The Mystery of the Silent Girl
Chapter 5: Followed
While the Hardys and Callie were on their way to Miller Springs, the Sheriff was attending to his own "problems."
He walked into the jail house. His deputy, Garrison, sat at the desk and nodded towards a tray of food on the table. Garrison tossed the Sheriff his the cell keys and picked up the tray.
The Sheriff went through the first cell and unlocked the one guarded by a heave steal door with one small barred window inset in it.
He walked into the small cell and gazed down at his captive, "Okay Hardy," he said. Fenton Hardy looked up from his position on the cot, bound and gagged.
The Sheriff used his pocket knife to cut the ropes that held Fenton's already handcuffed hands to the bed frame and removed the gag. Fenton held out his handcuffed hands to the Sheriff who laughed.
"You can manage."
As the deputy was setting the tray down, the seemingly weakened detective flew into action. With a burst of energy he rammed into Garrison, sending the tray flying. And when the Sheriff moved towards him Fenton sent a blow to his chest with his handcuffed hands, sending the man backwards into the wall.
But the Sheriff recovered quickly and with the butt of his gun managed to hit Fenton squarely on the back of his neck, sending him to the ground.
"You never learn, do you?" the Sheriff said in disgust.
...
An hour later Al Jennings had hustled through the front door of the Sheriff's office in a rage.
"I say now, before it's too late!" he said.
"No," the Sheriff told him.
"My cook's gone. He just up and left. Now sooner or later he's gonna talk."
"Who'll believe him?" the Sheriff countered.
"Someone will. It'll bring trouble just like those three kids," Jennings said, "Someone's gonna find that detective. We can't hold onto him forever."
The Sheriff advanced on him angrily, "Are you gonna start that again?"
"It'll be easy, we just put him in the lake like the first one," Jennings replied.
"I thought we settled this. Are you gonna take over again?"
"I just wanna finish this thing. Once and for all," Jennings said, his nerves starting to get the best of him.
"You're quick to kill--"
"But you're slow to act! Times running out."
Meanwhile in Miller Springs the Hardys had gotten a phone call in to Cheif Collig.
"All right, slow down, you've got something, but you're excited. You're jumping to conclusions," he told them.
"Alright now look Chief," Joe said, "It all adds up. Alive or dead our father's in that town. Now we just know it."
"You don't know anything. You've got a trunk full of wishful thinking," Collig countered, "That hat could be anybody's and so could the car. There are thousands of models like that and you didn't get the license plate."
"We got a witness, the cook," Joe argued.
"You got a drunk who says he saw a hanging. What's he going to say when he's sober?"
"Alright we'll find out," Joe said.
"You stay right where you are," Collig ordered, "You stay right in Miller Springs and I'll drive out there myself."
"Look that'll take hours," Joe disagreed, "What about dad, if he's still alive!"
"Look, Fenton and I go way back. Even before you or your brother were around. You stay where you are!" and with that Chief Collig hung up.
"The man doesn't bite as quickly as we do," Joe sighed to Callie and Frank.
"Yeah, we heard," Callie whispered.
"I can't see hanging around this place when the action is in Larksburg," Frank said.
"Well not all of it," Joe replied, his gaze drifting past his brother and Callie. They turned and saw Floyd watching them from his truck, "Good night! We've got trouble right here in River City."
"Could be a coincidence," Callie said.
"Let's find out," Frank walked back towards the car and the three headed back down the road to Larksburg. As they drove Floyd followed them.
"He's still there," Joe said after a while, "There's no doubt about it now."
"Shall we invite him into our interrogation room?" Frank asked with a small grin.
"Is that smart?" Callie asked, a quiver of uncertainty in her voice.
"Smart and necessary," Joe replied, "I have some lumps to repay."
"This ought to do it," Frank said as the convertible drove down a steep hill, "Right here," he said and wrenched the wheel to the right effectively blocking the road and the path of he truck behind them. Frank and Joe jumped out just as Floyd did. They caught him in a double tackle and the fight didn't last very long.
"Now, we just want to ask you some questions," Frank said still pinning his right arm down while Joe held his left, "A man, Fenton Hardy, our father, came into your town and never came out, now where is he?"
The youth began to stutter "The-the Sheriff's g-got him."
"Is he alive?" Joe asked angrily.
"He-he's in the j-jail cell."
The boys looked at each other and ran back to their car as fast as they could but not first without taking the trucks distributor cap effectively stranding the boy.
"We have to get back to town," Joe said to Callie once they were back in the car, "Or else dad might be a gonner for sure!"
