To The Shore

by EveryDayArtist

Chapter Two

"So if you're living in Bayport, what's with the apartment?"

Frank smiled as he watched a large slice of pepperoni covered in crushed peppers, parmesan cheese and extra pepperoni disappear into his brother's mouth in three large bites. They had relocated to a pizza parlor a few blocks away from said apartment and since then Joe had demolished almost half a large pizza on his own. Their aunt had always said that Joe's appetite would lessen somewhat when he was done growing but apparently she'd miscalculated. Still, it was good to see him eating, Frank thought to himself before answering his brother's question; he's way too skinny.

"Would you believe I'm currently on a case?"

"Yes." Joe said promptly, licking grease from his fingers. "You not getting involved in a mystery is just out of the question." The firm way his response came out made Frank laugh. It was obvious that Joe didn't think Frank had kicked the lifestyle. We'll see about that…

"Oh really?"

"Yes really." Joe shot him a look. "I mean, come on. It's like…telling me that Batman's just gonna go off and do normal stuff without any crime-fighting. Nuh uh, not buying it. I need another drink." With that the younger Hardy jumped up and wandered over to the counters.

Frank cracked another grin and turned to his own food as he waited for his brother. Then his smile dropped slightly as he realized he hadn't called Callie. Whether out of obligation or guilt at running off so abruptly, Frank had been very careful about calling his wife every night. He thought about excusing himself to make the call but decided to get his brother up to speed first. As Joe sat back down, fresh Mountain Dew in hand, Frank asked, "Do you remember Jack Dodd?"

"His dad owns that used car place in Bayport, right? And he was in a couple of your classes back in high school."

"Jack took over the job after his dad retired last year." Frank explained as he sipped his diet cola. "Anyway, he called me up and asked me to look into… Well, there's been a string of thefts in the area lately. Nice, antique-really any cars these people can get their hands on. And now the police think that Jack might be involved so he begged me to look into it. He can't afford much legal help so I figured…"

"You'd snoop around for a while. Good for you." Joe nodded. "He was a good guy, I can't see him part of anything that shady."

"Agreed. I'm certain there's proof out there somewhere that can clear him." Frank hesitated. "…So you in?"

"You and me?" Joe stared at him seriously. "Working together again after six years?"

"If you want."

"Hell yes."

Joe's face did a complete 180, from a serious frown to that ridiculous smile that drove people crazy. Laughing helplessly, Frank ran a hand over his face. "Thank God, I am so glad you said that."

"Why wouldn't I?" Joe snorted and grabbed another piece of pizza. "I've really missed working with you. So what are the details? What do you know? Catch me up to speed!"

Frank leaned back in his chair.

"Dad. Dad! Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad!"

No...nonononononono… It couldn't possibly be morning already. It just couldn't. Frank buried his head in his pillow and tried to ignore the small hands grabbing at his shoulders and the voice calling in his ear.

"Daaaa-aaad!"

Rolling over, Frank peered through drowsy eyes at his son. "Mm, Matti?"

Matt Hardy smiled and shook his dad harder. "Mom says you have a phone call. She's in the kitchen and says it's time to wake up." When his father groaned and rolled back over, the ten year old grabbed a pillow and began to beat at him. The man retaliated for all he was worth and soon they were chasing each other around the room, two pillows in hand and laughing. It ended when Frank grabbed his son around the waist and lifted him up, twirling him around and tossing him on the bed.

Ruffling the little boy's curly black hair, Frank stood up and stretched. "Well, come on, can't keep your mother waiting."

Callie blew sandy blonde bangs from her eyes and glared wearily at her daughter as the toddler giggled and continued to throw cheerios around the room. "Come on Emily. Eat for Mommy, please?"

Frank chuckled and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Morning."

"Morning, phone's on the counter."

Frank picked up the landline and moved toward the coffee machine. "Frank Hardy here."

.:Frank? It's Jack Dodd.:.

Frank grinned. "Jack, it's been a while. What's up?"

.:Would you mind coming down to the shop today?:.

"Sure, everything alright? You sound stressed." Frank put down his coffee mug and frowned thoughtfully as he listened to his friend.

Jack's laugh sounded forced. .:Yeah, you could say that. See you in about thirty minutes?:.

"Sure-" The phone clicked off. "-thing…"

Callie looked over her shoulder at her husband. "Sweetie, everything okay?"

"Um, yeah. I gotta go see Jack about something. I'll be back in time for dinner, I promise."

Callie rolled her eyes. "I'll bet."

Frank dropped down to look her in the eye. "I will."

Laughing, the woman pulled her husband in for a kiss. "Maybe. Go on, help your friend."

Dodd's Auto was a large lot with a sturdy farmhouse attached to it. The lot was covered in used and vintage cars, some half built and looked a bit like a cemetery for twisted metal and chrome. The farmhouse was a huge thing that had a certain Victorian charm; Jack and his father had been fixing it up for years and they'd done well. Ever since Mr. Dodd had moved to Florida to live with his sister Jack had been living alone in what had to be a pretty lonely building. Frank pulled up on his bike and waved at the young man standing on the porch. Jack Dodd was a well build man with coffee colored skin and piercing eyes. He stuck out a hand and sighed in relief. "Frank, hey, come on in."

