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9. Final Showdown

"I just wonder if Mitch knows more than he's saying." Nancy murmured to Nick, George, and Joe. "I think it's time for some answers."

George shot Nancy a troubled look. "What about Bess? She seems to like Mitch."

"Why doesn't one of us take her outside? Make up some kind of excuse to get her out of the house." Joe suggested. "I can do that."

Once Joe had led Bess a safe distance away from the house Nancy went back inside. Mitch wasn't in the living room where she had last seen him. Nancy scanned the room and found a clean trail to the kitchen in the back of the house. Carefully she made her way toward the kitchen with George and Nick following.

"Nan, over here."

Nancy looked around and saw a figure crouched in the semi-darkness. She motioned to the others to follow then made her way over to the figure. Frank had been watching the kitchen from a short distance away.

"I think our friend is up to something. Once you left I hid to see what he would do. He figured we had all went outside and made a beeline for the kitchen. He knows something." Frank whispered.

"That's what we think too." Nancy whispered back.

"So what are we waiting for?" George spoke up. "Let's find out what's going on."

The four carefully made their way into the kitchen. A lamp on the counter cast a soft glow on the room. Nancy reached over and flipped the switch next to the doorway, throwing the room into complete light.

"Wow, why'd you have to do that?" Mitch looked around, startled.

"Why were you in here in the dark?" Nancy countered.

"We want answers and we aren't leaving until we get them." Frank announced.

"Fine, you want to know what I know? I'll tell you everything, but it won't do much good. Tracy informed me that something strange was going on in that old ghost town, which is no surprise to you. About that time Mrs. Rosewood called me and said that she was getting anonymous threats. She didn't want to worry Tracy, so she came to me. I promised to look into it and keep an eye on Tracy myself. Then Nick and the Hardys show up on a case just out of my jurisdiction."

"Yeah, a young woman who kept having jewelry come up missing. She kept saying ghosts were robbing her." Frank explained.

"I was here for a large museum. They were systematically being robbed of any old records about this area. It turned out to be some small time thief." Nick added.

"Wait, didn't your case involve a small time thief too?" Nancy asked Frank.

"Yeah, why?"

"I may have an idea. What else did you find out Mitch?"

"Shortly after both cases were solved I learned that all three of you had gone missing. Tracy and Mrs. Rosewood insisted that something was very strange about the disappearances. I didn't take their views too seriously. Then the diner caught fire. And you know the rest." Mitch paused. "There is one odd thing Tracy mentioned at the hospital. A horse, known to her as Wild One, was stolen."

"I remember that. We saw it happen." George stated.

"That horse has a real value to the family. It showed up shortly after Tracy's parents died. It was a young foal then. She named it after a horse in some story she always listened to as a child."

"What was the story about?" Nancy asked quickly.

"The best I can remember it is a young brave was in love with a maiden. He wasn't thought of as good enough so he left the village. Somehow he received some jewels after he left and returned to win the maiden's heart."

"Jewels, records, and a horse." Nancy murmured. "Was the story ever written down?"

"No, it's one that Mrs. Rosewood's grandparents made up."

"You think those three things are connected? How?" Nick questioned.

"I'm not sure yet, but we have to get to that ghost town."

"Who could it be Grannyma? It doesn't make any sense."

"There is only one other person other than me that knew the meaning of the story. He was told about it when his parents…shh, listen."

Tracy stiffened as she focused on the voices that had just become audible outside. Someone was entering the room outside their door. The voices sounded as if they were barely above a whisper. After a few moments Tracy's eyes widened.

"Walter!"

Nancy and the others made their way to the top of the hill overlooking the ghost town. Everything seemed quiet. Nancy couldn't help but worry at stillness.

"We need a plan." Bess reasoned. "We can't just barrel in there."

"She's right. We need a distraction." Mitch agreed.

Frank surveyed the town, thinking, when something caught his eye. Studying the object harder he gasped. A young, white horse was tied to a post behind one of the buildings.

"Look, I think I found Wild One."

The others turned to look where Frank was pointing. The horse was struggling against the rope that held him. He acted like a wild mustang.

"I wish I had paid more attention to Tracy's stories. There was one about Coyote the trickster. He used a horse to make his escape."

Joe spun around and stared at Mitch. "What did you just say?"

Mitch started in surprise. "One of the stories that Tracy knows. It is about Coyote the trickster."

Joe turned toward Frank. "Our last case. Didn't that girl say something about being tricked by a coyote?"

"Yeah, when we overheard her on the phone. She told someone that he was no better than Coyote. He had tricked her and she never should have trusted him. That part always did bother me."

"Did she say anything else? A name or something?" Mitch questioned.

"No but she did tell him not to become the coyote again. Why?" Joe replied.

"We had a big time crime here once. In fact, it was when Tracy's parents were killed. We found a rock with a picture on it at the scene. The picture was of Coyote. That became the name of the guy who dropped the rock. His information is on file at the station."

"Well I'm not Coyote, but I think I have a plan." George spoke up.

Tracy leaned back against the wall. She didn't want to believe her ears. Walter had been her constant companion for years. How could he turn on her, his own family?

"Greed can do funny things to a person." Mrs. Rosewood said. "I suspected it was Walter months ago. I wanted to be wrong, but somehow I knew I wasn't."

