Aliem was staying on campus until five so Frank went to see the dean. "Come in," Dean Ravelson said, opening his door and ushering Frank inside. "How is the case coming along?"
"The pocket of natural gas that you mentioned when you stopped by our house," Frank said, ignoring the dean's question and getting straight to the point. "Was it a pipeline?"
"No," the dean answered. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Who owns the land it was found on?" Frank asked, his expression intense.
"The university."
"Has anyone attempted to purchase the land?" Frank asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes," was Ravelson's startled reply. "The university was planning on selling the land but it was the ideal place for the work Professor Aliem was doing. However, if his grant falls through, we will probably sell it. It would cost more to grade it for building than it is worth."
"But there might be oil on it," Frank said, confused. "And there is definitely natural gas."
"Oh, no," Ravelson said quickly. "Professor Aliem assured me that the pocket was a small one and the land couldn't possibly harbor any oil."
"And you believed him?" Frank asked, surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" the dean demanded, his expression one of a very confused man.
"Who has been trying to purchase the land?" Frank asked, ignoring yet another question of the dean's.
"A woman by the name of Michelle Ryland."
Frank thanked the dean for his help and promised to tell him what was going on later. Outside the office and on his way back to the science building, Frank put in a call to his father. "Can you run a check on Michelle Ryland?" he asked, explaining about the land.
"Will do," Fenton promised. "Call me when you leave campus," he ordered. "I don't want you to go missing too."
Frank reached the science building in time to see Clarence and Todd leaving. "What's going on?" Frank asked, looking alarmed. "Why are you leaving so early?"
"I thought you had a dental appointment," Clarence said.
"Did you find Joe?" Todd asked.
"No," Frank admitted. "But I think Professor Aliem knows where he is."
"The professor has already left," Clarence said. "He left a few minutes after you did. He told us to finish what we were doing and lock up on our way out this afternoon."
Frank scowled. "Did he say why he was leaving or where he was going?" he asked hopefully.
Clarence shook his head. "Sorry," Todd answered. "Need some help?"
"Definitely," Frank replied. "But my dad's," he added giving Todd a brief smile of gratitude. Frank pulled his cell phone out and called his dad again.
"You're leaving campus already?" Fenton asked, surprised to hear Frank's voice so soon.
"Aliem has already left," he informed his father. "I need his home address."
"Seven seventy four Meadowview Drive," Fenton replied at once. "I'll meet you there."
Frank arrived first. By the time Fenton arrived, Frank had already reached the conclusion no one was home. "I found out who Michelle Ryland is," Fenton informed Frank. "She's Aliem's wife's brother's wife." He pulled out his cell phone and called Chief Collig. He reported Joe as missing and asked the chief to get a warrant to search the house.
Less than thirty minutes later, Collig arrived at Aliem's house with warrant in hand. "Judge Galloway was in the station when you called," Collig said, walking up to Frank and Fenton as two more patrol cars arrived.
They searched the house and came up empty. Collig ordered one of the officers to remain in the area and notify headquarters when anyone showed up and then he and the Hardys went to the university while the other officers returned to their normal duties.
"He's not here," Frank said, unlocking the lab door so his dad and the Chief could go inside. "Where could he have gone?"
"To see Anderson maybe?" Fenton hypothesized. "I'll talk to the dean and get Anderson's address. You check Anderson's office."
Frank nodded and left. He was almost to the exit when Mayhem caught up with him. "Where's Joe?" Mayhem inquired. "I haven't seen him all day."
"He's missing," Frank answered. "We think Professor Aliem kidnapped him. Have you seen Aliem this afternoon?"
"Missing?" Mayhem croaked. "Aliem? Why would he kidnap Joe?"
"Joe and I are detectives," Frank confessed. "Aliem stole his own research and tried to frame Craig. Joe was following Aliem earlier today but no one has seen him since before lunch."
"Oh dear," Mayhem said. "You don't think he would be back at the house do you?"
Frank shook his head. "Joe's too responsible to not let me know if he were there. However," Frank continued, running a hand through his wavy hair the way he always did when he was worried, "if you are finished for the day, you could go home in case he shows up there. He's been acting kind of out of it lately."
"Of course," agreed Mayhem at once.
"If he does show up, have him call me on my cell?" Frank asked.
"I will," Mayhem promised. He watched as Frank left then headed upstairs for a few things he couldn't do without. Tonight was going to be a full moon and with Joe missing, there was no telling how much longer it would be safe to be around.
***
When Joe came too, he sat up slowly, a wave of dizziness washing over him. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious but his stomach was screaming for something to eat and he was feeling decidedly off. He stood up in the dimly lit room and looked around. He was in a cellar of some kind. He tried the door but it was locked tight.
Groaning, Joe bent down to retrieve the nail file from his sock but it was gone. Joe checked all his pockets. Everything had been taken from him. Whoever had grabbed him had made sure he had nothing with which to escape.
Joe let out a low growl and kicked at the dirt floor, falling to his knees as his head began to throb. Grabbing his head, he pushed against it tightly, moaning as his jaws began to ache. Another moan followed, louder this time as he fell forward, catching himself with his hands.
A jarring crunch could be heard as bones popped out of his shoulders. His chest heaved rapidly as his body grew too big for his clothing that fell as rags from his budding furry body.
A scream of intense agony became a howl as his nose turned into a snout and his teeth elongated. A large drop of salvia fell to the dirt floor as his blue eyes glazed over briefly before turning a blue so intense they were almost black.
He turned his head to look at the door and his eyes glowed yellow as the light hit them at an angle. He ran at the cellar door. It gave a shudder but held fast. He backed up to the far side of the wall then took another run-a-go. He crashed into the door and fell. Getting up, he shook himself and began howling.