"What's up? Seriously, you sound freaked."

"Sorry if I worried you." They settled at an old oak dining table, Jack waving at a couple cups of iced tea. "It's just a stressful time for me. Money problems, you understand." He rubbed at his face. "How would you like to help me out with a little mystery?"

"Excuse me?"

Frank and Joe looked up in surprise as the young woman who was standing near their table. "Um, is one of you Joe Hardy?"

Joe blinked. "Hey, yeah, hi."

"Oh. This is for you." She handed him an envelope and ran off. Joe frowned, opening it and scanning the contents before growling and shoving in the paper into his half full glass. Frank frowned.

"What was that about?"

Joe shook his head. "Nothing…it's nothing. Go on; he offered a mystery, what did you say?"

"No, seriously." The older man stared from the waitress' back to his brother. "What the hell was that?"

"Nothing. Moving on. What did you say?"

"Well, yes, obviously…"

LINE

"My dad's always told me this story." Jack stared off into space, eyes cloudy. "About how our ancestors have lived here in the states since before the revolutionary war. Apparently in 1647 my ancestor, Elias Dodd left Plymouth Colony to find this rumored horse-shoe shaped inlet to create a brand new colony."

"Horseshoe inlet…" Frank started. "Wait, Bayport? You think he was looking for Bayport?"

"We don't know, but it's a good guess. Unfortunately, he and his family sailed out and were never heard from again. They think the whole family was killed in a storm. But then, about fifty years later, a bottle washed up on the shore containing a letter that we think Elias wrote before he died. It detailed where he hid the family treasure."

Frank leaned forward, whistling. "And let me guess, no one's located this family treasure even after all this time?"

"No. And Frank, I've never really believed this whole thing but if it is true, I could really use the money."

"Alright, where's the letter?"

Before Jack could answer there was a loud pounding on the door. Both men stood and moved to the hallway, looking wearily at one another. The door opened to reveal Detective Con Reilly, a friend of Frank's, and another man he recognized as Detective Brown, Con's partner. Con looked nervous as he nodded at Frank. "Morning. Jack, could you please come with us?"

Jack looked from one man to the other nervously. "Is there a problem, detectives?"

Brown stepped forward. "Sir, you're under suspicion for several counts of auto theft. I'm only going to ask once more, please come with us."

Jack had paled. "I would never…"

Frank put a hand on his shoulder. "Go with them Jack, I'll follow. It's going to be okay." He grabbed Con's arm as they all turned to leave. "What the hell?"

"Frank I know." The detective looked tired as he gently removed the younger man's arm. "I don't think he did it either, but we have his prints one of the stolen cars. We just need to question him about it."

Joe whistled. "Tough luck… How's he holding up?"

Frank sighed and looked out at the smoky restaurant, watching a couple of young kids chase each other across the tiled floor. "He's alright, but it's not looking too good. That's why I came out here; they think this is where the cars are being brought."

"Huh…" Joe ran a finger around the ridge of his glass, watching the ink in his note bleed into the cola. "So you figured you'd snoop around? How'd Callie like that idea?"

Frank smiled. "She was pretty good about it. Matti wanted to come with me."

"Hey, I think I'm gonna like this kid." Joe laughed.

"You will, I'm sure of it." Frank stood as the receipt was brought and threw down a tip. "One of Jack's friends is on vacation so I'm borrowing his apartment while I snoop around."

"Well, I think that answers most of my initial questions." Joe stretched as he stood. "I'm gonna hit the head. Meet you outside."

As his little brother jogged off, Frank pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial as he made his way outside.

.:Hey, babe, how's it going?:.

"Slowly but I'm working on it. Listen, you'll never guess who I ran into." Frank leaned against a wall and stared up at the cloudy sky.

.:Who?:.

Frank took a deep breath. "Joe."

There was a long pause and Frank was just about to get worried when Callie finally responded in a soft voice. .:Is he okay?:.

Letting out a large breath, he ran a hand through his hair. "I think so. Physically he's totally fine but he won't tell me much."

.:But he's alive. Oh thank God…:. Frank felt a warmth at the relief in his wife's voice. She continued. .:Bring him home with you, alright? I have some choice words for him.:.

"You and me both, he won't tell me anything and when I press… I dunno, he looks cornered. I-It's scaring me, Cal."

.:And pisses you off?:.

"A little, yeah. I just want to shake it out of him but I don't want to push too hard either."

.:Just remember that subtly doesn't really work on him. You may need to head-slap it out of him in the end.:.

Frank laughed and said his goodbyes as Joe walked over. "Who's that?"

"Callie. Letting her know I found you." Frank tried to hide that he was testing the waters; seeing if his brother was in for the long haul and fine with reconnecting with everyone.

Joe winced. "She's gonna kill me, huh?"

"Probably."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Great. So what now?"

"To be honest, I don't really know." Frank shrugged. "People aren't talking."

They stood there for a long moment, Joe looking over his older brother cautiously. Frank looked a little worn out and Joe knew how exhausting detective work could be on your own. Luckily, he knew they didn't need to be loners this time.

