Chapter 7
"Who is that?" Franks voice echoed from the darkness. Chet smiled in spite of the distressing sight. He and Tony ran over to greet their friends.
"It's Chet and Tony." Chet exclaimed with a relief. Frank and Bill heaved sighs of relief.
"Thank God!" Frank said tensely. "Chet, get this door open. We haven't much time!" he snapped. He and Bill peered over their shoulders. Chet grunted as he examined the lock to their cell.
"Keep your shirt on, Frank. Don't blow a gasket. We will get you out and if any of those bastards comes back, we will put them in this cage." Bill shook his head.
"Chet, you don't understand! Look!" he exclaimed gesturing towards the ground a few feet away. Tony took the flashlight and aimed the beam to the area they had pointed towards. On the floor were several sticks of TNT and for good measure they were wrapped in a C4 plastic explosive mold. A timer was attached and ticking away! Chet shuttered and shook for a moment.
"A b-b-b-bomb?!" he asked. Frank nodded.
"Bingo, Chet! And we are all gonna blow a gasket if you don't open the door quick!" Chet took a breath. Tony looked scared beyond belief.
"Ok. How much time left on that package, Frank?" Chet asked beaming the light down on it. Frank looked down.
"Three minutes and forty seconds! Hurry Chet! Blow that padlock off!" Chet took out his magnum.
"But," Tony interjected. "If you fire that thing and it ricochets, it could hit the explosives and detonate." Chet gave Tony a wry smile and rolled his eyes.
"Thanks, Tony. I will try not to blow us up any sooner than need be!" he said. He aimed his magnum at the padlock. He fired. The padlock dropped to the ground. They were free! Bill and Frank pushed the door open and started running.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Bill shouted, leading the way up the stone steps. They raced up and through the cabin and into the clearing. They had not sprinted more than seventy yards when the earth shook with a tremendous explosion. The force threw the group to the ground. But, they all appeared to be alright. Chet looked over his shoulder. The cabin, what little was left of it, was on fire. Frank looked at it and then over to Chet.
"Thank God you guys showed up! Thanks for saving our skin." Bill managed a smile and nodded.
"No doubt. You guys are lifesavers!" Frank looked about.
"Say, where is Joe?" he asked. Chet took a breath.
"Well, he is chasing down the guy who was hanging around the cabin. The same one I assume that set up the explosives in your cell. But now, I can't figure it out. We did a stake out of the cabin tonight. This guy who had apparently been down in the tunnel with you guys placing the bomb came out and fixed the door. But if he was going to blow the place up anyway... why fix the lock?"
"Maybe he wanted to add some insurance that no one would get in there and find you before the explosion." Tony speculated. Frank nodded.
"I'm not sure who he was. But he blew a couple tunnels earlier with much smaller explosive charges. Just enough to block escape into the tunnel. That guy wanted us dead! That's all I know." He took a breath and looked out into the darkness. "God, I hope Joe is careful." The others also shared his sentiment after realizing how desperate this man was.
Chet looked at his watch.
"Well Joe asked us to make a camp about half a mile down. He said he would meet us there later unless the trail got hot with that guy." Frank nodded.
"Then let's go make camp. And get some food, I am starved!" Bill smiled at this idea.
"No doubt. You have some food left, right Chet?" His stout chum grinned.
"When do I not have food, guys?" he asked with a laugh. The four made their way to the river. Frank and Bill looked in awe as Chet and Tony uncovered the boat. Frank chuckled.
"That sure looks like the repaired Sleuth." he laughed. Chet smiled and explained the problem regarding the Sleuth. Bill smiled.
"That's one nice boat, Chet." he said as they got in. Chet started the motors and the lights. He guided the boat down river. At the half mile mark, he looked for a cove to pull into. He soon found the perfect spot and pulled in. The group got out and looked the area over. Tony lit a few portable lights and the four friends managed to erect a tent and make camp. Chet started a fire. Tony reached into the cooler and pulled out a few Coronas. He passed them out.
Frank sat there drinking slowly. He was hoping that Joe was alright. Tony looked over to him.
"You ok, Frank?" he asked with concern. "Can I get you anything?" Frank rubbed his head thoughtfully.
