Chapter Fifteen
Fenton woke abruptly to the sounds coming from outside the room. Several men were grumbling about something. The room was still dark though Fenton could see the outline of the door from the lights in the hallway peaking around the edges of the door frame. There was a scuffling sound then the floor vibrated as if something heavy was dropped.
"Hey!" cried Walter. "Be careful! I don't want to be responsible for brain damage on top of the kidnapping!"
"You hear that, Dad?" Joe asked, startling him.
"How could I not?" he chuckled. Fenton shifted in the hard chair. It was uncomfortable to say the least and it didn't help that he was famished. "What are they talking about?"
"Not sure." Fenton felt his son lean forward to hear. "Tannen definitely seems to be upset about something and whatever was dropped on the floor was heavy."
The father and son got quiet, straining their ears to hear the conversation going on just outside their room.
"This wasn't a part of the plan!" Tannen yelled angrily.
"Not this again!" cried a voice Fenton didn't recognize. "We told you why we did this. If it wasn't for Marco messing that up…"
"Hey!" protested another man. "I told you what happened! How was I supposed to know that he would run off like that?"
"You're fine, Marco," the other reassured him. "I can't stay mad at you anyway."
"Well, it shouldn't have happened in the first place!" Tannen yelled. "I have everything under control here! Then you…[inaudible]. I thought you were supposed to follow them!"
"Mr. Biancci gave us different orders, Mr. Tannen," replied the first voice. "He felt you needed a way out of your…predicament."
"I know I screwed up but this doesn't help!"
"What's done is done, Tannen. Where do you want this?"
"Hold on a minute."
Fenton and Joe heard footsteps coming toward their room. Seconds later, the door opened and the lights came on, blinding the Hardys. Once their eyes adjusted, they saw Tannen strolling over to the bed along the wall a few feet away from them.
"What's going on, Tannen?" Fenton inquired. "Something wrong?"
"Shut your mouth, Hardy," the man snapped. "It's nothing I can't handle. You're going to have another roommate so I suggest you keep quiet if you know what's good for you."
"Let us go," Joe chimed in, watching the door. Tannen was the only one in the room at the moment though he could still hear at least three others in the other room. "It sounds as if you're in over your head."
"I said 'shut up!'" Tannen yelled whirling around on them. His eyes blazed with fury as he leaned over Joe, his face inches away. "You think you're better than me, huh? Living the good life, everything coming to you on a silver platter. Look where it got you. Look at how I took you and your old man. You can barely move with that bum leg of yours. Lot of good that'll do you in the bedroom with your girlfriend, am I right? Well, it won't help her here either."
"You keep Vanessa out of this!" he screamed, struggling at his bonds. "She has nothing to do with anything you want!"
"There a problem, Tannen?" asked a man who Joe had never seen before. He was tall with dark hair slicked back into a pompadour hairstyle, a toothpick sticking out between his teeth. The man scrutinized the room, his eyes eventually landing on Joe and Fenton. "You're treating your guests like this?" he asked, eyeing Tannen as he walked out. "I would expect more from you, Tannen, considering the fact of what you told us in the car on what you had planned."
"You have a better idea, Nick?" Tannen said angrily, following him out. He looked back at Joe and Fenton. "You do realize who we're dealing with, right?"
"Then I suggest better accommodations for her," Nick pointed out. "You think Mr. Biancci would like hearing that? We do have to call him once we're through here and I'm thinking he's not going to be happy. Do you get my meaning?"
"Then where do you suggest I put them? The Ritz Hotel? The Plaza?"
The door was left open while the men continued to argue about where to put the new guest. Joe wondered who it was, concerned that maybe they may have brought Vanessa into the mix for some reason. He wasn't sure why they would considering this all has to do with Frank and Vanessa has never met him. That only left two maybe three women it could be: Aunt Gertrude, which made Joe shudder; or Callie, who was happily married with a kid on the way and living in another town so she more than likely wouldn't be an asset to have. That left only one other who Tannen mentioned on Friday. Joe shook his head. That can't be though. Owen would have made sure she didn't come.
