Frank drove over to Phil Cohen's house, hoping that Phil had managed to come up with some answers for him. But when he had parked the car and was reaching for Phil's doorbell, Frank found the door being opened by an extremely apologetic-looking Phil.
"I'm sorry, Frank—" the other boy said, before Frank could frame a question. "I haven't been able to get on the computer – my dad was using it! But we can use it now. Come on in." He quickly ushered Frank inside and led the way to the computer.
The two settled down at the spacious desk, and Frank nervously watched Phil's fingers deftly manipulating the mouse and tapping the keyboard as he searched for the information they desired.
"We want to know who's receiving the money for the ads…" Phil murmured, more to himself than to Frank, as he worked. "…mm-hmm…okay – interesting."
"What's interesting?" Frank demanded, peering at the screen. "The address…"
"It's a direct deposit," Phil said, shaking his head. "But I think I can find out…mmm…come on, baby, tell me your secrets…" More tapping keys. "Well, the receipts go to this post office box." he announced, finally.
Frank copied the number onto a scrap of paper and put it in his pocket. "Now try the vet." he suggested.
"You don't ask for much, do you?" Phil snorted, but he set to work. In a surprisingly short time, he had managed to access files at three local veterinarians. Careful reading showed them that none of the vets had treated Ms. Westerman's dog in the past week…but there was no question that Phil had found the right animal doctor. There it was, a rabies booster shot for Caramel Westerman– two months previously.
Frank needed no more convincing. "It's time to get the police involved in this!" he announced, and reached for the phone. When he was connected with the Bayport Police, he asked for Con Riley, and was astounded to find that the man was actually there!
"What are you doing on duty on a Sunday evening?" Frank blurted out incredulously, when Con picked up the phone.
"I work odd hours." Con replied, chuckling. "What's on your mind, Frank?"
"Remember the two break-ins at 319 Rafferty Street this past week?" Frank began.
Con was silent for a moment. "No," he said at last. "What break-ins?"
"Ms. Danielle Westerman, Joe's English teacher." Frank clarified. "She had an intruder break into her house twice; Joe and I went over both times. We were going to call it in, but she insisted she'd do it herself. She said the police had been there, both times."
"Hang on, lemme look it up." The receiver hit the desktop with a loud clunk, and for a few minutes all Frank heard was vague noises of rustling papers, drawers opening and shutting, and voices and ringing telephones in the background. Then Con returned to the line. "No reports of break-ins at that address." he said. "No reports from anyone named Westerman. Are you sure it was this week?"
"Figures." Frank said bitterly. "Yes, I'm sure." he added, his face becoming one big scowl.
"What's going on?" Con inquired, noting the change of tone in Frank's voice.
Frank explained what had been going on, and about the website with the mystery stories. Con listened quietly, occasionally inserting a comment just to let Frank know he was still there and paying attention.
"And exactly why weren't the police informed of any of this?" Con demanded, when Frank paused.
"That's just it!" Frank cried in exasperation. "Ms. Westerman was supposed to have called the police, but she didn't! I don't know how she knew which part of the car to fix to kill the brakes, Con, and I don't know how she knew anything about bombs, but I'm sure she's guilty of those as well." Frank finished gloomily.
"Hmmm. Well, we managed to get some prints at the time of the fire at your house, Frank." Con told him. "There were prints on the back of the breakfront. If they match this Ms. Westerman's, we'll have her for arson and attempted murder. Still no results from Forensics, but I'm hoping for something yet tonight….I'll see about getting a warrant for her arrest."
"Thanks, Con!" Frank hung up, feeling somewhat relieved. He told Phil what Con had said, and what he was going to do.
"Let's check the website." Phil suggested, doing it even as he spoke. When he reached the story site, his eyebrows shot up. "Frank, look – two more chapters!"
"Two!" Frank gulped in surprise. She had never posted two at a time before. He developed a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he leaned over Phil's shoulder and started reading….
Jeremy had gone to the park to meet his girlfriend…but what Jeremy didn't know, was that his girlfriend, Felicia, had been kidnapped, and forced to make the phone call inviting him to join her….
Frank's face drained of color as he continued reading over Phil's shoulder.
The two teens were taken to a location outside the city, and await a nasty death at the hands of the villain, the principal of the school which Jeremy and Fletcher attend…The principal was playing the tricks on the boys, and plotting revenge for the way he felt he had been treated by the boys' father.
Jeremy and Felicia were now lying bound and gagged in a cave. Surrounded by absolute darkness in the cave, they were lying on the edge of a precipice which dropped some two hundred feet to more rocks below. If either teen moved too far, it would mean death. Even if they managed to loosen their bonds, they would not be able to see to get out of the cave….
By the time he'd finished reading this chapter, Frank's heart was pounding fearfully, and he was sweating as he tried to think of a cave in the vicinity of Bayport with those features. His mind was drawing blanks; there didn't seem to be any sort of match!
"Blast it!" Frank expostulated, as Phil pulled up the next, and final, chapter. "I can't think of any caves like that around here, can you? he demanded, as they waited for the chapter to finish loading.
Phil shook his head as he started the last chapter.
The villain had won. The two teens were left to either fall to their deaths or to die of thirst, and the villain returned to his home, secure in the knowledge that no one had any evidence against him. For once, the bad guy won.