"The pocket of natural gas that you mentioned when you stopped by our house," Frank said, ignoring the dean's question and getting straight to the point. "Was it a pipeline?"
"No," the dean answered. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Who owns the land it was found on?" Frank asked, his expression intense.
"The university."
"Has anyone attempted to purchase the land?" Frank asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes," was Ravelson's startled reply. "The university was planning on selling the land but it was the ideal place for the work Professor Aliem was doing. However, if his grant falls through, we will probably sell it. It would cost more to grade it for building than it is worth."
"But there might be oil on it," Frank said, confused. "And there is definitely natural gas."
"Oh, no," Ravelson said quickly. "Professor Aliem assured me that the pocket was a small one and the land couldn't possibly harbor any oil."
"And you believed him?" Frank asked, surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" the dean demanded, his expression one of a very confused man.
"Who has been trying to purchase the land?" Frank asked, ignoring yet another question of the dean's.
"A woman by the name of Michelle Ryland."
Frank thanked the dean for his help and promised to tell him what was going on later. Outside the office and on his way back to the science building, Frank put in a call to his father. "Can you run a check on Michelle Ryland?" he asked, explaining about the land.
"Will do," Fenton promised. "Call me when you leave campus," he ordered. "I don't want you to go missing too."
Frank reached the science building in time to see Clarence and Todd leaving. "What's going on?" Frank asked, looking alarmed. "Why are you leaving so early?"
"I thought you had a dental appointment," Clarence said.
"Did you find Joe?" Todd asked.
"No," Frank admitted. "But I think Professor Aliem knows where he is."
"The professor has already left," Clarence said. "He left a few minutes after you did. He told us to finish what we were doing and lock up on our way out this afternoon."
Frank scowled. "Did he say why he was leaving or where he was going?" he asked hopefully.
Clarence shook his head. "Sorry," Todd answered. "Need some help?"
"Definitely," Frank replied. "But my dad's," he added giving Todd a brief smile of gratitude. Frank pulled his cell phone out and called his dad again.
"You're leaving campus already?" Fenton asked, surprised to hear Frank's voice so soon.
"Aliem has already left," he informed his father. "I need his home address."
"Seven seventy four Meadowview Drive," Fenton replied at once. "I'll meet you there."
Frank arrived first. By the time Fenton arrived, Frank had already reached the conclusion no one was home. "I found out who Michelle Ryland is," Fenton informed Frank. "She's Aliem's wife's brother's wife." He pulled out his cell phone and called Chief Collig. He reported Joe as missing and asked the chief to get a warrant to search the house.
Less than thirty minutes later, Collig arrived at Aliem's house with warrant in hand. "Judge Galloway was in the station when you called," Collig said, walking up to Frank and Fenton as two more patrol cars arrived.
They searched the house and came up empty. Collig ordered one of the officers to remain in the area and notify headquarters when anyone showed up and then he and the Hardys went to the university while the other officers returned to their normal duties.
"He's not here," Frank said, unlocking the lab door so his dad and the Chief could go inside. "Where could he have gone?"
"To see Anderson maybe?" Fenton hypothesized. "I'll talk to the dean and get Anderson's address. You check Anderson's office."
Frank nodded and left. He was almost to the exit when Mayhem caught up with him. "Where's Joe?" Mayhem inquired. "I haven't seen him all day."
"He's missing," Frank answered. "We think Professor Aliem kidnapped him. Have you seen Aliem this afternoon?"
"Missing?" Mayhem croaked. "Aliem? Why would he kidnap Joe?"
"Joe and I are detectives," Frank confessed. "Aliem stole his own research and tried to frame Craig. Joe was following Aliem earlier today but no one has seen him since before lunch."
"Oh dear," Mayhem said. "You don't think he would be back at the house do you?"
Frank shook his head. "Joe's too responsible to not let me know if he were there. However," Frank continued, running a hand through his wavy hair the way he always did when he was worried, "if you are finished for the day, you could go home in case he shows up there. He's been acting kind of out of it lately."
"Of course," agreed Mayhem at once.
"If he does show up, have him call me on my cell?" Frank asked.
"I will," Mayhem promised. He watched as Frank left then headed upstairs for a few things he couldn't do without. Tonight was going to be a full moon and with Joe missing, there was no telling how much longer it would be safe to be around.
***
When Joe came too, he sat up slowly, a wave of dizziness washing over him. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious but his stomach was screaming for something to eat and he was feeling decidedly off. He stood up in the dimly lit room and looked around. He was in a cellar of some kind. He tried the door but it was locked tight.
Groaning, Joe bent down to retrieve the nail file from his sock but it was gone. Joe checked all his pockets. Everything had been taken from him. Whoever had grabbed him had made sure he had nothing with which to escape.
Joe let out a low growl and kicked at the dirt floor, falling to his knees as his head began to throb. Grabbing his head, he pushed against it tightly, moaning as his jaws began to ache. Another moan followed, louder this time as he fell forward, catching himself with his hands.
A jarring crunch could be heard as bones popped out of his shoulders. His chest heaved rapidly as his body grew too big for his clothing that fell as rags from his budding furry body.
A scream of intense agony became a howl as his nose turned into a snout and his teeth elongated. A large drop of salvia fell to the dirt floor as his blue eyes glazed over briefly before turning a blue so intense they were almost black.
He turned his head to look at the door and his eyes glowed yellow as the light hit them at an angle. He ran at the cellar door. It gave a shudder but held fast. He backed up to the far side of the wall then took another run-a-go. He crashed into the door and fell. Getting up, he shook himself and began howling.
