A car was pulling onto the grounds as Fenton exited the house. When it stopped and Frank climbed out, Fenton shouted to him. "Frank, over here."
Stunned because his father had used his real name, Frank hurried over. "What's wrong?" he demanded, his eyes fearful.
"I'll tell you on the way home," Fenton told him.
"But Joe..." Frank objected, not wanting to leave Joe alone.
"On the way home," Fenton stressed the words. He knew if he told Frank about what had occurred now, Frank would run inside and physically force Joe to accompany them, regardless of the consequences.
Seething in frustration, Frank followed his father to the rental he was driving and the two left.
"Talk," Frank ordered, glaring at his father. "After what he did to Joe, how can we leave him there?"
"Joe fired me. Us," Fenton said, shocking Frank into silence. "He has chosen to remain with the Moodys."
"No way!" exclaimed Frank. "There has to be some reason he elected to stay."
"I know," Fenton agreed. "Moody has managed to obtain some kind of hold over Joe to force him to do what he wants."
"The baby," Frank said but Fenton shook his head and told Frank about the boy not really belonging to the Moodys. "Then what?" demanded Frank, shocked to learn the Moodys would go to such drastic measures to get Joe back and terrified at what could make Joe stay once he had found out the truth.
"I don't know," admitted Fenton, his face set. "But we're going to find out."
"How? We can't go back," Frank said, certain Joe would be the one to suffer if they did.
"I took the liberty of bugging every room in the house," Fenton informed Frank. "I used the best equipment available because I expected something like this might happen."
"What's the range?" Frank asked.
"Two miles," was the answer. "But closer will give us better reception."
"Where do we set up shop?" Frank wanted to know, eager to get started.
"The estate next door is for sale," Fenton informed his eldest son. "I'll make arrangements to lease it. We're going to need someone to listen in twenty-four seven," he continued. "Can you round up your friends and ask them for help? I know they have school Monday, but we really need their help."
"I'll get them to square it with their parents if you can handle the school," Frank said.
"Done," Fenton agreed. "I'll drop you at home. Call everyone over, the girls too, for a pow-wow. I'll take care of the lease and come straight back."
When Frank entered the house later, he was met at the door by his mother. "Where's Joe?" she asked, looking at the door as if she expected him to enter.
"He's at the Moody's," Frank said, watching his mom's eyes squinch shut. "We're going to get him back," Frank promised, then told his mom about his dad's plan.
"Tell your friends to let their parents know I will be the chaperone," Laura ordered Frank. "I doubt the girls would be allowed to go otherwise."
"Will do," Frank said, heading upstairs and into his dad's office to make the calls.
It was almost dusk when Fenton returned home, a triumphant smile on his face. "We have use of the estate next to the Moodys for as long as we need it," he informed Laura and the gathered teens.
Fenton looked at Vanessa and Callie who sat on either side of Frank, their matching expressions of curiosity and worry obvious to all. Then he took in the other teens who had agreed to help, although Frank hadn't told them about the case yet. Sandy-haired, bookish Phil Cohen, Frank's best friend since second grade sat quietly beside rambunctious, blond and beefy Biff Hooper, Joe's best friend since moving to Bayport when he and Laura had become a part of the Hardy family. In the easy chair was tow-headed Chet Morton, munching on an apple. His love of food was only out-done by his loyalty to his friends. And lastly, there was olive-skinned, dark haired Tony Prito. He was the manager at Mr. Pizza, the restaurant owned by his father. When Frank had called asking for Tony's help for a few days, Tony had readily agreed and asked his father for, and been granted, time off.
"What's going on?" Tony asked. "Where's Joe?"
"Is he still sick?" Vanessa demanded, worry marring her lovely features.
"He's not sick," Fenton replied. "But he is in trouble. As you all know," he continued, "when I married Laura, I adopted Joe."
"Yeah, so?" Chet asked. He didn't know what that had to do with anything.
"What you don't know is that Laura had adopted Joe under unusual circumstances prior to that."
"I still don't see what that has to do with anything," Chet interrupted Mr. Hardy again. "He's a Hardy now."
"Just let him finish," Phil told Chet. If Joe was in trouble, Chet's interruptions were costing them time they might not have.
"Joe's parents were very abusive," Laura took over the tale. "And very rich. They practically owned the town they lived in. When I found Joe, he had just tried to kill himself." She paused as the room filled with gasps. "I called the police and they returned him to his parents," she continued, tears falling down her face. "When I went to check on him, I was ordered off the property and was informed a restraining order was going to be issued against me.
"I pretended to leave but went back and climbed a tree which stood just outside of an open window. I was going to go inside and find Joe. But the open window was Joe's. They had broken both his legs and tied him to the bed frame. There was no mattress beneath him...only box springs.
