"Do you have the tapes?" demanded Frank. 'Finally!' he thought. 'A solid lead.'
"No," Phil replied. "Mall security said the Bayport PD would have to requisition it but I did manage to get the first three letters of the tag. It's AXT," he continued. "But I think that once we have the tape we can get close enough to see the rest of it."
"You can do that with a VCR?" Jennings inquired in amazement.
"No," Phil admitted. "But I can dub it to DVD and pop it in my computer. Of course, the police most likely have the equipment to do the same procedure."
"You're right," concurred Ezra Collig, as he and Sergeant Con Riley came up behind the group. Collig turned to the curly haired sergeant beside him. "Go down to security and get those tapes," he instructed.
"Yes, Sir," Con answered, looking at Phil questioningly. He wanted details and he didn't want to wait because both Frank and Joe were close friends of his.
"I'll go with you," Phil said, aware of the look Con was giving him because he had been the recipient of similar ones from Frank for years.
Collig took notes as Frank and Jennings told him about the two men on the tape and then followed Jennings into his office. Frank waited in the store with Callie, Chet and Biff who had returned while Collig was asking questions, for Fenton Hardy. Ten minutes later, Collig was still in Jennings' office, and Con and Phil had not yet returned but Fenton walked through the door looking more upset than even Frank expected.
"What is it?" Frank demanded when his father reached him. His heart beat faster because he knew it had to have something to do with Joe.
"Later," Fenton said then turned to Chet, Callie and Biff. "Do you kids have a way home?" he asked.
"Sure," Callie answered as Phil and Con returned.
"Call us if you need us," Biff told Frank and Mr. Hardy, knowing they had been dismissed.
"Or if you find Joe," Chet added.
"I will," promised Frank, giving his friends a wan smile. "Thanks."
Callie took Phil's elbow and told him of Mr. Hardy's implied request that they leave as they walked away. Frank turned back to his dad. "Well?" he asked when it was just he, his father and Con.
"Not here," Fenton replied, looking at the tapes in Con's hands questioningly.
Con told him what was on the tapes. He had just finished when the office door opened and Chief Collig and Jennings exited. Frank introduced his father who thanked Jennings for his help and patience then suggested they all go to headquarters to view the license tag that Con had just told him about.
Frank went to the parking lot and climbed into the van. All the way to the police station he thought about what his father had to say that he couldn't say in a public place. Were the kidnappers wanted for something other than murder? "Must be," Frank said aloud. Why else would his father be so hush-hush about it.
At the police station Frank, Fenton, Chief Collig and Sergeant Riley congregated in the forensics lab while Officer Dalton worked his magic. Soon they had not only a clear picture of the tag but also of Joe being forced into the trunk of the car. The contents in the trunk were also clearly visible and consisted of two shirts and two pairs of loafers.
"That's no help," scoffed Frank.
"Neither is the tag," Riley said, looking up from the computer he was researching the tag on. "That car was reported stolen this morning at five-eighteen."
"By?" demanded Fenton.
"Hurd Applegate," was the answer.
Fenton's scowl deepened. No help there he knew. Hurd Applegate was an upstanding member of the community and also considered Frank and Joe to be protégés of his since they had solved not only their first case for him but also their hundredth.
Frank looked at his father, his expression one of a man who was about to lose all patience. "I called the Network," Fenton dropped his bombshell.
"The Network?" Collig demanded sharply, his green eyes widening. "What have they to do with this?"
"I have heard rumors that Dorian Stevens was getting involved with a faction that is planning an attack on selected members of congress," Fenton explained. "So when Frank told me he was one of Joe's abductors I called to see if the rumors were true."
"And?" Frank asked.
"They are," Fenton admitted with a weary sigh, running his hand through his thinning brown hair and letting it slide down to the base of his neck where he rubbed it; willing the tension to ease although he knew it was hopeless.
"Joe's been kidnapped by Assassins?" Frank croaked in horror.
"Terrorists," Fenton corrected him. "As far as the Network knows, this faction has nothing to do with the Assassins."
"Just as bad," Collig stated bluntly. "I suppose they will be arriving here shortly?"
Fenton shook his head. "No," he said. "They are letting the CIA handle this one."
Frank fought to keep from showing his disappointment. If the Network had been involved then he would have had no trouble getting any information he needed but now he and his father would pretty much be on their own. Fenton had told his sons often enough that he refused to work with the CIA because he felt their methods were underhanded. He defended his cooperation with the Network because one knew where they stood with them.