"We need to get out of here, Joe," Fenton hissed, interrupting his thoughts. "This has gone too far and now Biancci is involved."
"Biancci?" Joe whispered, trying to look at his father. "Who's that?"
"Angelo Biancci," Fenton answered, grimly. "He's from Chicago and one of the most ruthless members of the Biancci Family. With his men being here, this just proves that there's more to what's going on here."
"How do you know that, Dad?"
"I don't know Biancci personally, Joe, if that's what you mean." He sighed. "I've heard of him before. What I'm wondering is what drew them here in the first place. More than likely they followed someone from Chicago. And who do we know who lives in Chicago?"
"Nancy."
"Nick?" cried an unfamiliar voice before Fenton could continue.
"What is it, Marco?" Nick asked annoyed.
"Zipper's stuck. Jimbo here stuffed her in too much so the damn dress got in the way."
"I told you that's not my name!" cried "Jimbo, angrily. "Plus I was cleaning up your mess and had limited time to do it. I did what I could. Not only that, I ran into the kid too as I was leaving and he almost caught up to us!"
"We're not blaming you, Samson," Tannen replied calmly. "And I thank you for that because I wouldn't have been able to see the look on his face when we drove off. I'm sure he's fuming right now which is the only thing that makes me happy about this whole ordeal. Now we just have to figure out how to get her out of the bag."
Joe's heart pounded as he listened to the men in the other room. If the men from Chicago really followed someone to New York, then…
"There, got it!" Marco cried triumphantly. Joe heard a rustling before Marco spoke again. "Damn, how were you able to get her in here without breaking a bone?"
"I've done it before," Samson growled. "So, don't tempt me to do again to you!"
"Okay, okay!" he said defensively. "I was only kidding anyway. Geesh."
"Help me, Marco," Tannen ordered. "Take her legs."
After a few moments of grunting and arguing, Tannen finally reappeared at the door. He struggled carrying the weight of a body as another man carried her legs. It wasn't until they passed by Joe that he got a full look at her, confirming his worst fear.
"Nancy, no!" Joe cried. He struggled with the handcuffs at his wrists, feeling the metal dig into his flesh. "You piece of garbage! What did you do to her?"
"Oh, she went to La La Land," laughed a large man who followed into the room. It was the same man who snuck up on him the day before. Joe glared at him as he passed by, wishing he could wipe the smirk off the man's face. "I'm sure she'll wake up in about an hour or so though I wouldn't want to be her considering the headache she'll have."
Tannen pulled out a set of handcuffs, attaching Nancy's wrists to the metal bed frame. When he was done making sure she was bound, he started to follow the others out of the room.
"You know you can end this, Tannen," Fenton replied calmly. The man turned toward him, Fenton's dark eyes staring at him. "It's gone too far and you know it. Now this? Angelo Biancci is not exactly a good ally. End it now before you regret it."
Tannen leaned forward, giving him a steely look. "I want my jewels, Hardy," he said in a low voice. "If you can't get it for me, then maybe she will. All I want is to get out of this country with the money I'm owed before I'm dead. If it takes me to hurt every last one of the people your son cares about the most to get them back, then so be it. I'm in charge here, not Angelo. I have no intention of stopping what I've already started so buckle up. It's going to be a long ride."
With that, Tannen walked out of the room, turned off the light, and slammed the door plunging the two Hardys into darkness.
"So, what's the plan now?" Chief Collig asked. He leaned back in his chair, his beefy arms folded in front of him.
Frank stared at him from his chair on the other side of the desk. Sam leaned on the radiator, waiting patiently. The two went directly to the police station when they arrived in Bayport, quietly walking in through the back door opened by Con Riley. Frank spent the following hour explaining everything that happened since the night before and listening to both Sam and Collig tell him what had been going on in Bayport at the same time.