"The room was bare. No books, toys, pictures, not even a sheet or pillow. There was a few items of clothing hanging in the closet, and a pair of shoes on the floor. A desk sat in the corner, neat and orderly, but there were school books on top of it. I found out later that Joe had been home schooled. The worst items in the room were a couple of belts lying on the floor. They were stained with blood." Laura quit speaking until she was once again able to control her emotions. She was completely oblivious to the teens in the room. Even Fenton's comforting arm around her shoulders was unnoticed as the horror of the memory gripped her.
"I untied Joe and carried him down the back stairs. As hurt as he was, he never uttered a sound. I didn't even realize he had been whipped on his back as well as suffering the bruises and lacerations on his arms and torso.
"We made it outside and I put him in the car and drove for a little over two hours before stopping at a hospital. While he was being taken care of, I called the sheriff. He contacted a lawyer he knew who called a social worker. There was no way I could keep Joe from having to go back unless his parents agreed to my adopting Joe. I was afraid if I let the authorities work it out their way, he would be sent back again.
"After talking to Joe and finding out some of the dealings of his parents, the lawyer set up an agreement. Joe could become my son on the condition that his parents never come under suspicion for any wrong doing. If they were to be investigated and Joe were not living with them, then whoever he was living with would be arrested for kidnapping."
"And they are being investigated now?" Phil asked. Mr. Hardy nodded.
"Why did you start investigating his parents?" Vanessa screamed at Mr. Hardy, jumping to her feet and glaring at him. "Didn't you know he would have to go and stay with them?"
"Easy," Frank said, standing up and putting an arm around her shoulders. "Remember on our way to the zoo when Callie was reading the society column?" Vanessa nodded. "Joe got sick because it said his parents had another baby. Joe made Dad start investigating and he went back to rescue his brother."
"But he doesn't have a brother," Fenton resumed the tale. "The Moodys "borrowed" a baby from the orphanage to lure Joe back."
"So you can quit investigating and Joe can come back," Vanessa said hopefully.
Fenton shook his head. "Joe told us to leave," he said. "He said he wanted to stay."
'That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Biff erupted. "Why would he want to stay with them after they beat him?"
"That's the million dollar question," Frank said. "They have some kind of hold on him and that's why we need your help."
"Anything!" Vanessa and Callie said simultaneously.
"I've bugged every room in the Moodys' house," Fenton informed the group. "We need to set up constant surveillance. Plus, if Joe leaves the grounds for any reason, we need to have someone nearby. Joe tried to kill himself at least once to escape the Moodys. He may try again."
Stunned because his father had used his real name, Frank hurried over. "What's wrong?" he demanded, his eyes fearful.
"I'll tell you on the way home," Fenton told him.
"But Joe..." Frank objected, not wanting to leave Joe alone.
"On the way home," Fenton stressed the words. He knew if he told Frank about what had occurred now, Frank would run inside and physically force Joe to accompany them, regardless of the consequences.
Seething in frustration, Frank followed his father to the rental he was driving and the two left.
"Talk," Frank ordered, glaring at his father. "After what he did to Joe, how can we leave him there?"
"Joe fired me. Us," Fenton said, shocking Frank into silence. "He has chosen to remain with the Moodys."
"No way!" exclaimed Frank. "There has to be some reason he elected to stay."
"I know," Fenton agreed. "Moody has managed to obtain some kind of hold over Joe to force him to do what he wants."
"The baby," Frank said but Fenton shook his head and told Frank about the boy not really belonging to the Moodys. "Then what?" demanded Frank, shocked to learn the Moodys would go to such drastic measures to get Joe back and terrified at what could make Joe stay once he had found out the truth.
"I don't know," admitted Fenton, his face set. "But we're going to find out."
"How? We can't go back," Frank said, certain Joe would be the one to suffer if they did.
"I took the liberty of bugging every room in the house," Fenton informed Frank. "I used the best equipment available because I expected something like this might happen."
"What's the range?" Frank asked.
"Two miles," was the answer. "But closer will give us better reception."
"Where do we set up shop?" Frank wanted to know, eager to get started.
"The estate next door is for sale," Fenton informed his eldest son. "I'll make arrangements to lease it. We're going to need someone to listen in twenty-four seven," he continued. "Can you round up your friends and ask them for help? I know they have school Monday, but we really need their help."
"I'll get them to square it with their parents if you can handle the school," Frank said.
"Done," Fenton agreed. "I'll drop you at home. Call everyone over, the girls too, for a pow-wow. I'll take care of the lease and come straight back."
When Frank entered the house later, he was met at the door by his mother. "Where's Joe?" she asked, looking at the door as if she expected him to enter.
"He's at the Moody's," Frank said, watching his mom's eyes squinch shut. "We're going to get him back," Frank promised, then told his mom about his dad's plan.
"Tell your friends to let their parents know I will be the chaperone," Laura ordered Frank. "I doubt the girls would be allowed to go otherwise."
