Mr. Jones crossed his arms. "Are you boys sure this John Mead wasn't pulling a fast one on you?"
"I, I don't think so," said Frank, blinking.
"At least, not when we met," mumbled Joe.
"He didn't exactly give us a reason to," pointed out Frank. "He really did seem genuine that someone had changed his wheel improperly at the mechanic's and he really did seem genuinely anxious about missing his flight."
"Where was he flying to?" asked Mr. Jones.
"England," replied Frank.
Mr. Jones rubbed his chin. "Hmm, I'll take a quick look around here boys and see if anything went missing, just in case. But I highly doubt it as the locks weren't broken and the alarm didn't go off."
"Well thanks, Mr. Jones, but we believe you," said Frank. "We're heading to the station to talk with Chief Collig about the Mead Mansion, we'll tell him about this as well."
Mr. Jones nodded. "Good idea. I'll call the station should we find anything missing."
"Sounds good. Thank you for your time!" said Frank.
"Not at all, sorry to make this fellow look bad," said Mr. Jones.
Joe shook his head. "It's not your fault. We would have found out the truth one way or another."
Mr. Jones chuckled. "True that."
"Well, thanks again for the information. You have a great day!" said Frank as he waved.
"You as well!" chorused Mr. and Mrs. Jones as they waved.
The boys walked out the door and went to their bikes.
"Do you think he could be part of the gang Dad's trying to catch?" asked Joe as they put on their helmets.
"And what, use his uncle's abandoned house as headquarters just like Snattman did?" Frank shook his head. "I don't think so. He knows we're sons of Fenton Hardy and he gave us the only key to his front door."
"Exactly, it could be an ambush! Capture us and force Dad off the case!"
"But Dad has practically just started on the case. It's not like he's found some break-through clue already. Come on, maybe Chief Collig will have the information we need on the mansion and John Mead."
Joe snorted. "That rhymed."
Frank rolled his eyes. "Whatever, let's go." He kicked his motorbike to life, followed by Joe, and they took off. A few minutes later, they were walking into Collig's office and handing him the folders.
"So your Dad didn't find anyone of interest on this list?" asked Collig as he took the folders and put them in a filing cabinet.
Frank shook his head. "No sir. He said they had pretty strong alibis."
"Well alright then. Tell him I'll see what I can find out on people who haven't been arrested yet, but have warrants out for them."
"Will do!"
Collig sat down in his chair and looked at the boys for a moment when they didn't move. "Was there anything else?"
Frank cleared his throat. "Yes, um, what do you know about John Mead and the Mead Mansion?"
Collig arched an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest in the town recluse?"
The boys took turns telling Collig about the run-in with the nephew, also named John Mead.
"You know, we have got to figure out a way to differentiate the two," muttered Joe once they finished their narrative.
Frank shrugged. "We can always say Uncle John Mead and Nephew John, or something like that."
Collig chuckled. "That is one way. I can confirm that the uncle John Mead passed away about five years ago, and if his nephew has been living in England this whole time, I can understand why he and his family couldn't make it to the funeral and why he hasn't been able to make it till now. Unfortunately I can't give any more information on the Mead family as I have nothing more than what the internet can give you. I can take a look into it, if you'd like."
"Oh could you please? Dad won't let us check out the house until we know more," said Frank.
"Plus, there is the question of the whole mechanic incident," stated Joe.
Collig arched his eyebrow again. "What do you mean by that?"
The boys told him about their talk with the Jones and what they found out.
Collig's eyes widened. "Well now, that definitely puts things in a different light, doesn't it? I'll look into the nephew of John Mead right away. In the meantime, even though I would agree with your dad, I think you should get out to the Mead Mansion as soon as possible and find out exactly what's going on. Call me and let me know when you're going, I'll have Reilly and Franklin patrol the area, if that puts your dad's mind at ease. And have a few of your friends with you."
"We'll definitely do that," said Frank with a nod of his head. "Is there any more you can tell us about the Mead Mansion?"
Collig drummed his fingers on the desk as he thought for a moment. "Not much, I'm afraid, I've never been out to see it myself. I have heard it's nicknamed the house without keyholes, or something like that. And for good reason. The uncle John Mead was an expert locksmith, and not just an expert, he was passionate about locks, and to an extent, puzzles. He probably would have liked you boys. Anyways, he was always trying out new ways to lock and unlock doors. It's why the front door is an intricate puzzle. Quite unique."
The boys gasped. "Really?"
Collig grinned. "Oh yeah, he would have liked you two."
Joe blinked. "Wait, how would you know that? And how would you know what the front door looks like if you've never been there?"
Collig looked at him, glanced at Frank, and then back at Joe before opening a drawer. He pulled out a couple pictures of a house and a door. "Because John Mead worked with us before on a few cases. We asked him for his expertise when it came to lock-picking, which is how I came to know him. He wanted to show off the house to me, but one of us was working when the other wasn't, so it ended up not happening. Hence this picture. John Mead was wondering if I could figure it out simply by looking at it." Collig chuckled as he handed Frank the picture. "Which I can't." The house was a Tudor style and at first glance, looked like any regular house. But the picture of the door showed how different it was. As the nephew had said, there was no visible keyhole, but a puzzle. The boys grinned. They would have liked Uncle John Mead if they had a chance to meet him.