"Aspirin would be nice." he said. Tony smiled and pulled his backpack over to where he was sitting. He fished a bottle out and tossed Frank the bottle.
"Thanks." he said absently.
"You sure you're ok?" Tony persisted. Frank gave a slight smile.
"Just a worried man with a worried mind." he said somewhat softly. Chet began grilling catfish filets. Fifteen minutes later, he had the meal served up. Frank and Bill ate with zest. Bill paused and looked up.
"So, did you guys manage to track us by the radio and then find the cabin?" Tony nodded.
"Yeah. We also found Frank's clues in Treeport." Frank nodded.
"Two of them took us there. We didn't see much of anyone but the two who took us there. They wore fake beards and hats while we were around. So, I can't say I can readily identify either of them."
"Why did they take you two there?" Tony asked curiously. Bill shrugged.
"Hard to say." Chet looked up.
"They might have had to meet one of the members of the gang or a boss or something along those lines." Frank nodded between mouthfuls of fried fish.
"That's what I was thinking too, Chet. I certainly wish we could have found the captain. Or a trace of some sort. But they were pretty closed lipped around us. They did let that little quip about walking into the wall slip. But we didn't really know what it meant till they took us back to that cabin and moved that big stove and revealed the steps that led into the rock wall."
"We stumbled onto that one quite by accident." Tony confessed, explaining how they found the stove and it moved easily. Frank smiled, but in his mind still felt shaken at having narrowly escaped death. The desperation of the criminals they were dealing with was becoming quite obvious.
"We need to be very careful in dealing with these people." Frank said sternly. They are obviously not afraid to take people out. But I am still trying to figure out what they are doing here in this hollow, and where the captain is." Tony lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He looked up.
"I can't figure it out either. It's cinch they aren't stealing chickens. But I don't know what other lucrative crimes can be had out in these parts."
A moment later they were interrupted by the sound of a motorboat coming up the river! Chet instinctively reached for his magnum. He tossed a rifle to Frank.
"I am guessing the bad guys took your canon away. Here, take this. Let's see if we can ambush them if there isn't too many." Frank nodded. Tony pumped a shell into his shotgun. They quickly made their way down to some foliage by the water's edge and waited as the sound of the motorboat came nearer. They tensed when they saw a medium sized motorboat enter the cove where they were camped.
"Get ready!" Frank warned. "There might be a lot of them." A moment later the motorboat slowed near theirs and abruptly the motor cut. The light from the boat illuminated a sight none of them expected! Joe and the stranger who had been seen in and around the cabin. The lock repairer and probable bomber and murderer. Joe held a gun on the man. The group emerged from behind the foliage and waved to Joe.
"Frank! Bill!" Joe screamed in relief. "Your alive!" he cried with clear relief showing on his face. Chet leveled his magnum at the man.
"Ok, Joe. I have him covered. Now get out, you!" he commanded the stranger. The two alighted and Joe tied up the craft. They prodded their prisoner up to their camp and by the fire. They were then able to get a good look at him. He was about thirty-five. Black hair and swarthy face. He looked at the group defiantly. Joe smiled at Bill and Frank.
"Wow. It is great to see you two alive. This one here tried to convince me you were blown into a million pieces. And after that explosion, I was inclined to believe him." Frank looked to Chet.
"Chet, do you have any rope so we can tie this guy up?" he asked. Chet smiled.
"I can do you one better Frank!" he said and reached into the bag and produced a pair of handcuffs. Frank smiled.
"Excellent Chet." he said taking them and slapping them on their prisoner.
"I suppose you tried to interrogate him?" Bill asked. Joe nodded.
"Yeah, all he said is that we had better clear out or we would get blown up too." Frank turned to the prisoner.
"You had better come clean. What's your game here? Where is our friend that you also kidnapped? Come on, out with it!" he demanded. The prisoner initially kept the same sullen expression. But, he finally managed a smirk.
"You ain't getting nothin out of me, you punk kids. I suggest you leave and let me go while you still can." Frank looked angry. Chet stepped up.
"Frank, you have to use tact with the ignorant." he said removing his magnum from the holster. He placed the muzzle against the man's temple.
"Now then. Who are you working for and what is going on in this hollow?" The man flinched but remained quiet. Chet flashed him a brief smile and pulled back the hammer on the revolver. The man began to shake violently.
