Thanks for taking time to review, Caranath, Max2013, Jackie, zenfrodo, catlover1033, Stork Hardy, bhar and Vinsmouse! You're awesome! :)
Chapter 5
Joe awakened early the next morning to the sound of a ringing telephone. He groaned loudly and pulled his pillow over his head. "Make it stop!"
Miraculously, it did.
He exhaled deeply as he drifted back to sleep, only to startle awake the next instant at the sound of a blood-curdling scream from the living room. What the hell? He leapt from the bed to see Frank tossing back his own sheets and blanket.
Joe pulled on his sweat pants and dashed into the other room to find Kathy standing next to the desk, the phone receiver dangling by its cord, and the expression on her face one of complete terror. He ran to her side.
"What's the matter?"
Kathy flung herself against his naked chest and stared up at Joe with wild eyes. "H-he knows I'm here. He said he's watching me."
Joe picked up the phone and held it to his ear. He was met with a dial tone. He pressed "O" to reach the hotel operator.
"Yes, this is Joe Hardy in the Alpine Suite. We just had a call put through to the room. Can you tell me where it originated?"
He paused while the operator checked. Scanning the room, he saw that everyone had stumbled out of their bedrooms in various states of undress.
"I'm sorry?" Joe said to the operator. "A local call? You can't give me any more information than that? I see. Okay, thank you."
He hung up and turned to face his audience. "It was made from somewhere in town. From an outside extension. Since it didn't go through the hotel switchboard, they can't give us any more information than that."
Kathy began to sob and Joe did his best to comfort her, while she clutched at him. Frank gestured to his brother and moved toward the couch. Joe led Kathy there and sat her down. Frank took her hands in an obvious attempt to prevent her from molesting Joe any further.
Joe jumped over the back of the couch and ran to grab a writing tablet from his bedroom. Spying his t-shirt lying on the floor, he quickly pulled it over his head as he stumbled back into the living room.
"Kathy, tell us what the person on the phone said to you," Frank instructed in a calm voice.
"H-he just said, 'You can't hide. I'm watching you,'" she stammered.
"Did the voice sound familiar?" Frank asked. "Was it one you've heard before?"
"I-I don't know." She shivered. "It just sounded creepy."
"What do you mean by creepy?" Joe took the seat next to her again.
"Creepy...like scary." She stared up at Joe, fear clouding her expression. "Like he wanted to hurt me."
Joe patted her hand. "It's okay."
The door to the suite opened and Kathy startled. She grabbed Joe's arm as Louis stepped inside and looked around the room.
"Who died?"
"Where have you been?" Simone demanded, tying the belt on her silk robe tightly around her waist.
"I went downstairs to drop off a package I needed sent back to Washington, and I picked up some coffee in the restaurant." He gestured with the Styrofoam cup in his right hand. "Why?"
"Because Kathy just got a phone call from the nut who's been threatening her, that's why," Joe said. "The switchboard said the call had been made from an outside line."
Louis chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee. "I hope you're not implying that I might be involved."
"We're not implying anything," Frank said. "Just being thorough."
"Well, rest assured, you can cross me off your suspect list." Louis unfolded the morning paper that had been left by the front door of the suite. "I am much too busy for that sort of childish prank."
"Childish?" Kathy exclaimed. "You think it's childish that someone is threatening my life?"
"Threatening your life?" Louis laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "Kathy, according to you, not one of these phone calls, letters, whatever you've been receiving, has threatened you with bodily harm. I work for the government, where all kinds of serious threats are seen every day. What you've got here is some amateur having a great laugh at your expense." He sighed. "And possibly your father's."
"So, you don't feel like Kathy's in any danger?" Frank asked.
"No." Louis took a sip of his coffee and tossed the newspaper down on the bar. "I think this is a schoolboy...or schoolgirl...prank. Designed to cause excitement, and little else. Bored rich kids after a good time."
Tears welled in Kathy's eyes. "I'm glad you're so amused by this, Louis."
"I'm not 'amused', my dear," Louis corrected. "I'm annoyed. This whole set-up is unnecessary. And expensive. And I know that I, for one, have better ways to spend my time than babysitting some spoiled, rich, princesses on their European holiday."
Kathy stood up, her face flushed with anger.
"How dare you? I'm the daughter of one of the most powerful senators in the nation. My father spearheads some of the most controversial and necessary legislation our country has ever dealt with. He does have enemies. Real ones. And what better way to get back at Daddy than to hurt me? I'm more important to him than any stupid bill or law."
She stomped toward her room. "Not to mention the horrible publicity something like this would get. Can you imagine if something happened to Senator John Martin's daughter? The press would have a field day."
