Chapter 18:

"I just spoke to Kyle on the phone this morning," said Vanessa to Joe, as they sat on the couch in the Hardy living room. "They have not heard from the kidnappers either."

Joe raised his eyebrows. "Kyle? Kyle who?"

"Kyle Ryan. Katie's younger brother. He's thirteen," Vanessa explained. "Katie has three siblings – an older sister, an older brother, and a younger brother."

"Oh right. The one in junior high across town," Joe nodded, remembering the little he knew about Katie's family. He sighed dismally. So none of them had heard from the kidnappers. "I wonder what their motive is, if money is not their game," he mused aloud.

"Possibly revenge. Either against me or Ryan." said a weary voice behind them. "We don't know which yet."

Joe and Vanessa turned behind to see Fenton Hardy standing next to the stair banister. He had just come out to the living room, and caught the last bit of his son's conversation with Vanessa. Worried frowns lined his face, and there were dark circles around his eyes. It was obvious that the older Hardy had not slept last night. He had been spending the whole night on the phone and on the computer in his study.

Joe sat up suddenly. "Dr. Ryan?" he queried, his eyes widening. "Why does anyone want revenge against him? You mean, he has enemies?" So Frank was right? Why in the world would a history professor have enemies?

His father nodded. "You bet he has, for the same reasons as I do. And he said so himself too. But as far as he knows, most of his enemies are dead. But then, you'll never know." He paused, then continued. "Come into my study. We'll talk inside. Vanessa may come too."

Joe and Vanessa rose and followed Mr. Hardy into his study. Shutting the door, Mr. Hardy gave them a recapitulation what they had known so far. "We know that Frank was last seen in front of Katie Ryan's house. Kyle Ryan, Katie's thirteen-year-old younger brother, saw him picking Katie up in your mother's car. As you know, the car was found off the main road, about ten minutes from her house. But no one had seen who ambushed them.

"I've been in touch with the Chief. It seems that no one – neither we nor the Ryans – have not heard from the kidnappers, or received any ransom letters either. And we're are worried, considering that Ryan…"

Joe suddenly felt a horrible sensation at the mention of Ryan's name. The suspicions that Frank had voiced out a couple days ago flashed back to his mind, though it didn't quite make sense. "So, it's true that

Katie's dad…" He trailed off, not knowing how to continue. "So, it's true that Frank was getting close to something? Something about Katie's dad, perhaps? Is that why he had Frank abducted? To get him out of the way?"

Fenton Hardy shook his head. "Let me finish, son. I'm not saying that Ryan has a hand in Frank's kidnapping." Why is everyone jumping into conclusions, he muttered inwardly. When Katie had failed to return home, the Ryans had first assumed that Frank was the cause of her disappearance. Where has your son taken my daughter, Ryan had demanded of him, when they met at the police station the first time. It wasn't until Chief Collig had explained who the Hardy brothers were, before the man finally calmed down. And now, Joe is accusing the professor of the same crime…

Joe looked up at him, now a little confused at what his father was trying to say. "What I'm saying is that, there is a chance that the Ryans are the target of the kidnapping, as much as we are," the elder Hardy explained patiently.

"But why?" asked Joe, confused. "Why in the world would anyone want to kidnap Katie? Unless they want money…"

"That's something we don't know yet," his father admitted. "We have been assuming all along that they wanted Frank, and they have taken Katie along because she happened to be with him. But with Jack Ryan being her father, it's possible that Katie's their target. Not Frank." He paused, and looked up at his son before he continued. "Now, does the name John Patrick Ryan Sr., or his alias Jack Ryan Sr., ring a bell?"

Joe stared at his father, and gaped. "Not that John Patrick Ryan Sr.?" he asked, suddenly realizing what his father was getting at. Yes, Katie's last name was Ryan, but…. no, they couldn't possibly be related, could they?