"Ok, I don't know anything. I was just ordered to blow some tunnels and keep people out of the way from certain places."
"Any that includes murdering people?" Frank snapped. The man flinched again.
"Look. I don't know the guy's name or anything." His eyes darted nervously up towards the gun pressed against the side of his head and Frank. Chet finally lowered the gun and grunted.
"He's just a hired hand, Frank. If he knows any sensitive info he isn't telling. Which means whoever his boss is would seem to be more of a threat than that of getting one's head blown off." Joe walked up to Chet.
"Chet, are you nuts. You really could have blown his head off. We need him alive. He probably knows where the captain is." Chet smiled.
"It's ok Joe. The gun was empty... I think." He pointed it at the man and pulled the trigger six times, only hearing clicks as the hammer and pin contacted empty chambers. "Yep, was empty." he confirmed. The prisoner looked pale and was very much surprised to find himself still alive. Frank and Joe led him to a large tree about fifty yards away and made him wrap his arms around it, then placed the handcuffs back on. They walked back to the camp and the group sat in front of the fire to discuss the situation. Chet looked over towards the prisoner.
"This guy isn't going to tell us anything. He is obviously too scared to betray the boss. Sounds like a charming guy, whoever it may be. What do you suppose we should do with him?" Frank poured some coffee and tilted his head thoughtfully.
"I think your right. He isn't going to talk. The best course of action would be to send him home."
"But Frank... We don't even know where he lives." Chet joked. Frank half smiled and shot him a look.
"I mean turn him into the Bayport police. I am not sure how the local authorities will react to private detective's accusations. A lot of small towns have very corrupt law enforcement. However we could turn him into the state police. But, if we took him to Bayport we could get a breakdown of who he is and any inside info the Bayport police could supply us with. You could also run his name on dad's computer." The others nodded.
"So, who goes?" Tony asked. Frank took another drink and looked up.
"Well, I have yet to make a comprehensive search of this place so I personally would like to stay." Chet nodded and smiled.
"Well, I am dying for a sub sandwich so I will go. Tony can tag along for added safety just in case some of the gang try an ambush on the way out." Frank nodded.
"That works for me just fine. Joe, Bill and myself can see if we can get a lead on the captain."
Within ten minutes they had checked on the prisoner and turned in for the night. Joe and Bill volunteered to stay on guard duty just to be sure no unexpected visitors showed up. The night passed quietly however, and by five in the morning the camp was bustling with coffee being made and preparations for the search in the hollow and the trip to Bayport. Chet and Tony secured the prisoner in the rear of the boat. Once they had him securely chained to the boat's floor they went up to the camp for one last coffee.
"You boys ready to go?" Frank asked them with a smile. Chet yawned then nodded.
"Yep. Ready and willing." he said managing a smile himself. Tony downed his coffee in one gulp and looked up.
"Yeah. This will be fun, Chet. Think of all the walking we get out of by doing this." Chet smiled.
"True. Very true. Ok, let's get that scumbag behind bars." He checked his weapon and holstered it. Tony picked up his shotgun and walked beside Chet. Frank, Joe and Bill walked down to the water's edge to see them off.
"Remember, use the radio if you have any trouble." Joe called as Chet and Tony got into the boat and started the motors up.
"Be careful!" Frank called as they waved on their way out. The three turned and walked back up to camp.
Chet and Tony took the boat down river at a quick pace. Tony scanning the river's edge for anything suspicious as they went along.
"Think anyone will give us trouble on the way out of here?" Tony asked. Chet shrugged.
"Not really sure. Anything is possible but we should stay on guard just on the off chance." he said. By ten Chet looked down to the GPS monitor.
"We should hit Bayport sooner than expected." he said. "We should be on the Atlantic in less than an hour." Tony nodded. They looked back to their prisoner who was his usual sullen self. The pair paid him little attention. By noon they were headed north on the Atlantic. Within the next half hour, they were beginning to see familiar signs of the area in which they grew up.
"Should be home soon." Tony said with a smile. "I have some work I need to catch up on while we are here." Chet nodded.