"Did you anticipate something like this happening?" the chief asked when Frank didn't answer.
"No," he finally spoke, his voice low. "I didn't think anyone would have had time to follow us. Nancy and I were the last people to buy tickets for the flight. At least, that's what I was told."
"And you're supposed to meet them at Manchester Park at five?" Frank nodded solemnly. "Well, then, we have to put a few people in place before that happens." Collig looked at the clock then sighed. "Damn it. We have a little over an hour. That's not much time to get men out to the park before you."
"With all due respect, sir," Frank replied, "if they catch on that there is a police presence within the park, they're going to hurt Nancy and I can't have that."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Have Sam take a position in the trees nearby or even in a car where he can see me."
"What about having a few plain clothes officers as well? Then we have all the bases covered."
"The only one I'd feel comfortable with having nearby besides Sam and you is Con Riley," Frank admitted. "He's the only one I know who won't overreact to anything that happens. Plus, he knows how to blend in."
"Okay, fine," Collig reluctantly conceded, "but then I'll be there as well. If something goes wrong, the three of us can deal with it." The man rubbed the back of his head, blowing out a breath of air in frustration. "So, there was no word on Fenton or Joe?"
"No."
A commotion out in the bull pen interrupted their meeting, bringing their attention to the ruckus. When Collig looked out the window of his office, he muttered a curse under his breath and quickly rose from his chair.
"You two stay here," he grumbled, walking out of the office.
Frank followed the chief's gaze and was surprised to see his Aunt Gertrude and a pretty, young woman with long blonde hair. The moment Collig came up to the women, Gertrude's shrill voice echoed in the building.
"Have you found my brother and nephew yet, Ezra?" she demanded, her shoulders back and chin up.
"We've had some…developments," Collig answered awkwardly, "but we haven't found them yet."
"Developments? What kind of developments?"
"I can answer that," Frank replied from behind Collig.
When Gertrude laid eyes on her nephew, she was in shock. Stepping forward, she studied Frank briefly.
"Frank?" she said, her lower lip quivering.
"Hello, Aunt Trudy," he smiled sheepishly. He cringed slightly when she approached him but instead of reprimanding him, Gertrude pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're home!" she cried. Gertrude suddenly pulled away, giving him a leery look. "Wait, what are you doing here? How did you know to come back?"
"Perhaps we should go to a more private area," suggested Collis, gesturing toward his office. "Then we can explain a bit more."
A few minutes later, the group was in a small room just off the main area, near the interrogation rooms. It was larger than the chief's office allowing all of the occupants to sit. Once everyone was situated, Gertrude immediately began asking questions.
"What in God's name is going on?" she shrieked. The woman turned toward Frank, her eyes blazing, the tenderness shown earlier now gone. "And where have you been? Your father has been beside himself for eight years waiting and hoping that you would return! And now you show up when he and Joe go missing? You have some explaining to do, young man!"
"Trudy, that's enough," Collig ordered, shutting the woman's mouth quickly. "Frank came back when he heard about what happened and now we have another missing person on our hands."
"Another?" Gertrude perked up, alarmed. "Who?"
"Nancy," Frank said sadly, his voice cracking. "We were on the flight here together but we were separated. Someone took advantage of the situation and walked away with her."
"You brought her here?" his aunt cried incredulously. "Why in God's name would you do that? After everything that that girl went through and you bring her into this mess too? Did you forget what your mother taught you?"
"Trudy!" yelled the chief. "This is not the time or the place. You can yell all you want later. I only allowed you to come in here because I knew if I didn't, you'd be bugging me the rest of the day. Now, shut your pie hole and let the poor man speak!"
Gertrude sat back in her chair while the young woman with her hid a smile behind her hand. Frank noticed her reaction and wondered who she was in all this. As if in answer, the young woman spoke up, a kind smile on her face. "I'm Vanessa Bender, Joe's girlfriend. I came here because I was worried about him when he didn't call last night or this morning. That's not like him. I wanted to know what happened. You know, don't you?"
