The Mystery of the Silent Girl
Chapter 2: Larksburg
The next day Frank, Joe, and Callie piled into the boy's yellow convertible. The ride to Larksburg was about two hours long, and the scenery wasn't something especially interesting to keep their minds occupied.
"I've never seen anything like it," Joe said from the passenger seat. He gazed out the window as they drove out in the desolate desert like country side. Specks of green foliage dotted the mainly brown grasses and dirt on the hills next to the old highway. The only signs of civilization were the lonely telephone poles that traveled along the side of the road, "Miles and miles of just plain nothing."
"In my whole life I don't think I've ever been this far away from concrete," Callie said, sticking her head up between the seats.
Frank shook is head, he had a thoughtful yet worried look on his face. He hadn't said a word throughout the whole drive until now, "Joe, I'm kind of getting scared. Look, an army could get lost out there. How are we going to find one man?"
"It's alright Frank, we'll find him," Joe said reassuringly, "Dad can take care of himself, I'm sure he's fine."
"Yes, don't worry Frank," Callie agreed.
"Well, there are lots of ways to worry and I think I'm going to find out all of them by the end of this mystery," Frank said, keeping his eyes on the desolate road in front of him.
"How far to Larksburg?" Callie asked after a few moments of silence.
Frank shrugged, "Couple of miles I figure."
"Sure is a lot of sand out there," Callie gazed out the windshield. But something caught her eye--
"Frank look out!" she grabbed his shoulder and the convertible skidded to a halt.
A girl, maybe a year or two older than they were, stood in the middle of the road, she had nothing but her purse and the clothes on her back with her. Her brown hair was cut up to her ears and her red sun-dress blew in the wind and heat. She stood with absolutely no expression on her face, she was just...staring.
The three jumped out of the car, still in shock and rushed to the young lady.
"Are you hurt?" Callie asked. But the girl didn't respond, she just kept looking at them blankly.
"Did something happen?" Callie prompted again, "Did someone else get hurt?"
Callie took a step closer to the woman, who was still not responding. She started to back up as Callie advanced, "Where do you live? Are you lost?"
The woman's lower lip began to quiver and she looked around almost desperately. She seemed extremely nervous and frightened.
Just then a blue sedan came racing towards the four. It skidded to a stop and a boy about the Hardy's age hopped out and ran to the woman's side. A large man also got out of the car and ran to her, grabbing her arm. But she didn't make eye contact with either of them.
"You never learn what's good for you, do you?" the man asked her, his eyes narrowing as he looked towards the Hardys and Callie.
"C'mon let's go home." He tugged at her arm, but she was still unresponsive. He grabbed her arm tighter and dragged her towards the car, "Now."
"Hey, wait a minute," Frank stepped forward as the man began to hustle her towards his car, "Take it easy. What's the problem?"
The man eyed the older Hardy, "She can't talk. You just keep away, you'll scare her."
"We're just trying to help her," Joe said.
"We don't need no help," the man replied, and motioned for the younger boy. The man went back behind the wheel of the car and started the engine.
"It's alright," the boy said, guiding the girl away from them, "She's my sister, he's my father. C'mon Mary let's go home."
The car made a U turn and headed back the way it came, leaving the trio in it's dust.
...
It was a few minutes later before they made it into the almost nonexistent town.
"Welcome to Larksburg," Callie said, as she looked around as they drove down the main dirt road of the town. There were a few buildings and some trailers parked along the road but other than that, the town was a strip of rocky street and nothingness.
A few townspeople stared at them as they drove by. They all looked harmless enough.
"How'd you like to call this place home," Joe commented.
"A building's a building. It's the people inside that count," Frank replied. They drove past what looked to be the jail-house and saw a lone black and white outside. A man stood beside it. The sheriff.
"Hey pull into that gas station over there," Joe said, pointing to a cinderblock building with two gas pumps in front of it. A boy in a blue mechanic's jumpsuit and a shaggy brown dog stood outside the small garage.
Frank followed his instructions and pulled in. Joe got out of the car and turned to the young looking attendant, "Hey man, mind if we fill this up?"
"Help yourself," he replied with a shrug of his broad shoulders. Frank got out next, followed by Callie. The attendant eyed them all warily. It seemed to them that the townspeople weren't too keen on visitors.
While the boy filled up the tank, Joe wandered over to the garage, inspecting it discreetly. The shaggy dog came over to him and Joe sat down to pet him, still taking a look at his surroundings.
Frank payed the attendant and asked, "How's the hotel?"
"You'd do better in Miller Springs," he responded, not a hint of emotion on his face.
"Well thank you for the hospitality," Frank smirked giving a look to Joe. He tossed the keys to Joe and grabbed Callie's hand, "Let's give it a try."
The couple walked across the dirt road to the two story brick hotel.
"Not much is it?" Callie said, appraising the building.
"You could spit from one end of town to the other if it wasn't so dry," Frank grinned.
As they were about to enter the hotel, the boy they had met on the road earlier nearly ran into them.
"Oh hello," he said, his smile faded, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Frank shook his head, "How's your sister?"
The boy laughed uneasily, "She's, uh, much better. Listen, I never got a chance to thank ya...or apologize."
Frank laughed, "For what?"
"My father," the boy replied with a shrug, "He was a little upset. She just wandered out of town and, uh..." he trailed off looking down at his shoes.
"Do you mind if I ask what's wrong with her?" Callie queried.
The youth looked up at her, "She's had a bad time. It wasn't always this way."
Joe came up behind the two and glanced at the boy, "Hi. What's with the hotel?"
"You're staying here?" the boy asked in a worried tone.
"Any problems?" Joe asked.
The boy looked at them, clearly nervous, "You'll have to ask my father."
The three exchanged glances and then headed inside. The man from earlier stood behind the front desk. They asked him for a couple of rooms but he eyed them strangely.
"No," the man, Jennings, said simply.
"That's the magic word around here," Joe scoffed quietly to his brother.
"Can't help it, no rooms available." Jennings said. Like his son he had a very worried expression on his tired face.
Frank gazed past his shoulder, "Key's available."
The man looked at the rack of keys behind him, "Yes, well, we're having the rooms repainted."
Just then there was a large crash from the kitchen. Jennings ran from behind the desk followed by the three teens. Once they reached the small kitchen they saw a man sitting on the floor, obviously intoxicated.
His eyes were glazed over and there was a silly grin on his face. He mumbled things that made no sense to the Hardys but the hotel owner seemed to understand them. He ran over to the cook and thrust him into a standing position.
"I told you never to drink again! And look what you go and do, get yourself drunk as a dog! And in broad daylight no less!" Jennings bellowed.
"Oh, you're too serious," the man drawled, "Why don't you laugh a little?"
Frank, Joe, and Callie couldn't help but laugh at the cook's expression.
"Why I aught to fire you right now!" Jennings yelled.
"Naw, you can't fire me, remember?" the drunk slurred with a grin, "You can't do nothing to me, and d'you know why?--"
The drunken man was cut off by a vicious backhand from the hotel owner. But before a tussle could truly begin the Hardy's stepped in. Joe held off the enraged Jennings while Frank caught hold of the intoxicated cook.
"Alright, alright," the large man shook off Joe's hold and looked at his drunken counterpart, "C'mon, I'll take you up to your room."
He took the man under the arms and guided him up the stairs. Upon hearing the commotion, the young, seemingly mute woman from before came to the top of the stairs. She gazed down at the Hardys and Callie. Her face still emotionless except for a distinct hint of fear in her dark eyes. She stared at them for a few seconds longer, then disappeared back into the room she had come from.