"I wonder why we didn't meet him before?" asked Joe.
"John Mead wasn't the town recluse for nothing, even though a lot of times his work did take him out of town for several months. And yes, he has heard of your father, even mentioned wanting to meet him, but obviously like with me and the door, it just didn't happen. But I'm sure he'll be glad you boys are making sure no fakes are trying to get into his house, or if they're already there, getting them out."
"We'll be glad to get them out," said Frank. "If Nephew John really is an imposter, we'll kick him out in no time."
"Yeah, we'll kick him farther than England!" Frank and Collig slowly turned their heads to look at Joe, his fist in the air. Joe looked between them. "What?"
Frank rolled his eyes while Collig laughed. "I'm sure you will, Joe. But first, you have to get through the front door and I have to make absolutely sure this nephew is the real deal. Did he say when he would be back?"
Frank nodded. "Next week."
"Well then, we've got our work cut out for us. I'll call your house, or come by if I can, once I have the info for your dad and on John Mead."
"Sounds good. Thanks Chief!" chorused the boys. They waved, said goodbye, and left.
"Well," said Joe as they put on their helmets, "guess it's time to call up the gang again. And we'll include Ken for sure too."
Frank chuckled as he grabbed hold of the handles. "Definitely. Just one more thing on the Hardy Bayport Tour."
"But one thing's for sure, our very own mystery! And it's not connected to Dad's! Well, at least, so far it isn't. Though, I do kinda hope we can help him on his."
"Oh we might get a chance. We're just having to figure out a door puzzle right now."
"Right. Come on, race you!" With an impish grin, Joe took off. Frank sighed before chuckling and took off after him. Joe won, and they quickly parked their bikes in the garage. No sooner than the helmets were off than the boys were racing into the house and up to the study.
"No running in the house!" came their aunt's exasperated cry from the living room. "Laura, how can you put up with this?" The boys only heard their mother's chuckle before they flung open the study door.
Fenton watched with a curious but amused eye as the boys closed the door and approached his desk. "And to what do I owe the disturbance of my sister's peace?"
The boys smirked. "The Mead Mansion," said Joe.
Fenton's eyebrow arched. "Oh? What did you find out?" The boys quickly told their tale, and of course everything that Collig said verbatim. Fenton sat back in his chair when they finished and thought for a moment. "So, Ezra thinks you should head out to the Mead Mansion just to be sure this guy isn't trying to pull a fast one. It is odd that he would tell you that he had been at the mechanic's when neither Tom nor Carrie have any proof that he was there. That alone would prompt me to believe him. But I agree, you should check out every angle, just in case. I'm glad Ezra is looking into John Mead's family. I'm just not sure yet about you heading over there yet. Though I do agree with Ezra, knowing that Reilly and Franklin will be patrolling does put my mind at ease."
"So, can we go today?" asked Joe.
Fenton held up his finger. "Hold on, you should check with your friends and see if they haven't already made any plans. Ezra is also right on that, you should have your friends with you. Then make a plan based on your friends's schedules and give it to me. We'll go from there."
"What? Why should we make plans if we're not going to go through with them?" asked Joe.
Fenton glanced at Joe. "But I thought you wanted to help me on my case?" Frank clamped a hand over his mouth as he snickered, Fenton was trying to mimic Joe.
Joe's eyes widened. "O-oh. We'll get those plans to you ASAP!"
Fenton chuckled. "Good to hear."
Joe grabbed Frank's arm. "Come on Frank!"
Frank laughed. "See you in a bit, Dad."
Fenton grinned. "I'm expecting it."
The boys dashed into their room, split the friend group into two lists, and began making the calls. They each quickly explained the situation to each friend and asked about their plans for the rest of the week.
Ken Blake answered excitedly that he was available and quite willing to help out wherever and whenever he could. Especially since his uncle was going to be patrolling whenever the Hardys were at the Mead Mansion.
Slim Robinson said pretty much the same thing, except he had promised his father he would help with his work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tony Prito was also helping his father on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as Saturdays, but could come the rest of the time.
Jack Dodd was helping his father as well, but was working only Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Pete Jones said he would help, if the Hardys helped him with starting up a summer band. It wouldn't be for a while as he still would need a few more people, but he definitely wanted the Hardys to be a part of it. The boys agreed.
Biff Hooper was very willing to help, but he had lifeguard duty on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Phil Cohen requested that he have a few Saturdays off, but otherwise, he was able to help anytime.
Jerry Gilroy also could help anytime, but asked for a couple of Fridays off.
Joe thanked him and wrote the information down before hanging up. "Alright, that just leaves Chet."
"I'm calling him right now," said Frank.
"Think we should contact the girls as well?"
Frank shrugged. "I don't know. They've been off doing their own thing, planning that surprise. I don't know if they would want to help."
"Oh, and speaking of girls," said Joe, glancing at the calendar. "We need to look for presents for Nancy."