She slammed her bedroom door.
Louis rolled his eyes. "She's a legend in her own mind."
OOOoooOOO
Nancy tossed a sweater at Bess's sleeping head. "Hey, we're going to the monastery. You coming?"
Nancy already knew the answer to her question. Bess didn't "do" mornings. Especially mornings that started before nine o'clock. But Nancy didn't want to be accused of intentionally leaving her friend behind, so she thought she'd better ask anyway.
Bess groaned and rolled over. She reached for the digital clock on the bedside table, and after several fumbling attempts, grabbed it. She opened one eye to glance at the illuminated red numbers.
"Five-thirty in the morning? Are you nuts?" She let the clock drop to the floor. "Ask me again at ten."
Nancy chuckled. "Why don't you just come over there and find us when you feel up to it?"
Bess waved her hand absently and pulled the pillow over her head. Nancy turned to Emily, who was wrapping a scarf around her neck.
"Looks like it's just you and me. Big shocker, huh?"
Emily smiled as she grabbed her backpack. She and Nancy walked out the door, closing it quietly behind them, and headed downstairs toward the lobby.
OOOoooOOO
Frank and Joe stepped into the waiting elevator and hit the button for the lobby.
"You think Louis is telling the truth?" Frank asked.
"Yeah," Joe replied. "I mean, even if he was cold and cruel, I think he was being honest. He really doesn't believe these threats amount to anything." He looked at Frank. "What do you think?"
Frank sighed. "Part of me is inclined to agree with him. They really are vague."
"You think it's just harassment?"
"Maybe. Or maybe it's something that will ratchet up with time."
Joe nodded. "A bit of the psycho touch? Needing a little bigger fix with each threat?"
"Yeah, that's what makes me reluctant to be as dismissive as Louis is at the moment."
The elevator doors opened and Frank and Joe headed across the room to the lobby desk.
"You know, I don't like the idea that we're sitting ducks here," Joe said. "I feel like we're just waiting for this guy to do something serious and then react to it. I don't want to do that. I want to find him first."
Frank stepped up to the registration desk. "That's what we're trying to do, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Joe followed his brother, his back to the bank of elevators, as the doors opened again and Nancy and Emily exited.
OOOoooOOO
Emily gazed up at the beautiful wood timbered ceiling of the lobby, then turned to look through the enormous picture window at the snow covered Alps. This place was gorgeous inside and out. And the cathedral took her breath away every time she stepped inside it. She really wished Joe could be here to share it with her. She smiled as she thought of how much fun they could have together in this tiny town. It was the perfect place to escape.
She must have lagged a little behind while she was daydreaming, because when she looked up, Nancy was standing at the main entrance of the hotel, staring at her.
Emily hustled forward. "Sorry, I guess I was in my own little world for a minute there. I was just thinking how wonderful it would be to have Joe here."
Nancy gave her a sympathetic look. "I know. I must think of Frank twenty times a day. I really wish I could discuss this case with him. I know he'd have some great insights that would help me out."
They stepped outside into the brisk morning air and Nancy pulled the collar of her coat more tightly around her neck. "Not to mention how romantic this place is. Frank and I could spend our days investigating and our nights in front of a roaring fire in our hotel room."
Emily giggled. Only Nancy would think of detective work and romance in the same sentence. "I think we need to come back here with them after the mystery is solved. Then our vacation can be all about romance with no criminal types to interfere."
"Yeah, I guess not working on a case would make for a better vacation." Nancy tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "Or would it?"
"Yes." Emily was emphatic. "It definitely would. Personally, fighting off bad guys who want me dead just doesn't turn me on. But I know you and Frank are weird like that, so whatever works for you."
Nancy's eyes widened and she scooped up a large snowball, aiming it in Emily's direction.
Emily ducked and laughed out loud. "Hey, I'm not judging, I promise."
Nancy dropped the snowball with a grin, then linked arms with Emily as they headed for the monastery. "Think maybe I shook seek professional help for that?"
"Maybe," Emily teased, as they crossed the cobblestone square and hurried up the steps to the large wooden doors of the monastery.
The girls paused as they entered the main hall. It was a busy place, with the brethren of the order bustling past them on their way to their daily assignments.
"Well, I guess I'm off to the library," Emily announced.
Nancy nodded. "Sounds good. Try to find as much information on the monstrance itself as you can. And take note of any names you find in connection with it. We may need to contact them."
"Okay," she agreed. "Shall I meet you for lunch?"
