"I'm sorry, Fenton," Chief Collig said to Mr. Hardy later that day as they met in the sheriff's home which doubled as his office.. "We've combed every inch of the graveyard and can't find anything to indicate where Avery might have taken Joe."

"Where you...." Mr. Hardy stopped and swallowed, needing to ask this question but not wanting to hear an affirmative answer. "Where you able to discern what happened in the cemetery?" he finally managed to get it out.

"There was a belt found near the cross close to the entrance to the graveyard," Chief Collig informed the two Hardys. "There was blood on it, probably Joe's. Judging from it's location and the way the grass had been flattened, the belt was most likely used to bind his wrists around the cross."

He went silent for a minute, waiting to see if either Hardy had anything to say before continuing. "The shallow grave on top of your father's grave did, for a time, hold Joe," he said, looking Mr. Hardy in the eyes. "Again, there were bloodstains. These were in the area of his wrists and our Forensics team all agree he managed to pry the belt off at the cross and almost got away."

"Almost?" Frank questioned.

"There were indentions on the ground which show someone trying to crawl out of the graveyard," Collig explained.

"What stopped him from getting away?" Mr. Hardy asked.

"Avery," the chief answered. "Footprints showed up where the crawling indentions ceased. There were, however, another set of indentions indicating Avery picked Joe up by the feet and dragged him to Marshall Hardy's grave."

"Have you contacted the FBI?" Mr. Hardy inquired.

"I did," Collig affirmed. "Together we have formed road blocks around Signet and Bayport. The train and bus station as well as the airports have all been put on alert for anyone matching Avery's description," he informed the Hardys. "Since Avery's vehicle was spotted in Signet early this morning, it's a fair assumption he and Joe are still in the vicinity."

"With the help of the Bayport police department and the FBI, this entire area is going to be searched," said the sheriff of Signet, Angus Henley. "We'll find Joe."

Frank left the small building which served as both home and office to the local sherrif and walked down the street, breathing in the fresh air as he tried to figure out where Avery could be hiding Joe. He knew there had to be a reason why Avery had chosen their grandfather's grave to bury Joe. If he could figure that out, then maybe he could guess where he would go next. It was times like these when Frank knew why there were specialists in criminal profiles. If only he could get inside Avery's head, he was sure he could find Joe. But how do you get inside the mind of a madman?

"Or is he mad?" Frank wondered aloud, his step faultering. Douglas had said Avery wanted to desecrate Joe. How could he do that? By burying Joe alive on top of his grandfather's grave, Avery may have sought to make Joe angry enough to want revenge. If Joe became consummed with hate he would be corrupted, Frank thought. Teriffying Joe to the point where his only escape was desire for revenge would destroy his soul.

Frank's eyes hardened. He wasn't going to lose his brother to anyone, including himself. He turned and headed back for the sheriff's office, an idea about where Avery may have taken Joe in his head.

When Frank reached the sheriff's home, he was alarmed to see everyone preparing to leave; his father's face ashen as he walked unsteadily to Chief Collig's squad car.

"What's happened?" Frank demanded, running up to his dad and the chief.

"The car has been found," Collig answered. "Or, at least, what's left of it. Get in," he ordere Frank, climbing in behind the wheel as Mr. Hardy got in the passenger side.

Fifteen minutes later, Chief Collig arrived at the location where the remains of the Reliant were still smouldering. The fire department and Sergeant Con Riley were on the scene as well as two Federal men and a Forensics team. "There were two people in the car when it went over the cliff," Sergeant Riley informed Chief Collig and the Hardys as they came over.

Frank looked up at the cliff high above them. "Wasn't there a guard rail?" he demanded angrily, his eyes shining. He was finding it hard to believe Joe was dead.

"There had been construction going on up there," Sherrif Henley explained, coming over. "The guard rail was taken down temporarily and the road was closed. Avery must have bypassed the barricade."

"Are you sure it was Joe and Avery in the car?" Frank demanded. "Maybe Avery sold it?"

"There are two distinct remains in the car," Con told Frank, repeating what he had been told by the Forensics team. "One larger person driving and a smaller one in the rear floorboard."

"No," Frank denied, shaking his ehad as tears started falling. "No. It's not true. It can't be...no," he begged, his voice becoming a whisper as he fell to his knees, weeping uncontrollably.

Neither Frank nor Mr. Hardy were in any condition to drive home so Chief Collig ordered Riley to go to the sheriff's office and drive the Hardy's sedan back to their home. One of the forensics officers would drop him off and then take Con's cruiser back to the bayport PD.

The chief managed to get the car keys from the emotionally wrecked Mr. Hardy and gave them to the Sergeant before helping first Mr. Hardy into his squad car and then Frank.

Frank was still crying, unable to stop the flow of tears, but Mr. Hardy seemed to be in shock, not responding or showing any evidence he felt the touch of the chief as he was ushered into the car.

They were almost home before Frank spoke. "What?" Chief Collig asked. He knew Frank had said something but it was so low he hadn't been able to make it out.

"My grandparent's old house," Frank said a bit louder. "He..he probably stayed there after he...after he..." Frank stopped, unable to say anymore, but the chief knew what he ahd been about to say. After Avery had buried Joe in the graveyard.

Chief Collig radioed Riley who was still at the scene with the forensics team and told him to check out the old Hardy homestead. The sheriff was still there and said the new owners had been going on vacation and had asked him to keep an eye on the place so a search warrant wouldn't even be needed.

Soon Collig pulled to a stop at the Hardy home. Neither Hardy wanted to go inside, dreading having to break the news to Mrs. Hardy. Chief Collig opened his car door as a Ford Explorer pulled into the drive beside him. A young girl got out. Collig knew her by sight if not by name. She had been Joe's girlfriend.

Frank saw Vanessa and what composure he had managed to regain on the trip back, fled. Vanessa saw Chief Collig open the back door for Frank to get out and she froze, mid-stride, her heart breaking. She knew from looking at Frank that Joe was dead. Frank got out of the car and she ran to him, flinging her arms around him as she burst into tears.

Mr. Hardy closed his eyes and swallowed before opening his door and getting out. "Fenton, would you..." Collig began to offer to tell Laura, but Mr. Hardy shook his head. He sniffed deeply as tears made their way freely down his cheeks and he walked up the steps to the house.

Frank and Vanessa remained where they were, oblivious to the next-door neighbors who had come out to watch, aware something terrible had happened.

Chief Collig remained outside with the two teenagers while Mr. Hardy went inside and broke the news to his wife. He heard Mrs. Hardy's scream of anguish and her sobbing before it faded. He assumed Mr. Hardy had led her into the living room after telling her.

Almost thirty minutes later, Frank and Vanessa pulled apart and went inside. Chief Collig waited outside for Sergeant Riley to bring Mr. Hardy's car, sure the Hardys and Joe's girlfriend needed the time to themselves.

When Riley arrived at the Hardy home he had more bad news. The old Hardy home had been searched. He told the chief about the dirt on the sheets in the bedroom. "Avery cut Joe's hair," he continued. "There were locks of blond hair all over the pillow and floor. It looks like Avery finished what he had planned to do in Signet and took the road by the cliff in an effort to avoid the roadblocks. And Chief," he added, his voice deepening with emotion. "There was a large amount of blood on the carpet. Too much for anyone to lose and live through."

"So he killed Joe before the accident?" Collig pondered the move. "Why? Was he planning on taking Joe's body somewhere specific?"

"I guess we'll never know," Con answered, looking up at the Hardy home with bright brown eyes. He had been good friends with the Hardy boys for years and Joe's death was beginning to take it's toll.