"A man's work is never done." Tony laughed as the pair turned into Barmet Bay. Chet cut the throttle back as he entered the more densely traveled waterway. They moved swiftly along and were soon mooring the boat inside the Hardy boat house. Chet turned to the prisoner and pulled out some keys. As Tony kept him covered, Chet undid the chains and pulled the prisoner out of the boat. Tony and Chet prodded him along and out of the boat house and reached the parking lot. Tony hit the remote for his car. Chet opened the door to a black Honda and shoved the prisoner into the back seats with his hands handcuffed behind him. Tony and Chet sat in front. Tony pulled out of the parking lot and soon had the car speeding towards police headquarters downtown. Within ten minutes Tony had pulled into a spot in front of the station. They got out and pulled the prisoner from the back seat. Chet held a gun on him as he prodded him up the steps and they entered the station. They led their prisoner down a side isle into an area that was generally restricted to police only. Seeing no one in the reception area, Chet knocked on a large closed door that bore the name: Chief Ezra Collig. A moment later a deep voice with a thick Irish accent boomed.
"Yes?" he asked. Chet and Tony pushed the man through the door. They entered the office where a heavyset man in his fifties looked up from behind a stack of paperwork.
"Well, Chet. Tony. How are you today?" he asked gruffly. Chet smiled.
"Hey there Chief. Well, Frank, Joe, Bill, Tony and I are on a case in Pennsylvania. We came back here to turn in a prisoner and check on some computer records once we find out who this bird is." The chief nodded. He then focused in on the stranger with a frown.
"And what evilness has this one been up to?" he asked. Chet cleared his throat.
"Well he has kidnapped at least four people. Attempted murder, as he tried to blow Frank and Bill up. That should hold him for starters. We can swear out a complaint to ensure that happens. The chief bore down on him.
"Well, Mr. Silent, we will soon figure out who you are!" He pressed his intercom.
"McShane!" he yelled. "In here now, please." A moment later a tall officer with greying hair rushed in. The chief looked at him.
"Yes, chief?" he asked. Collig pointed to the prisoner.
"Book him on suspicion of murder and kidnapping. Get his prints in the works and find out who he is. Like yesterday!" he yelled. Officer McShane nodded and took immediate custody of the prisoner and rushed him away. The chief returned his gaze to the pair.
"Will you be in town long?" he asked.
"For the day. If you could get us a name and any info today, that would be greatly appreciated. I will be at our office or call my cell if I don't answer there." The chief nodded.
"Sounds good. You boys be careful out there. Dealing with killers is a risky business. No matter how many times you deal with them, or cases you solved. Someone trying to blow you up shows some desperation." Chet and Tony nodded.
"Will do chief. Thanks a lot." Chet said. Tony nodded and the pair left. As they walked down the steps Tony looked at his watch.
"Mind if I drop you at the office while I get some work done?" he asked. Chet smiled.
"Not at all." he said. They got into the car and Tony pulled out into traffic and headed around the corner to Mulberry Street. A few moments later Tony let Chet out in front of the detective agency. Chet waved as he drove off. He turned and smiled.
Cho's Deli was the business under the detective's office. It was frequented by Chet, almost daily. He had become good friends with Cho, the Chinese owner, over the last couple years. Chet walked in as he was quite hungry. A small middle-aged Chinese man looked up and immediately smiled.
"Ah, Mr. Chet. So nice to see you. Have not seen you for many day. I was becoming worried that I might have to file bankruptcy." Chet smiled.
"How's it goin, Cho?" he asked. The man smiled.
"Much betta now that you here!" He said with a smile.
"Well, in that case I will take three super subs and a gallon of that chocolate milk." the man smiled and went about the task.
"Right away!" he said. Chet smiled as he watched him make the three huge sub sandwiches.
"That ought to hold me for an hour or two." he told himself. A few moments later Cho wrapped the sandwiches and placed the gallon of milk beside them.
"Let's see. That will be twenty-two dollar and sixty-one cents." he said. Chet tossed a twenty and a five down.
"Keep the change, Cho. Will see you later my friend." The man smiled and gave a slight bow.
"Many thanks, Chet san. Come back soon!" He smiled. Chet nodded and smiled back, then walked out. He turned the corner and climbed the stairs to the office. He found the door unlocked.
