitchen. Seeing the keys on the table, he laid a dish towel on top of them, then ran to the garage where Joe was waiting.
"Joe," Frank hissed as he neared his younger brother. "What's going on?" he demanded. "We've been..."
His words were cut off as Joe swung around to face him. Instead of the friendly smile of recognition Frank had expected, Joe was glaring at him. His blue eyes were filled with intense hatred.
"You stinking, low-down, dirty..." Joe said, getting closer to Frank with every word, his hand balling into a fist. He broke off and swung his fist upward, connecting with Frank's jaw and sending him reeling backwards into the garage wall.
"Get out of here!" Joe snarled at him. "If you're here when we get back, I'll kill you," he added menacingly.
Frank looked up at his brother. He felt the blood poring from his lips and knew Joe meant every word he said.