Frank silently nodded. "Somewhat, I guess," he replied. He went on to explain everything, leaving nothing behind. When he was finished, Frank stared at the table. "This is all my fault. I bought the jewels years ago. I should have gone with my gut and walked away."
"Frank," Collig said, "you need to tell us where to find them or we won't be able to do anything to help Fenton, Joe, or Nancy."
The others in the room waited patiently, watching Frank. Closing his eyes, he rose from his chair and went to the window overlooking the town's plaza. He could see families walking, children holding hands with their parents. The world seemed different out there compared to what he was going through in that moment. Frank thought about the jewelry, something he rarely did anymore because he wanted to block them out of his mind. It was time for him to tell the truth, no matter how much it hurt.
Sighing, Frank turned back around, facing the rest of them. "According to Owen Hartley Sr, a set of jewels were bought from a pawn shop which is what these people are looking for. Eight years ago, I bought a ring and a necklace from a pawn shop outside of town. They're the only thing I can think of that they would want from me. I just don't understand why these people would want either pieces."
"Why's that?" Sam asked, curious.
"Because, Sam," he answered, turning toward him, "I was told the jewels were fake."
Eight years earlier…
Frank sighed, staring at the display in the window. He wasn't sure if he should buy what he saw or walk away. He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do after high school but then his earlier conversation with Callie returned to his thoughts. Suddenly he found himself walking into the pawn shop and right up to the counter though he stopped when he realized he was the only one in the shop besides the clerk.
The day before, Callie had made it clear that she wanted to get married in the fall. But Frank wanted to go to school and have a little bit of a financial cushion before he settled down. Or did he? He felt pressured by not just her but by his friends as well. They all suspected that one day he and Callie would get married but the constant barrage of questions they kept asking him seemed to be taking its toll. Maybe if he proposed but made it clear they'd be married in a few years instead of months, it would make him feel better. The real question was though was he really ready for the commitment?
"Looking for something?" the clerk smirked. He had seen Frank standing outside for the past fifteen minutes contemplating on coming and hoped for a good sale.
"Oh, uh, yes," he nodded nervously. "I noticed some jewelry in the window. Can you tell me how much they are?"
The young clerk continued to smirk as he went over to the window where several rings were on display. Frank followed and pointed out the ones he thought Callie would like. His heart sank when the clerk told him their prices, which were much higher than what he could afford.
"I…I think I'll pass," Frank apologized, making his way towards the door. "Thank you anyway."
Sensing he was losing the sale, the young clerk checked behind the counter as if making sure no one was there. "Wait," he called to Frank just as he opened the door. "I may have something for you. That is if you're interested…"
Frank's gut instinct was telling him to leave considering the prices of the rings. Buying a ring would just have to wait until the right moment, he thought. Still, there might be something he could find, even if it wasn't a ring. "What is it?"
"Over here," he stated vaguely, motioning Frank to follow him to the counter.
The clerk went behind the counter as Frank stayed on the other side, still thinking he had a chance to leave without purchasing anything. Strangely, the clerk checked behind him again before pulling out a box from below. Inside were two smaller boxes, one large, flat rectangular box and the other a small cube. The clerk opened the rectangular box revealing a simple, but elegant, necklace that had a blue-colored pendant in the middle. The square box held a large ring, nestled in the comfort of satin, glistening in the light. Frank immediately thought that if he couldn't afford the rings in the window, then how could he afford what looked like several thousand dollars worth of gems.
"No, thanks anyway," Frank glumly shook his head. "I don't think I can afford any of these."
"They're fake," the clerk said quietly. "My boss has been keeping them aside along with another set in the back before pricing them. He didn't want them out just yet but I thought, 'hey, here's a kid who's looking for something for his girl,' am I right? They'll eventually be for sale but I can sell them to you now…on the side."