"Hmm, girls must be here tending to business." he thought. He walked through the door. Sure enough, he found his sister Iola and her best friend Callie Shaw at a desk arranging papers. He looked over to them and cleared his throat. They looked up and smiled, then ran over.
"Hi bro. You guys are back? Where's Joe at?" she asked looking around. Chet smiled and held up a hand.
"Just me, sis. Frank and Joe are still in the hollow. Tony and I had to come back and turn in a bad guy." Iola looked dejected, then sighed. She was Joe's girlfriend, and on the verge of being a fiancé. Her friend Callie Shaw had been a steady girlfriend of Franks. But lately they hadn't been seen together all that much. No one really knew anything for sure. Chet assumed they were having a tiff.
"Well, I know I am not the beloved Hardy brothers, But I hope I rate something." Chet said with a laugh. Iola smiled and hugged her brother.
"I'm sorry bro. It is good to see you, too." she smiled. Callie came up and smiled to him.
"Hey Chet. I see you brought us lunch." she said taking the bag and milk.
"But,," he started. Callie pulled the sandwiches out and smiled to Chet.
"You are so sweet, Chet. Seeing Iola's car down in the parking lot and making sure we had something to eat." Chet forgot his stomach for the time being. Callie and Iola were certainly worthy of taking his lunch and not getting any flack. Iola sat down. She handed Chet one of the sandwiches.
"That one's yours I hope. Callie and I don't eat that much." Chet brightened.
"Of course." he said sitting down with them.
"So," Iola began "what brings you back? You had to turn someone in?" Chet nodded and went into a somewhat detailed account of their exploits, ending up to capturing the prisoner who had almost succeeded in blowing up Bill and Frank. Callie gave a start.
"Frank was almost blown up? She asked. She had a look of alarm but her level of concern overall was uncertain. Chet held a hand out.
"It's ok. He is fine."
"And you are going back?" Iola asked. Chet nodded.
"Yes. Probably later this afternoon or tonight. We are waiting to hear from the chief about who this guy is that we turned in. Plus, Tony had some work to tend to."
"Oh, so your leaving tonight, then?" Iola asked slyly. Chet nodded slowly. He had seen that look in her eyes before. That look that suggested to him that she had a plan. And this time that plan probably involved her making him and Tony take her and probably Callie with them. Even though it was a danger area. Which meant it was generally a rule that forbids taking friends or loved ones into a work zone that was considered dangerous. Chet wasn't too concerned about Iola and Callie. In the last few years they had both taken courses in criminology and attended FBI training, as arranged by Fenton Hardy for his sons and their closest friends who had a tendency to become involved in the cases. Fenton Hardy had instilled within his sons that it was always wise to stay ahead of the criminal mind. This often involved training and classes.
Chet shook his head perceiving what his sister was going to suggest.
"No way, Iola. I know you have been involved in many of our cases and have training and can take care of yourself most of the time. But, this place has murderers and the gang seems pretty desperate. I am afraid Frank and Joe would object to you being involved on this one. It's not a simple case of smuggling or catching a burglar." Iola glared down at him, then smiled.
"But you and the others will be there to protect us." Chet raised an eyebrow.
"Us? I don't see Callie begging to go." Iola smiled and turned to Callie.
"Callie wants to go to. She hasn't seen Frank in days. You want to go, right, Cal?" she said giving her a slight nudge with her elbow. Callie looked a little perplexed, but smiled.
"Of course, I want to go. We can take care of ourselves on top of that." Iola gave her brother a firm look to suggest further argument would be futile. Chet rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.
"Ok, ok. You can go. God, Frank and Joe are going to have my ass." he muttered. Callie smiled and Iola patted him on the shoulder.
"You just let us take care of Frank and Joe." she said firmly. She turned to Callie.
"Say Cal. How about we go do something with our hair. We need to appear our best if we have to smooth over a couple disgruntle men." Callie pursed her lips.
"Sure. I need my hair done anyway." she said without much enthusiasm. Iola raised an eyebrow. But before she could say anything to her friend the phone rang. She picked it up.
"Hardy, Morton and Hardy agency." she said. "Oh yes. One moment please." she said placing the call on hold. She looked at Chet.
"Chief Collig on two. Cal and I are going to the salon. When are you guys leaving?" Chet thought for a moment.