Tracy closed her eyes, trying to take everything in, when she heard yelling from the other side of the door. The sound of running feet quickly followed the shouts. Something was happening. Tracy could only hope that Mitch and the others had found her.

Nancy watched as Nick and George rode off on Wild One. The horse hadn't been as wild as he had seemed while tied up. Still Nancy was glad that Nick and George were both excellent riders.

Frank stood behind Nancy. They were supposed to cause as much confusion as possible for the kidnappers. Anything to keep the kidnappers busy. Frank grabbed Nancy's hand and gave it a squeeze. Three dark figures rushed from the shadows of the buildings. Shouts filled the air.

"We're on." Frank muttered. He gave a wave to Mitch, Bess, and Joe before he led Nancy away.

Mitch nodded. "Time to go."

Mitch led the others down to the town. Staying in the shadows they made their way to the building that the kidnappers had left. Everything was quiet inside. Mitch crept inside and looked around.

"Where would they keep Tracy and Mrs. Rosewood?" Bess wondered.

"I'm not sure. We were kept across the road, at the hotel."

"This is the saloon." Mitch replied. "I have found a couple of good hiding places in here."

Mitch led the way across the empty room. A long bar ran the length of the back wall. Behind that a door led to a back room. Mitch opened a small gateway in the bar and walked through.

"Wow this place is full of old junk." Joe whistled as he surveyed the broken glasses and decorations that had once lined shelves behind the bar.

"Let's just hope there are two new people in here with this old junk." Bess replied. "Come on."

In the back room Mitch was standing near a strong looking door. He had a look of disgust on his face. "I checked all the rooms in here. They aren't here."

Joe looked around. The room was mostly bare, except for a low table in a corner. Joe walked over to the table, expecting to find something on it. Instead it was bare. Joe stood next to the table, thinking, when he heard a pounding noise under the table.

"Guys, there has to be a door under the table. Someone's pounding down here."

Bess and Mitch hurried over and looked under the table. One of the boards was loose. Mitch pushed down on one end. As the other end rose it opened a small square door.

"Tracy, are you down there?" Joe called.

"Joe!" Tracy called back. "We have to get out of here. Walter could come back any minute."

"Wrong Tracy. I'm already back."

Mitch, Bess, and Joe spun around. A man resembling Tracy stood in the doorway. He had hold of Nancy. A big man to his right held Frank while Steve held Nick and George on the other side.

Walter pointed a gun at Nancy. "Get in the door or she dies."

"Walter, you don't want to do this. Just let them go."

"You don't know what I want. I have waited three years for this. Now Tracy will lead me to the treasure."

"How did you get Wild One back?" Bess questioned.

"I knew where he was headed. I simply got there first. No more talking. Down in the room, now!"

Joe pushed Bess toward the door. "You'll be safer in there."

Frank tensed slightly and glanced at Nick. Joe nodded to Frank and Nancy. It was now or never. Nancy ducked as Joe lunged toward Walter. Frank stepped down hard on his captor's foot while Nick and George elbowed Steve in the stomach. Mitch pulled Mrs. Rosewood out of the room while the kidnappers tried to fight off their hostages. Tracy and Bess followed Mrs. Rosewood out the door.

"No! Stop them!" Walter screamed when he saw Tracy and the others escaping.

"No, you stop it Walter William Whitehorse. I am still your grandmother." Mrs. Rosewood snapped. "And that is still my land."

While the Hardys held Steve and Nick and Mitch held the other man, Tracy called for backup. Mrs. Rosewood walked over and grabbed Walter by the ear pulling him over to the table.

"I can't believe it was Walter. But I will never forget the tongue lashing Grannyma gave him." Tracy laughed. "His hired friends didn't know what to think. And since we found the jewels we don't have to worry about anyone else trying to dig up our land again."

"I'm still a little confused." Bess admitted. "How did everything fit together?"

"Walter knew about the treasure from a story we were told as kids. He got into some trouble and decided to go after the treasure himself. He hired two people he knew to help him. You all met Steve; the other was the same criminal we were after for another crime." Tracy explained.

"Coyote." Nancy guessed.

"Right. They tried to scare us off first. When that didn't work Walter resorted to kidnapping. It was only after he kidnapped me that he realized he needed me to find the treasure."

"And the museum robberies were of maps that would indicate any type of hiding spots where treasure could be hidden." Nick added.

"What about the woman that was robbed?" George wondered.

"That was Coyote's girlfriend. She was supposed to just play the role of a robbery victim to throw suspicion. Only she messed things up instead. So Walter sent a small time thief to rob her for real, just like with the museum." Joe replied.

"I'm just glad the whole thing's over. I can go back to protecting cows." Mitch agreed. "So what does everyone plan to do now, since all the excitement's done?"

"I am going back home." George announced.

"Me too." Nick agreed.

"I'm taking a trip." Tracy announced, glancing at Joe. Joe smiled back happily.

"We're going back to River Heights with Nan." Frank replied.

"Why not join us Mitch?" Tracy asked. "Come see how the other side lives. But you have to be in a city."

Mitch smiled at Bess. "I think I could use a nice long vacation. A city isn't so bad, as long as they don't have huge malls."

"I can show you all the sights." Bess offered. "But what's wrong with malls?"

"Let's just say that the metal detectors don't like me. So when do we leave?"

"As soon as everyone is packed." Nancy answered.

"Well let's go!" George exclaimed.