"Will do," Frank said, heading upstairs and into his dad's office to make the calls.
It was almost dusk when Fenton returned home, a triumphant smile on his face. "We have use of the estate next to the Moodys for as long as we need it," he informed Laura and the gathered teens.
Fenton looked at Vanessa and Callie who sat on either side of Frank, their matching expressions of curiosity and worry obvious to all. Then he took in the other teens who had agreed to help, although Frank hadn't told them about the case yet. Sandy-haired, bookish Phil Cohen, Frank's best friend since second grade sat quietly beside rambunctious, blond and beefy Biff Hooper, Joe's best friend since moving to Bayport when he and Laura had become a part of the Hardy family. In the easy chair was tow-headed Chet Morton, munching on an apple. His love of food was only out-done by his loyalty to his friends. And lastly, there was olive-skinned, dark haired Tony Prito. He was the manager at Mr. Pizza, the restaurant owned by his father. When Frank had called asking for Tony's help for a few days, Tony had readily agreed and asked his father for, and been granted, time off.
"What's going on?" Tony asked. "Where's Joe?"
"Is he still sick?" Vanessa demanded, worry marring her lovely features.
"He's not sick," Fenton replied. "But he is in trouble. As you all know," he continued, "when I married Laura, I adopted Joe."
"Yeah, so?" Chet asked. He didn't know what that had to do with anything.
"What you don't know is that Laura had adopted Joe under unusual circumstances prior to that."
"I still don't see what that has to do with anything," Chet interrupted Mr. Hardy again. "He's a Hardy now."
"Just let him finish," Phil told Chet. If Joe was in trouble, Chet's interruptions were costing them time they might not have.
"Joe's parents were very abusive," Laura took over the tale. "And very rich. They practically owned the town they lived in. When I found Joe, he had just tried to kill himself." She paused as the room filled with gasps. "I called the police and they returned him to his parents," she continued, tears falling down her face. "When I went to check on him, I was ordered off the property and was informed a restraining order was going to be issued against me.
"I pretended to leave but went back and climbed a tree which stood just outside of an open window. I was going to go inside and find Joe. But the open window was Joe's. They had broken both his legs and tied him to the bed frame. There was no mattress beneath him...only box springs.
"The room was bare. No books, toys, pictures, not even a sheet or pillow. There was a few items of clothing hanging in the closet, and a pair of shoes on the floor. A desk sat in the corner, neat and orderly, but there were school books on top of it. I found out later that Joe had been home schooled. The worst items in the room were a couple of belts lying on the floor. They were stained with blood." Laura quit speaking until she was once again able to control her emotions. She was completely oblivious to the teens in the room. Even Fenton's comforting arm around her shoulders was unnoticed as the horror of the memory gripped her.
"I untied Joe and carried him down the back stairs. As hurt as he was, he never uttered a sound. I didn't even realize he had been whipped on his back as well as suffering the bruises and lacerations on his arms and torso.
"We made it outside and I put him in the car and drove for a little over two hours before stopping at a hospital. While he was being taken care of, I called the sheriff. He contacted a lawyer he knew who called a social worker. There was no way I could keep Joe from having to go back unless his parents agreed to my adopting Joe. I was afraid if I let the authorities work it out their way, he would be sent back again.
"After talking to Joe and finding out some of the dealings of his parents, the lawyer set up an agreement. Joe could become my son on the condition that his parents never come under suspicion for any wrong doing. If they were to be investigated and Joe were not living with them, then whoever he was living with would be arrested for kidnapping."
"And they are being investigated now?" Phil asked. Mr. Hardy nodded.
"Why did you start investigating his parents?" Vanessa screamed at Mr. Hardy, jumping to her feet and glaring at him. "Didn't you know he would have to go and stay with them?"
"Easy," Frank said, standing up and putting an arm around her shoulders. "Remember on our way to the zoo when Callie was reading the society column?" Vanessa nodded. "Joe got sick because it said his parents had another baby. Joe made Dad start investigating and he went back to rescue his brother."
"But he doesn't have a brother," Fenton resumed the tale. "The Moodys "borrowed" a baby from the orphanage to lure Joe back."
"So you can quit investigating and Joe can come back," Vanessa said hopefully.
Fenton shook his head. "Joe told us to leave," he said. "He said he wanted to stay."
'That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Biff erupted. "Why would he want to stay with them after they beat him?"
"That's the million dollar question," Frank said. "They have some kind of hold on him and that's why we need your help."
"Anything!" Vanessa and Callie said simultaneously.
"I've bugged every room in the Moodys' house," Fenton informed the group. "We need to set up constant surveillance. Plus, if Joe leaves the grounds for any reason, we need to have someone nearby. Joe tried to kill himself at least once to escape the Moodys. He may try again."