"Hard to say. As early as five. As late as eight or so. Also, if one of you could leave your car here for me, I will need it." Iola nodded.
"Ok, we will meet you at the boathouse. Can't wait to see that new boat you mentioned." she said taking her keys out of her purse and laying them on Chet's desk. Chet smiled and took a seat behind a desk. He watched Iola and Callie start to walk out the door. Callie followed Iola but seemed less enthused about their trip. She looked at Chet on the way out the door and waved with a half-smile. Chet waved as he watched her leave. He shrugged then picked up the phone.
"This is Chet. What ya got, Chief?" he asked. "Yes, I have a pen. Shoot." He started writing on a pad. "Oh really? Pretty interesting. Yeah. For sure. Well, we can have formal charges filed as soon as Frank and Bill get back. They can actually finger him for planting explosives in a locked animal cage that they were held in. They can also probably finger him on the kidnapping. But, you can hold him beyond that on parole violations? Good. Glad to hear he won't have any trouble finding accommodations at some facility and he is off the street. Oh? Not at all chief. Thanks again. Bye now!" he said. He smiled with satisfaction. He had found out some interesting info. The phone rang again. Chet scooped it up.
"Hardy, Morton and Hardy. Where everything is a mystery to us... Hey Tony. No, I don't normally answer the phone like that, but you know me. Yes. Heh heh. Yeah. Say, found out some info on the guy. Name is Jake Steed. A convicted hijacker. Has a rap sheet a mile long and at least one active warrant out on him. Yes. The chief was pleased to get him off the street. The hijacking rap is from an airport racket in Miami. So, not sure why he is hanging out in a hollow in Pennsylvania. In any event, I am going to run his name through our files, then Mr. Hardy's computer as well. When do you want me to stop by for you? I have Iola's car. Yeah. I can do that. Sure enough. See you soon, Dude." He hung up.
Chet turned his attention to the computer and switched it into search mode. He entered the name Jake Steed, but as he suspected, having never heard the name before, the search came back as subject not found.
Chet prepared to drive to the Hardy home to see if he could find anything out by looking on Mr. Hardy's computer. He shut down the computer and made sure the windows were closed. He turned the answering machine on and walked through the doorway. Taking out Iola's key chain he locked the office and walked downstairs. He turned into the alley and walked to the tiny parking lot located behind the building. He hit the remote entry on Iola's grey Volvo. Chet attempted to get in but realized early in the attempt that he had about eight inches and one hundred and ten pounds on his sister. He stepped out and adjusted the power seat before trying again. He finally smiled to himself. He turned the key and the engine roared into life, pulled out and burst into the alley leading to Mulberry Street. Within ten minutes he was pulling up to the corner of High and Elm. He got out and locked the car, then sauntered up the walk to the Hardy residence. He knocked on the door. A moment later Laura Hardy answered. She smiled broadly to Chet.
"Hello, Chet. You know you don't need to knock. Come on in. I just took a pie out of the oven." Chet beamed. Some things just never changed.
"Thank you, Ma'am." he said stepping inside.
"Are Frank and Joe in town?" Mrs. Hardy asked. Chet shook his head as he followed her into the kitchen and took a seat.
"Afraid not, Ma'am. Tony and I had to return to turn in one of the bad guys." he went into limited detail of their adventures. Mrs. Hardy placed half a cherry pie and a quart of ice cream before him. Chet smiled broadly and served himself. Mrs. Hardy expressed her concern for all parties involved then smiled to Chet.
"I know you boys know how to handle yourselves."
"I guess Mr. Hardy isn't home yet?" Chet inquired. Mrs. Hardy shook her head.
"No, he is still in Pennsylvania. Only on the opposite side of the state."
"What kind of case is he working on, if you know or have liberty to say?" Chet asked.
"I think it has something to do with hijacking." Mrs. Hardy said without much interest. Her husband had worked so many cases over the years. Mrs. Hardy couldn't help but have only limited interest after so many. Since he had just turned in a known hijacker, Chet's suspicions were aroused.
"Very interesting. We just turned in a hijacker." Chet commented. He now had renewed interest and finished his pie quickly and looked up.
"I was going to run this bird's name on Mr. Hardy's computer and see if we could find any other data on him." Mrs. Hardy smiled. She went to the counter and poured herself glass of wine.