Frank glanced at his watch. "Maybe we'll do that after we've given this list to Dad and contacted Chief Collig."
Joe grinned. "Excellent."
"Hiya Frank, what's up?" came Chet's voice on the line.
"Hi Chet! We've got a question for you. What's your schedule for the summer?"
"Why?" asked Chet
Frank quickly explained the situation.
Chet let out a whistle. "Wowee, another mystery! But it sounds more of a calm one. I'll definitely help! Just, not on Fridays and Saturdays."
"How come?" asked Joe.
Chet chuckled nervously. "Because the girls roped me into helping them on their surprise, that's all."
"Ugh, go figure," said Joe.
But Frank gasped and snapped his fingers. "It's happening at your farm!"
"Shoot," came Chet's whisper.
"Alright, way to go Frank!" said Joe.
"But you're not getting another hint from me! No siree!"
"But it's got to be happening soon if they need you on Fridays and Saturdays," pointed out Joe.
"But you'll have to wait until the girls send out the invites for any more information. Besides, you've got a mystery to keep you busy for a while. A mystery that definitely sounds better than your last two!"
Frank chuckled. "And yet we're taking every precaution should something go wrong."
"Hey, if Mr. Jones knows no one has been at his shop, then no one's been at his shop. I wonder why that guy would lie to you anyway."
"Most likely to throw the heat off himself," said Frank. "If he even lied."
"What? But Mr. Jones wouldn't lie!" exclaimed Chet.
"No, he didn't, but we've got to keep an open mind. Innocent until proven guilty. And we're heading to the Mead Mansion to find out for sure."
"Well, alright, that sounds fine. When are you planning to head out?"
"I'm thinking tomorrow after breakfast, provided we get permission from our Dad," said Frank. "Ken, Biff, Pete, Jack, and Jerry are coming along. You want to tag along, make it an even eight?"
"Sure! You two will probably be the ones tackling that puzzle on the door, the rest of us will be mulling around."
Frank chuckled. "Just for a bit. You guys can serve as lookouts in case anyone else comes around."
"Roger that!"
"Great! We'll see you tomorrow after breakfast!"
"And no second breakfast for you!" quipped Joe.
"Aw," said Chet. "But I'm going to need the extra brain power!"
The Hardys laughed. "You just said we're the ones who are going to be doing the majority of the thinking!" said Joe.
"Anyways, we'll see you here after breakfast. Be sure to bring lunch!"
"Now that I can do!" said Chet with a chuckle. "See you tomorrow!"
"Bye!" chorused the boys before hanging up the phone. They went to planning out the rest of the week with the schedules that were given to them before giving the list to their father, who approved of the plan, and then sent it along to Collig, who told them Reilly and Franklin would be assigned to their area. Once that was done, they quickly raced back into town to look for something for Nancy. They found a couple of things, wrapped them, got her a card, and sent it out immediately at the post office. They went home, eager for the next day to come.
(Author's Note: Hello my rosy readers! Here's another chapter for the Hardy boys! Duh, lol. ;P They find out a bit of information, and a few hints to the next book in the series. And I thought it best to keep what they got as a present under wraps until Nancy opens it . . . pun intended, lol. As for the third episode in the Hardy boys TV series, well, it wasn't bad, but it could have been better. I was getting bored with it about the half way mark and I couldn't finish it until I had watched the two Boxcar Children movies, first one can be found for free on YouTube and the second on Amazon with ads, and the Wizard of Oz twice each. I just couldn't get past the middle for a while. Well, now I have, obviously, but it took a while, lol. Again, it wasn't bad, but I've already begun to figure out a few things. While that might be great and all, unless I'm writing the story, I don't really like figuring things out before the detectives do. And this could be another problem I have with this series. Again, it was another episode of Frank and Joe finding clues separately and then coming together at the end to swap notes. I have started watching the next episode, but really, them working apart each episode to come together at the end just isn't quite the Hardy boys. And the supernatural aspects are coming in now. Thankfully more subtle than Nancy's hauntings, and nowhere near as fantastical or outlandish, but the supernatural aspect is now making me pause too. And the grittiness of it is getting a little bland, and almost out of place. More on that for the next episode because some of Frank's personal life comes into play and . . . there was no build-up to it, at all. I mean, you knew it was coming, but, it was badly done. Apparently this trying to be realistic approach isn't working because this just doesn't feel realistic, at all. Especially when you've got ghosts and demons hanging around. That is just not normal. Ugh. I'm going to watch a YouTuber I follow rant about the new "grittier, more realistic" take on Winx and how fans like me who grew up with it are annoyed with it. I mean, watched several other videos on the exact same thing, but this is from someone I actually follow, and I cannot wait to see what she noticed, because she notices some things other people might not. Anyways, enough grumbling about Hollywood taking childhood classics and make it grittier to pull an audience while alienating the fans and practically destroying what made is so fun and memorable to being with, I hope you like what I'm doing with this series and others! angelicalkiss, yes! Aren't ELijah's eyes just absolutely gorgeous?! I really like his voice too. Many thanks for all the reviews! And thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day! God bless!)