Chapter Five

"Would you look at this place?" Joe took a step further into the apartment. Ann followed close behind and grabbed for the phone.

"Don't!" Frank said urgently.

Ann looked up at him quizzically.

Frank came to her side. "Here, take this quarter and call from a payphone in the hotel lobby." He handed her the change.

"But--"

"We don't want to touch anything until the police have arrived." Frank explained.

Ann nodded and took the quarter from Frank's outstretched hand. "What do I tell them?"

"Say you're reporting a break-in."

"Okay…"

Frank waited until she had left before turning back to Joe.

"Where do you think the girls are?" Joe asked him.

"I don't know. Let's just hope they weren't here when the robber was."

Joe nodded. He began walking around the room, searching the contents with his eyes. After a while he said, "What do you think they were looking for?"

"Who knows?" Frank answered, still looking around the room. "Could be a number of things. Money's usually on the top of the list…."

"I'm back!" Ann returned to the room. "The police are on their way."

"Good." Joe said, turning to her. "Watch out. Don't trip."

Ann began stepping over the pieces of fallen property. "Where are the others? I mean, were they here when this happened?" Ann looked to both boys, who shrugged.

"Ann," Frank made his way over to her, "Can you think of anything in here that someone might be after? Money, ID, passports?"

Ann thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. MK has all the important stuff locked up in the hotel safe."

"Do you girls carry around any jewelry in your suitcases?"

"Only Charlie. She has a silver necklace. But she was wearing it the night she disappeared."

Frank and his brother exchanged glances. "What does this necklace look like?"

Ann shrugged, "It's not very expensive. Just a silver chain with a heart-shaped charm on it. She got it from Gary."

Joe's eyes widened. "Gary Brent gave it to her?"

"Yeah. She really liked it. I guess that's why she wore it, even after their break-up."

Frank nodded. "Well… looks like there's nothing left for us to do but wait until the police get here…"

"Whoa! What happened here?" MK's voice came from the doorway. "What have you two done?"

The three teen's eyes snapped to the doorway where MK stood with the rest of the Sweethearts.

"What happened in here?" Sammy came through the door looking at the mess disgustedly with the rest of the girls.

"Sammy! Dawn! Leslie!" Ann lunged at her friends and wrapped her arms around them in a group hug. "You're alright! Where were you?"

"We just went out to lunch with MK." Replied Leslie plainly.

"Ann, are you okay? What happened here?" Sammy looked to her friend.

"We don't know what happened. It was like this when we got here." Frank told them, stepping forward. Joe soon appeared at his side.

"A very likely story." Said MK, his eyes narrowing.

"Hey, it's the truth!" Joe quickly defended himself. "Even ask Ann."

Everyone turned to look at the band's dark-haired bass player.

"It's true." Said Ann, "It was like this when the boys and I arrived." She looked to her friends. "For a moment there, we thought you three had been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped? Why us?" Asked Leslie.

"Because Charlie was kidnapped and then I almost was and---"

"Preposterous!" Exclaimed MK loudly. Everyone silenced to look at him. He glared at the Hardys. "Multiple kidnappings? What are you two trying to do? Scare my girls out of town?"

Frank stepped forward. "We had nothing to do with Charlie's kidnapping, sir."

"I didn't say you did, but that doesn't mean you have to frighten what's left of my band with a threat that the kidnapper may be back."

"But sir, it's not unlikely. He may be back." The eldest Hardy tried to reason with the flustered manager.

"May be back? He has my lead singer! Who else could he need? I'm already ruined!"

"Nonsense, MK." Said Ann gently. She went to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're not ruined."

"Yeah," Agreed Sammy, "Just because our lead singer's gone doesn't mean we can't still perform."

"Of course not!" Agreed Leslie. "Dawn can sing all of Charlie's parts!"

"Me?" Dawn's face drained.

"Sure. Next to Charlie you sing the loudest."

"Wait a minute!" MK held up both his hands to silence the band. "You girls can't go on without Charlie. What about your title? You can't be Charlie and the Sweethearts without Charlie!"