"I'll come up and find you in a few hours," Nancy called over her shoulder, as she headed toward the entrance to the cathedral. "I'm going to do some people watching right now."
She slipped through the side door into the basilica and took a seat in the back where she could observe whoever was coming and going during the morning service Father Bertrand was about to preside over. She noticed a mixture of locals and tourists milling about. Some appeared to be there to celebrate Mass, while others were clearly there to tour the building itself. Nobody was doing anything to arouse her suspicions in the least. I hope I'm not in over my head here. No clues, no suspects...no monstrance.
OOOoooOOO
Frank approached the clerk at the reservations desk. "Good morning. We're staying in the Alpine suite, and we have a question for you."
"Yes, how can I be of assistance?"
"Well, one of our party, Louis Remington, came down this morning to drop off a package," Joe spoke up.
The clerk nodded. "Yes, I took that for him. Is there a problem?"
"Oh, no, no," Joe assured him. "We were just wondering if you noticed him making a phone call while he was down here?"
The man paused. "No, not that I'm aware of. He dropped off the package, and then headed for the restaurant."
"Okay, thank you." Frank smiled. "You've been very helpful."
The man nodded as the brothers stepped away from the desk.
Another dead end. Frank was sure this might have led to something. Was Louis being out of the room at the same time the phone call came through just a coincidence? If it was, then they really didn't have anything leads at all in this case.
"Seems to put Louis in the clear," Joe commented.
"Yeah, but things aren't always what they seem," Frank mused.
OOOoooOOO
Nancy stepped through the door of the monastery library at noon to find Emily and Guillaume with their heads together, bent over a large book. "Anything interesting?"
Emily looked up. "Interesting, but not necessarily relevant." She gestured to the table. "These are all papers about the cathedral, the monstrance, and the statue collected over the years."
Nancy slid into a seat on the other side of Emily. "Any clues?"
"I don't know." Emily handed Nancy a notebook. "I've been writing down the names of people who show up in the articles. Almost all of them are clergy members...and most of them are now dead. We could try pursuing more information through church channels, but I think that would just lead us down a whole bunch of rabbit trails."
"At least it would be some sort of trail." Nancy drummed her fingers on the table. "Right now, I have nothing."
"Nobody in the cathedral looked suspicious?"
"Not a one." She leaned back in her chair and caught Guillaume's eye. "Guillaume, what do you think is going on here?"
He glanced at Emily who translated Nancy's question. He shook his head and replied. Emily turned to Nancy. "He says he just thought someone took the monstrance for the money. The jewels in it are worth millions."
Nancy's chair thudded forward. "Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of. And you know what will happen to it on the black market if that's why it was stolen. Broken apart, gold melted down, jewels sold piecemeal."
"Unless it was stolen as an artifact by art thieves to be resold on the black market," Emily countered.
"Is there a market for religious artifacts?" Nancy asked.
"Oh, most definitely."
"Okay, well then we have at least two possibilities for the fate of the monstrance."
A carillon sounded in the distance and Guillaume spoke.
"That was the bell for lunch," Emily told Nancy. "Guillaume wants to know if we'll eat with him."
"Absolutely." She smiled at the young man. "I could use the break."
OOOoooOOO
Kathy tugged on Joe's gloved hand as they stepped outside the hotel and headed toward the ski slopes. "Come on, honey. I don't want to miss any of this fresh powder."
"Hang on." Joe adjusted his goggles. "Man, the sun reflecting off this snow is blinding."
Tammy and Lauren were on either side of Frank. "We'll meet you down here later," Tammy called. "I'm sure you two love birds want to be alone."
Joe rolled his eyes behind his goggles and ignored Frank's ear to ear grin. Normally, Joe loved nothing more than a day of skiing. But he was pretty sure being stuck with Kathy was going to suck all the fun right out of it. He looked down and found her beaming up at him. Time to be a professional.
"Okay. Now remember, keep your eyes open for anyone who looks suspicious," he instructed.
"Oh, but that means I'd have to take them off you."
Joe stared at her. "Where on earth do you get your lines?"
She shrugged. "I watch a lot of soap operas. Boarding school is boring."
They hopped onto the chair lift and Joe turned to her. "Do you have to be in boarding school?"
"It's easier that way." Kathy said. "Daddy is so busy in D.C. It makes him feel safer to know that I'm not home alone. That I'm in a 'structured environment' as he calls it."
"Don't you think it's normal for him to feel that way?"
She stared off in the distance. "I guess." Turning back to Joe, she quickly changed the subject. "You mentioned last night that Frank was taken."
"I did."
"You never really answered the same question about you."
"There's a reason for that."
"What?"