"Well, I hope you find out what you need to." she said with a smile and excused herself to go finish dusting. Chet washed his plate off and made his way to the Hardy study. He turned on the computer that sat on Mr. Hardy's desk and waited for it to boot up. He then entered an internal search engine. He again entered the name of Jake Steed and hit enter. A moment later the machine beeped twice and an alert message came up: Blue File Please Enter Security Clearance.
"Damn!" Chet muttered silently. Mr. Hardy, since transferring his files onto hard disk had made sure the computer had the finest security software. Therefore, Chet knew it futile to try to break the code or find a back door into the system. He sighed heavily and shut the computer down. He got up and walked into the living room where he found Mrs. Hardy.
"Done already, Chet?" she asked. Chet smiled.
"Yes. Mr. Hardy had the file I was interested in locked, so I couldn't get a look at it. But if he does contact you can you tell him that we just turned in Jake Steed to the police and if he feels there is something important we need to know that he contacts us via shortwave or my cell phone." Mrs. Hardy smiled.
"Of course, Chet. Now you give Frank and Joe my love and tell them to be careful." Chet smiled and nodded. After saying goodbye, he exited and walked down the steps. He unlocked the Volvo and slid in. Chet spent the balance of the afternoon doing various errands and basically killing time in order to give Tony ample time to get some of his office work complete. By four thirty he pulled into the parking lot of the Prito Construction Company. He got out and walked in. He saw Tony look up from behind a computer.
"Hey Chet, what's up, Dude?" he asked somewhat preoccupied. Chet shrugged.
"Keep running into brick walls. I did find Steed's name on Mr. Hardy's computer. But he has it in a classified section of the computer. I, of course do not have the password, and,,"
"Mr. Hardy isn't home yet." Tony finished. Chet half smiled and nodded.
"Exactly. I mean it's great we know that Mr. Hardy probably effects a knowledge of this character. But not sure what exactly. I know he is a stickler about not being contacted in the field unless it's an emergency or other damn good excuse." Tony nodded knowingly.
"I hear ya. I will have this wrapped up in a few." Chet looked over Tony's shoulder and saw he was catching up on simple invoices. He grinned at this.
"Gee, I hope you reprimanded that secretary of yours." he said with a chuckle. Tony grinned sheepishly.
"Well, I was going to when I saw the backlog this afternoon, but she was wearing this incredible outfit... and besides she keeps a steady flow of men coming in here. She's ah..." Chet looked thoughtfully at him and curled his lips.
"Window dressing?" he asked with disapproval. Tony nodded slightly.
"Well, when you put it that way, it makes it sound bad."
"Well, isn't it?" Chet asked. Tony sighed deeply.
"You do have a point, Chet. I suppose I should refrain from hiring a secretary based on appearance." Chet blinked his eyes in amazement.
"That would be a good start. Now, you're paying the price. If she can't do simple invoicing in the eight hours a day she has to do such tasks, maybe she is jacking her jaw with all those subs who you have on your payroll. Subs that could be sitting in here on your dime peeking down her blouse when they should be... say... working?" Tony took the last comment to heart.
"You do make a good point, Chet. I think I will reevaluate my hiring policy."
"To say the least, man." Chet said with a chuckle as Tony shut down the computer and stood up. The two walked out of the office and Tony locked the door behind him. He got into the Volvo with Chet and they left the office behind. Chet looked over to Tony as he drove.
"Mr. Hardy is on a case in Pennsylvania. A hijacking case." he said. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"A connection you think?" he asked with interest. Chet shrugged.
"Hard to say but it is interesting to say the least." he said. "We just need to stay on our toes." Tony nodded his agreement.
"That's for sure. Danger is afoot with this group." Chet gulped as he thought about the choice he had to make earlier regarding the girls going with them. Ten minutes later Chet pulled into the public parking lot by the docks. He and Tony got out. Chet removed a large black bag from the trunk. Tony looked at him.
"What ya got there, Chet? Bag of Uzis?" he asked. Chet shook his head mysteriously. The two walked down a series of sidewalks and down one of the docks that led to the Hardy boathouse. Chet pushed the door open.
To Tony's surprise but not really to Chet's, Iola and Callie were sitting there smiling.