"Are you sure they're fake?" Frank looked at him skeptically. "They look pretty real."
"Oh, yeah. I'll even give you one for free, that's how much I know they're fake. I don't think we should have them anyways. They're cheap knockoffs, if you ask me, and they aren't really something a respectable place like this should have."
Frank stared at the jewelry, confused as to how they could be fake. They looked too flawless to not be. Still, a small voice told him he should walk away before it was too late. But then again, his mother's birthday was coming up. The necklace would be a perfect gift for her and he could keep the ring for safe keeping. The ring was large but not too gawdy but Frank knew that Callie would love it because it came from her.
"How much?" Frank finally asked looking up at the clerk.
The young man's smile broadened as he tapped his chin in thought. "How much you got?"
"I should never have bought them," Frank said glumly, shaking his head. "The only person who knew about the ring was Mom and I told her the day she died. No one ever knew about the necklace. I felt guilty about buying them, knowing that soon after Mom was gone and my life had changed. I didn't even know that the jewelry was the reason she died. But I couldn't stand looking at either of them after the funeral."
"What pawn shop was it, do you remember?" Collig asked, pen poised over a notepad.
"Yeah, it was Brewster's."
Collig and Sam exchanged a dark look
"What?" Frank asked, noticing the exchange.
"Are you sure?" Sam asked.
"Of course, I am," he replied confused. "Why? What happened?"
"Brewster's burned to the ground years ago, Frank," Collig explained. "It was thought that it was started by a former employee who was fired a few weeks before. Clifford Baker was his name. Only thing was that a few months later, his body was found floating in Barmet Bay. We believe that he may have been murdered before the fire considering the fact that he disappeared about the time of Laura's death. It is possible that he may have been the one who sold you the jewelry." The chief scribbled some notes down. The whole room remained silent with only the sound of his scratching on the note paper. He looked up at Frank when he was done. "Where the jewels now, Frank?"
Frank bit his lip then shook his head. "I don't have them."
"Frank, do you have any idea where they are then?" Sam pushed.
"Yes."
"Then where and we'll go get them."
"No."
"What do you mean 'no?'" cried Collig. "We need the jewelry to get your father, brother, and Nancy back!"
"You think I don't know that?" Frank yelled. "I haven't set eyes on either the necklace or the ring in eight years and I don't want to again! I...I can't say where...no, just no."
Gertrude started protesting at the same time Sam and Collig were speaking. Frank closed his eyes trying to block out the noise around him.
"They're buried, okay?" he finally screamed, rising from his chair. The room got immediately quiet as Frank stared at the chief, his dark eyes full of pain. "I buried them! I didn't have the heart to give them away nor could I return them! But I couldn't even look at them because of what happened! I couldn't even look at Callie the same way! Why do you think I left in the first place? It wasn't just because of Dad and Joe being mad at me for what happened! It was because I felt guilty about what happened to Mom! She didn't deserve that! I walked away from her to talk to Callie and she died! Do you have any idea how that felt? I had to make a decision and when I saw the chance, I took it."
The silence in the room was heavy. Gertrude sat with her mouth hanging open, shock registering on her face. Sam bowed his head, rubbing his temples. Collig looked away. But it was Vanessa who broke the silence. She gently touched Frank's arm, her blue-gray eyes feeling empathetic towards him. "Where is the jewelry, Frank?" she repeated, softly.
Frank sighed, his shoulders slumping. He closed his eyes briefly before turning toward her. When he finally spoke, his voice was so low that the words were barely audible but the impact was the same. "They're with Mom."
Author's Note:
I can't believe that we are in October already. How did the year fly by so fast? Anyway, thank you to everyone who is keeping up with the story and also to those who left reviews. I hope that this chapter answered a few questions though I'm sure more have popped up since. I hope that you enjoyed the newest chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great day and God bless!