"We can just be the Sweethearts?" Suggested Ann.

"No, no, no!"

"Police!" Two officers suddenly came into the room. The gazes of the two men swept the room and it's occupants. "Which one of you's Ann Grant?"

Ann raised her hand. "That's me."

"This the room that was ransacked?"

"Yes, sir."

"What is the meaning of this?" MK looked to the two police officers.

"We got a call from this young lady saying there was a break in here." The first officer told MK.

"Well then what are you waiting for?" Sammy looked at him. "Look around." She stepped to the side and let the two police officers farther into the room.

"Uh, thank you!" One cop walked past her and ran right into Frank.

He turned around to see whom he had hit. "Frank Hardy. I should have known." The officer smiled at the elder Hardy boy.

"Hey there, Eric." Frank smiled back.

"Do you guys know like all the cops around here?" Sammy asked Joe.

"Well, our dad works with most of them, so yeah." Joe answered her. He watched as the two policemen walked around the room.

"Let's go down to the lobby so these two can have the room to do their jobs." Frank turned to the group.

Joe looked to his brother and Frank winked back. Joe got the message: Get MK out of the room so I can also investigate. Joe hated the idea of being stuck downstairs with MK and the Sweethearts, but he could understand Frank's reasoning.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day!" Agreed MK.

"Alright. Let's go." Joe headed towards the doorway and the rest followed.

"Aren't you coming, Frank?" Ann paused at the doorway to look back at the other Hardy brother.

Frank smiled at her. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Come on, Ann." Joe took her by the arm and steered her towards the door. They caught up with the rest of the group in the hallway and then they all rode the elevator down to the hotel lobby, taking seats by a gurgling fountain.

"I can't believe someone would break into our room like that." Said Dawn, falling into the sofa beside Joe.

Sammy shrugged.

"I'm going to talk to the man at the front desk and see if I can get you girls into another room." MK said walking away.

Leslie watched him walk away before turning back to Joe. "So… what'd you guys learn from Josh? Does he know where Charlie is?"

"He swears he hasn't seen her for months."

"But he's lying." Sammy interjected. "We just saw him talking with Charlie last week. Caused a real scene too."

Joe nodded. "That's what Ann said."

"So then why lie about it?" Dawn asked him.

Joe shrugged. "Who knows. He's probably trying to hide something."

"Man, I really don't like that guy. I knew he was bad news the minute he walked up to her." Sammy frowned.

"Well, he's not all bad." Dawn spoke up, "I mean, he's cute."

Leslie rolled her eyes, "I don't care how cute he is! Josh Limlech is a creep!"

"Yeah he is!" Sammy agreed.

"Okay girls, you have a new room, now." MK came back and handed each girl a new room key. "Here are your keys. You can all go up there and wait."

The girls nodded and stood. Joe did the same.

MK pushed him back in his seat. "Not you, Mr. Hardy." He leveled a serious gaze on the younger brother.

Joe glared up at the manager. He was getting tired of getting pushed around. But Frank would want you to keep cool. He reminded himself. He took a deep breath and repositioned himself on the sofa. "Fine, I'll wait for Frank. He should be down here any minute." He told MK, calmly.

"Yeah, where is that brother of yours?" He glared at Joe again. "He better not be messing things up, up there."

Joe's anger flared again. He just couldn't keep his cool. Not when that guy was acting like such a jerk. "Look, MK," He sprung to his feet, "My brother's a detective, one of the best. He would never ruin a crime scene!" Joe pointed a finger in the manager's face.

MK seemed taken aback.

"And for your information," Joe continued, fuming, "We are going to work on this case. Whether you like it or not!"

"Joe!" Just then, Frank came jogging down the stairs followed by the two policemen. When he approached them he looked quickly around. "Where are the girls?"

Joe turned. The anxious look on his brother's face instantly causing him to forget his anger and he lowered his arm. "They all headed up to their new room. Why? What's wrong?"

"We found a wallet in the girl's room." Frank spoke quickly.

"So? What's so urgent about that?"

"It's who it belongs to, Joe. There was an ID card inside. The wallet belongs to Gary Brent."