Snapping his fingers, Joe pulled out his own cell. "I have an idea." After punching in a number, he joined Frank against the wall. "…Veej! Hey bro, how are you? …Uh huh? Awesome. Listen, can I ask a fav? …Only slightly illegal. I promise. …Oh shut up. Okay, those car thefts around New York City? Who's handling the case? …Okay." He pulled the phone away from his mouth and grinned at Frank. "Maybe we can go talk to whoever's in charge." He jumped and turned back to the phone. "Yeah I'm still here… The feds? Seriously? …Great. Huh? Oh, yeah. Well, who's the agent in charge?" His eyes lit up. "You don't say."

"Agent Drew?"

Nancy Drew groaned into her arms and slowly raised her head. It had been a long, long week and the young woman was exhausted. Pulling her hair back into a tail, she stood up and made her way towards the door where her partner was waiting. "How long have I been out?"

"About fifteen minutes." Agent Erik Bradley stumbled after her, trying to hand her a file. "The detectives have some new leads and there's someone in the lobby to see you."

"To see me?" Nancy stopped and turned to her partner who skidded to a stop in order to avoid slamming into her. "Who knows I'm here?"

"A mister Hardy? It's not Frank, it's some other man. Younger, I think, and he's a blonde?"

Nancy stood there in shock before pushing past him and making for the outer rooms. Joe had just enough time to look up from one of the display cases before he was bowled over by a blur of red and black. He stumbled back into the wall as Nancy slapped him hard on the chest before giving him a bear hug and began to curse at him. Frank watched with a grin for a moment before coughing. "Nancy, I don't think this is making a very good impression on your co-workers."

Laughing, she smiled at the older Hardy. "You're right, I'm sorry, let's go somewhere private."

Soon the three were seated in a small conference room. Nancy leaned over and punched Joe in the arm, hard.

"Ow!" The young man rubbed his arm and glared at her.

"That's for worrying us all half to death."

"I love you too Drew."

Nancy whirled on Frank, who was grinning broadly. "How long?"

"I found him in my apartment this morning and fed him and now he won't stop following me."

Nancy laughed as Joe looked her over. Her hair was still long and her eyes were still bright but she had matured. She was dressed well and looked fit so it would seem the job wasn't hurting her at all. No ring, so not married; or maybe she just didn't wear it to work. Shadows under her eyes, and a slight tightness in his posture indicated that the case was dragging a little more than she wanted…

When both older friends turned to him he pasted on his grin and wiggled eyebrows at Nancy. "So you're a fed?"

Rolling her eyes, the woman smacked him again. "Yes, I work for the FBI, I'm the lead on this case."

"Nancy Drew in the FBI…" Joe grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "I sorta' figured that if any of us tried to join up they would slam the door in our faces. We were never on the best of terms…"

"Guess they like me more than you."

"But I'm cute!"

Both his friends rolled their eyes at that and he tried to hide a smile. "Okay, sorry, I'm done being a dork. It's good to see you Nance, but we're sort of here on a mission."

"Let me guess, you're here to bagger me about my case?" The woman shook her head knowingly.

Joe leaned forward, looking at her intensely. "Nance, why is the FBI investigating auto theft? Isn't that a little small time?"

Frank was watching her as well and had to smile at the nervous tick in her jaw. "Nancy… If it's classified…"

"If it's classified then she can at least tell me." Joe reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a leather wallet, flipping it open to reveal his badge. Nancy's eyes widened before she slugged him yet again.

"You joined the Network?! Why the hell would you-"

"Will you stop it?! Man, you two, what's wrong with the Network?" They stared at him incredulously and he blinked, leaning back. "Woah, I've been an agent for six years and that sounded weird even to me. I really needed this down time..."

"Drew?" Agent Bradley stood in the doorway, looking from Joe to Frank before looking at his partner. "There's been another theft."

Nancy swore under her breath and nodded at Erik. "Give me a minute." She turned back to the Hardys. "Guys, I wanna help, I do. But I can't go handing out information willy-nilly."

"Nance, does the FBI being involved have anything to do with a guy named Ray Slagel?"

The woman froze at the name and turned to Frank. "How do you know about Slagel?"

"One of the men being interrogated on this case is a friend of mine." Frank explained. "He told me that he had a man named Ray Slagel working for him up until about a month ago. He fired him because he suspected he had criminal contacts and wasn't above the board with him. I think maybe Slagel is framing him."

"Your friend's name Dodd?" The three friends looked up in surprise as Erik appeared in the doorway again. The investigator sighed wearily, looking even more run down than Nancy. "Because we just got a call. They were transporting Dodd here for questioning and the car was attacked. One officer dead, other injured and Dodd's gone."

And with the introduction of Nancy, I want to reassure that I am much more of a HB fan and she's more of a supporting character; I know people have a habit of turning cross-overs into Drew fests but that won't happen here, I promise. We're also going to be getting into the realm of law enforcement and my knowledge mostly comes from cop shows and limited research so I apologize for any inaccuracies. Let's suspend reality a bit and just enjoy the ride.