Frank scowled. Terrorists and the CIA. Would they ever get Joe back?
"You can do that with a VCR?" Jennings inquired in amazement.
"No," Phil admitted. "But I can dub it to DVD and pop it in my computer. Of course, the police most likely have the equipment to do the same procedure."
"You're right," concurred Ezra Collig, as he and Sergeant Con Riley came up behind the group. Collig turned to the curly haired sergeant beside him. "Go down to security and get those tapes," he instructed.
"Yes, Sir," Con answered, looking at Phil questioningly. He wanted details and he didn't want to wait because both Frank and Joe were close friends of his.
"I'll go with you," Phil said, aware of the look Con was giving him because he had been the recipient of similar ones from Frank for years.
Collig took notes as Frank and Jennings told him about the two men on the tape and then followed Jennings into his office. Frank waited in the store with Callie, Chet and Biff who had returned while Collig was asking questions, for Fenton Hardy. Ten minutes later, Collig was still in Jennings' office, and Con and Phil had not yet returned but Fenton walked through the door looking more upset than even Frank expected.
"What is it?" Frank demanded when his father reached him. His heart beat faster because he knew it had to have something to do with Joe.
"Later," Fenton said then turned to Chet, Callie and Biff. "Do you kids have a way home?" he asked.
"Sure," Callie answered as Phil and Con returned.
"Call us if you need us," Biff told Frank and Mr. Hardy, knowing they had been dismissed.
"Or if you find Joe," Chet added.
"I will," promised Frank, giving his friends a wan smile. "Thanks."
Callie took Phil's elbow and told him of Mr. Hardy's implied request that they leave as they walked away. Frank turned back to his dad. "Well?" he asked when it was just he, his father and Con.
"Not here," Fenton replied, looking at the tapes in Con's hands questioningly.
Con told him what was on the tapes. He had just finished when the office door opened and Chief Collig and Jennings exited. Frank introduced his father who thanked Jennings for his help and patience then suggested they all go to headquarters to view the license tag that Con had just told him about.
Frank went to the parking lot and climbed into the van. All the way to the police station he thought about what his father had to say that he couldn't say in a public place. Were the kidnappers wanted for something other than murder? "Must be," Frank said aloud. Why else would his father be so hush-hush about it.
At the police station Frank, Fenton, Chief Collig and Sergeant Riley congregated in the forensics lab while Officer Dalton worked his magic. Soon they had not only a clear picture of the tag but also of Joe being forced into the trunk of the car. The contents in the trunk were also clearly visible and consisted of two shirts and two pairs of loafers.
"That's no help," scoffed Frank.
"Neither is the tag," Riley said, looking up from the computer he was researching the tag on. "That car was reported stolen this morning at five-eighteen."
"By?" demanded Fenton.
"Hurd Applegate," was the answer.
Fenton's scowl deepened. No help there he knew. Hurd Applegate was an upstanding member of the community and also considered Frank and Joe to be protégés of his since they had solved not only their first case for him but also their hundredth.
Frank looked at his father, his expression one of a man who was about to lose all patience. "I called the Network," Fenton dropped his bombshell.
"The Network?" Collig demanded sharply, his green eyes widening. "What have they to do with this?"
"I have heard rumors that Dorian Stevens was getting involved with a faction that is planning an attack on selected members of congress," Fenton explained. "So when Frank told me he was one of Joe's abductors I called to see if the rumors were true."
"And?" Frank asked.
"They are," Fenton admitted with a weary sigh, running his hand through his thinning brown hair and letting it slide down to the base of his neck where he rubbed it; willing the tension to ease although he knew it was hopeless.
"Joe's been kidnapped by Assassins?" Frank croaked in horror.
"Terrorists," Fenton corrected him. "As far as the Network knows, this faction has nothing to do with the Assassins."
"Just as bad," Collig stated bluntly. "I suppose they will be arriving here shortly?"
Fenton shook his head. "No," he said. "They are letting the CIA handle this one."
Frank fought to keep from showing his disappointment. If the Network had been involved then he would have had no trouble getting any information he needed but now he and his father would pretty much be on their own. Fenton had told his sons often enough that he refused to work with the CIA because he felt their methods were underhanded. He defended his cooperation with the Network because one knew where they stood with them.
Frank scowled. Terrorists and the CIA. Would they ever get Joe back?