"It's personal," Joe said, adjusting his ski gloves. "I don't like talking about it."
Emily was the one subject that was off limits. He'd found from past experience that the less clients knew about his personal life, the better it was.
Kathy tilted her head to the side. "Does she have gorgeous blonde hair like you?"
Joe grinned, but didn't reply.
"Are her eyes as nice as yours?"
He raised his eyebrows.
"I know why you don't want to talk about her," Kathy smirked. "She's really an ugly old hag, and you're too embarrassed to let anyone know you're dating her."
Joe chuckled. "You figured it out."
"No, really, Joe. Why won't you tell me if you're dating anyone?"
"Kathy, what I do is dangerous business. Sometimes that also means it's dangerous for the ones I love. I try to keep them out of it. The less people know about my love life, the safer anybody I might be dating is."
"Why would it be dangerous to tell me?"
"I'm not saying it is...it's just a policy I have."
"Doesn't make sense."
He sighed. Apparently she had no intention of dropping the subject. Fine, then he'd give it to her straight.
"Let's suppose you were abducted. And suppose I'd told you who I was dating. And suppose your abductor wanted to get back at me or try and stop Frank or me from rescuing you. Getting the name of my girlfriend from you and threatening me with her safety would probably do it."
Kathy looked down at her ski boots. "You are taken, aren't you? And worse than that...you're in love with her."
Joe gazed out over the snow covered mountain. He didn't want to think about Emily right now. It only made him miss her that much more. "This really doesn't have anything to do with your case, so why don't we just drop it and have fun today. Okay?"
She gazed up at him. "Okay."
Joe patted her arm. "Great. Look there's Frank and the girls."
Joe gestured toward a group of skiers in the distance, pointedly ignoring Kathy's stare and the determined glint in her eyes. The rest of this ski trip promised to be a very uncomfortable one, since he'd realized that being told "no" was not something Kathy could live with.
OOOoooOOO
Nancy and Emily slid their plastic trays slowly down the metal guide bars in the monastery cafeteria. Emily turned her head and surveyed the sea of brown robes that were the monks as they quietly ate their lunches at the long wooden tables. "Doesn't much look like high school, does it?" she asked Nancy.
"Not even close," Nancy replied, as she put an orange on her tray. "I've never felt more conspicuous in my entire life."
Emily smiled. "Kind of the opposite of what you want as a detective."
"No kidding. Good thing Father Bertrand concocted that story about us being students doing 'research.'" She glanced around the room of men. "Bess is going to be disappointed she missed this."
"They're monks, Nancy."
Nancy gestured toward Guillaume who was waiting for the girls at the end of the line. "She already hit on him. And besides, Bess wouldn't care. She'd be one of three women in a roomful of men. Those are her kind of odds."
Emily giggled. "A room full of men who've all taken vows to forsake the pleasures of the flesh."
Nancy watched as Guillaume smiled down at Emily, and took her arm to lead her to a nearby table. "Not all of them," she said with a grin.
OOOoooOOO
"Oh my gosh, that was so much fun!" Kathy squealed, her arm tight around Joe's waist as they stood in the elevator on their way back to their suite. Her afternoon had been perfect as far as she was concerned, and she wanted to keep it that way. As long as Joe's focus wasn't on the case, it could be on her.
"Yeah," Joe agreed. "The skiing here is incredible. Nothing like we have in the States."
"Well," Frank corrected. "Nothing like we have around us. There's some fabulous skiing in the Rockies."
"My family has a cabin near Vail," Lauren purred as she leaned into Frank. "Maybe you'd like to join us there sometime."
Frank grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure I'd enjoy spending time with your parents."
"Not what I had in mind," Lauren muttered.
Kathy smirked. Lauren had done nothing but strike out with Frank. She definitely didn't have the charm with men that Kathy did. She sidled closer to Joe. It was only a matter of time before he was completely hers. No matter what he'd said on the slopes, she knew differently. Men couldn't resist her, and Joe Hardy would be no exception.
Still grinning, Frank turned to Joe. "Hey, did you notice anything or anyone suspicious while you were out there?"
Joe shook his head. "No, and I was keeping my eyes open. You?"
"Nothing." Frank held open the elevator door with his hand while everyone filed out.
"See?" Kathy said, eager to keep Joe's focus on having fun. "I think it's just another stupid prank. Maybe this creep saw we weren't bothered by what's been going on, and decided to leave us alone."
"I hope so," Joe said, taking the room key out of his ski jacket pocket and inserting it in the lock.
He opened the door wide and the girls gasped.
"Or maybe not," Joe said, sounding resigned.