The door opened to reveal a tired looking woman in her mid-thirties. She looked at Frank through bloodshot hazel eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded in a weary voice.
"My name is Frank Hardy," Frank introduced himself. "And I believe your husband is being framed. I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind?"
"You're just a kid," she objected. "What can you do?"
"I'm a junior detective and have been trained by my father, Fenton Hardy," Frank returned calmly. Normally, he disliked using his father's name to gain recognition but since Joe was involved he felt justified.
"You're Joe's brother?" she asked, tilting her head and looking at him as if searching for some type of resemblance.
"Yes, Ma'am," Frank answered, bewildered. How did she know Joe?
"Very well," she said, sighing and opening the screen door. She stepped to the side so Frank could enter and then led the way into the living room.
Frank followed her through a short hallway and into a medium-sized living room and sat down on the sofa with Mrs. Kern taking the seat to the left of the couch. "Do you know my brother?" Frank inquired of his hostess.
"Yes," acknowledged August Kern with a smile. "He's a very polite and well-mannered young man."
"How did you meet him?" inquired Frank curiously.
"At a barbeque," August answered. "He was dating Marie."
"I thought your husband worked for Tippoli," Frank said. "Why were you at Sorrel's barbeque?"
"Alivn works for Sorrel," August stated. "He just pretended to work for Tippoli."
"And now Tippoli is going out of his way to see your husband gets sentenced because he betrayed him," Frank assumed.
"No," August answered. "I'm not sure of the details, but Tippoli is forgiving Alvin because he wants a meeting with Sorrel. Tippoli has no involvement in this whatsoever."
"How can you be sure?" Frank demanded.
"Because I am," she answered, giving Frank a patient smile.
"Do you know why Tippoli wants to meet with Sorrel?" Frank inquired.
"No," she answered truthfully.
"Maybe it is a trap," Frank suggested.
August shook her head lightly. "I think not," she said. "I do know two things about what is going on," she continued. "First, Tippoli's meeting with Sorrel involved a threat to the both of them and second, it was not one of Tippoli's men who implicated my husband in this murder."
"It wasn't?" Frank asked, shock evident on his face. If what she said was true, then he and his father were both wrong about why Joe had been abducted.
"No," August answered. "It was a night security guard on his way to work," she informed him.
"Do you know his name?" Frank inquired. August shook her head. "Where he works?"
"I believe our lawyer said it was The Crimean Jewelry Company," August answered.
"And you are positive the guard has nothing to do with Tippoli?" Frank pushed.
"Sorrel is," August stated. "And that means...yes."
"Can you tell me what kind of evidence they have against your husband?" asked Frank.
"The guard's testimony and a hunting knife: the murder weapon. It was found in the neighbor's trashcan covered in Alan Jordan's blood," was the answer.
"But your husband's fingerprints weren't on the knife?" Frank asked for clarification.
"No."
"So, except for the guard, there is only circumstantial evidence against your husband?" Frank asked in disbelief. He had been led to believe this was a major murder trial.
"That and the fact that Alvin didn't have an alibi," August added.
"Your husband didn't give one?" inquired Frank in surprise.
"He said Matt Horace sent him on an errand," she replied. "But when asked by the authorities, he denied it."
"Do you think Alvin was telling the truth?" asked Frank.
"He would never lie to Sorrel," August told him firmly.
"And yet, Sorrel doesn't think Tippoli has anything to do with Alvin being framed?" Frank asked. This case didn't make any sense to him.
"No," August answered. "But he does believe Horace has an agenda of his own."
"And that is?" Frank asked. August shrugged. She had no idea.
Frank stood up. "Thank you for your time," he said. "It really doesn't sound like your husband has much to worry about. Especially once the guard takes the stand and is cross-examined."
"Impossible," August said, giving Frank one more shock before he left. "He was killed in a car crash two weeks ago."
Frank left the Kern's deep in thought. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't tie Joe's kidnapping to this case. And who was Matt Horace? Why did Sorrel think Tippoli was innocent when Kern's uncorroborated alibi was one of Tippoli's men? Maybe the answer to all these questions lay with the deceased security guard. August Kern may not know his name but he was positive he could find out.
Frank climbed into the van and stopped short of closing the door when an arm snaked around his neck. Scant seconds later another man stepped into view and opened the passenger door and got inside.
"Close your door and let's get moving," Frank was ordered.
Frank looked from the man's hard eyes to the gun that was trained on him and gave a sigh of surrender. The grip on his neck was released and he pulled his door shut. Starting the van, he couldn't help but once again realize how foolhardy he had been in coming here without telling anyone.