To be continued, the last line ran, in 'Fletcher's Revenge.'
"I'm sorry, Frank—" the other boy said, before Frank could frame a question. "I haven't been able to get on the computer – my dad was using it! But we can use it now. Come on in." He quickly ushered Frank inside and led the way to the computer.
The two settled down at the spacious desk, and Frank nervously watched Phil's fingers deftly manipulating the mouse and tapping the keyboard as he searched for the information they desired.
"We want to know who's receiving the money for the ads…" Phil murmured, more to himself than to Frank, as he worked. "…mm-hmm…okay – interesting."
"What's interesting?" Frank demanded, peering at the screen. "The address…"
"It's a direct deposit," Phil said, shaking his head. "But I think I can find out…mmm…come on, baby, tell me your secrets…" More tapping keys. "Well, the receipts go to this post office box." he announced, finally.
Frank copied the number onto a scrap of paper and put it in his pocket. "Now try the vet." he suggested.
"You don't ask for much, do you?" Phil snorted, but he set to work. In a surprisingly short time, he had managed to access files at three local veterinarians. Careful reading showed them that none of the vets had treated Ms. Westerman's dog in the past week…but there was no question that Phil had found the right animal doctor. There it was, a rabies booster shot for Caramel Westerman– two months previously.
Frank needed no more convincing. "It's time to get the police involved in this!" he announced, and reached for the phone. When he was connected with the Bayport Police, he asked for Con Riley, and was astounded to find that the man was actually there!
"What are you doing on duty on a Sunday evening?" Frank blurted out incredulously, when Con picked up the phone.
"I work odd hours." Con replied, chuckling. "What's on your mind, Frank?"
"Remember the two break-ins at 319 Rafferty Street this past week?" Frank began.
Con was silent for a moment. "No," he said at last. "What break-ins?"
"Ms. Danielle Westerman, Joe's English teacher." Frank clarified. "She had an intruder break into her house twice; Joe and I went over both times. We were going to call it in, but she insisted she'd do it herself. She said the police had been there, both times."
"Hang on, lemme look it up." The receiver hit the desktop with a loud clunk, and for a few minutes all Frank heard was vague noises of rustling papers, drawers opening and shutting, and voices and ringing telephones in the background. Then Con returned to the line. "No reports of break-ins at that address." he said. "No reports from anyone named Westerman. Are you sure it was this week?"
"Figures." Frank said bitterly. "Yes, I'm sure." he added, his face becoming one big scowl.
"What's going on?" Con inquired, noting the change of tone in Frank's voice.
Frank explained what had been going on, and about the website with the mystery stories. Con listened quietly, occasionally inserting a comment just to let Frank know he was still there and paying attention.
"And exactly why weren't the police informed of any of this?" Con demanded, when Frank paused.
"That's just it!" Frank cried in exasperation. "Ms. Westerman was supposed to have called the police, but she didn't! I don't know how she knew which part of the car to fix to kill the brakes, Con, and I don't know how she knew anything about bombs, but I'm sure she's guilty of those as well." Frank finished gloomily.
"Hmmm. Well, we managed to get some prints at the time of the fire at your house, Frank." Con told him. "There were prints on the back of the breakfront. If they match this Ms. Westerman's, we'll have her for arson and attempted murder. Still no results from Forensics, but I'm hoping for something yet tonight….I'll see about getting a warrant for her arrest."
"Thanks, Con!" Frank hung up, feeling somewhat relieved. He told Phil what Con had said, and what he was going to do.
"Let's check the website." Phil suggested, doing it even as he spoke. When he reached the story site, his eyebrows shot up. "Frank, look – two more chapters!"
"Two!" Frank gulped in surprise. She had never posted two at a time before. He developed a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he leaned over Phil's shoulder and started reading….
Jeremy had gone to the park to meet his girlfriend…but what Jeremy didn't know, was that his girlfriend, Felicia, had been kidnapped, and forced to make the phone call inviting him to join her….
Frank's face drained of color as he continued reading over Phil's shoulder.
The two teens were taken to a location outside the city, and await a nasty death at the hands of the villain, the principal of the school which Jeremy and Fletcher attend…The principal was playing the tricks on the boys, and plotting revenge for the way he felt he had been treated by the boys' father.
Jeremy and Felicia were now lying bound and gagged in a cave. Surrounded by absolute darkness in the cave, they were lying on the edge of a precipice which dropped some two hundred feet to more rocks below. If either teen moved too far, it would mean death. Even if they managed to loosen their bonds, they would not be able to see to get out of the cave….
By the time he'd finished reading this chapter, Frank's heart was pounding fearfully, and he was sweating as he tried to think of a cave in the vicinity of Bayport with those features. His mind was drawing blanks; there didn't seem to be any sort of match!
"Blast it!" Frank expostulated, as Phil pulled up the next, and final, chapter. "I can't think of any caves like that around here, can you? he demanded, as they waited for the chapter to finish loading.
Phil shook his head as he started the last chapter.
The villain had won. The two teens were left to either fall to their deaths or to die of thirst, and the villain returned to his home, secure in the knowledge that no one had any evidence against him. For once, the bad guy won.
To be continued, the last line ran, in 'Fletcher's Revenge.'