Saturday, January 9, 2010

Framed


Joe Hardy usually felt pretty comfortable in Chief Collig’s office. After all, he and Frank had visited it often enough on past cases. But this time was different.
The chief sat behind his large mahogany desk and stared thoughtfully back at Joe and his brother. On a shelf hanging nearby, Joe noticed a faded black-and-white photograph of the chief and his Bayport Bombers basketball teammates from years ago.
‘Chief, you know we had nothing to do with those phony ATM cards,” Joe said.
‘Did you know our father is the chief investigator in that case?” Frank asked.
The chief let out a loud sigh of frustration.
“Fenton filled me in,” he admitted. “But when we get tips, we’re supposed to follow up on them.”
He waved a hand. ‘I know you boys have nothing to do with that ATM scam. But we did find those phony cards in your van. That’s something that worries me—and your father, too. There’s a large gang involved in this case. Some of the people we’ve arrested are hardened criminals, violent ones. But there are other bad guys still on the loose, and I’ll bet they’re just as vicious. Until I find out to what extent you two are involved—”
“We don’t know to what extent we’re involved either, Chief,” Frank confessed. “Or why.”
“Honestly, Chief,” Joe added. “We weren’t even helping Dad with his case.”
Joe felt Chief Collig’s eyes flick from him to his brother. “I know you two boys mean well,” the chief said. “But one of these days this amateur detective stuff will get you in serious trouble. I don’t want that to be on my beat or my conscience. Am I getting through to you guys?”
Joe nodded. “Is that the end of this evening’s lecture?”
The chief sighed. “It may as well be. I’m just wasting my time.”
“Then we’re free to go?” Frank asked.
“You’re free to go,” Chief Collig grunted.
At the door, Joe turned and said, “Chief Collig? I have just one question.”
“What?” Chief Collig asked, frowning.
“Are we still pals?” Joe asked with an innocent smile.
“Get out of here!” Chief Collig bellowed, but an unwilling smile tugged at his lips.
The Hardys hurried back outside and climbed into the van. “Well, I know who’s at the top of my ‘Let’s Talk’ list,” Joe said as he cranked over the engine. “Todd Coates was hanging around the van earlier this evening. Maybe he saw someone planting the ATM cards.”
“Or maybe that’s why he was hanging around the van—to plant them himself,” Frank suggested. “And I just remembered something. I thought I saw something made of metal fall from his hand when he took off. If we went back to the parking lot, I’ll bet we’d find a piece of wire coat hanger with a hook in it. Low-tech, maybe, but with a little bit of practice, anyone can use it to unlock a car door—”
“Whoa!” Joe exclaimed. “Even if Todd could fiddle the door lock, where would he get a bunch of phony ATM cards? And more important, why would he plant them?”
“Try this on for size,” F1 said. “Acting on a tip, the police pull over a van and find phony ATM cards. They arrest the two kids driving the van. It doesn’t matter that the two are members of the l3ayport Bombers. The law doesn’t care very much about basketball championships.”
“Okay,” Joe granted. “I can see how getting us in trouble might keep us out of the playoff game. Todd could have done that to make the Bombers lose and spoil his uncle Mary’s big plan. But the ATM cards—they’re part of Dad’s case and nothing to do with us.”
“The cards were in our van,” Frank countered. Joe sighed as he pulled into the Hardy house” When the boys entered the been room, Fenton set aside the newspaper he h them. reading and rose from his easy chair to greet them. “I just had a long conversation with Chief Collig,” had a
he said. “Sounds as if you two have had a hectic day. I wouldn’t worry about the ATM cards. The police know you didn’t have anything to do with the scam.”
The boys followed Fenton into the kitchen re noticed that the broken window had the placed. But what really held his attention erg latter of sandwiches on the kitchen count lamed.
“Gertrude is out tonight,” Fenton explained “She didn’t know when you’d get home, 0
us these for dinner.”
“Great,” Joe said. “I’m starving.” “Sorry I couldn’t make it to the game. I spent Fen day running down leads that went nowhe1 boys
ton pulled sodas out of the refrigerator as
helped themselves to sandwiches and sat 0
Their father’s expression turned and heard about the Bombers’ loss to Ocean City,
What happened to Buff.” Water Frank scowled. “We dropped off Biff’s water
bottle at the hospital lab to be analyzed, and they found traces of rat poison in his power drink. It wasn’t enough to be fatal, but it certainly gave him a rough time.”
Fenton shook his head ruefully. “Some people will do anything to win. Whatever happened to old- fashioned fair play and good sportsmanship?”
“I don’t know, Dad,” Frank said. “But you wouldn’t have found either of them in the Bayport gymnasium this afternoon.”
“Do you have any idea who might be behind all this?” Fenton asked.
“We’ve got lots of ideas,” Joe said. “Suspects-R Us.”
“At first, we thought Jake Berman, the Slickers’ captain, was behind the sabotage,” Frank said, a bit more seriously. “He had motive, opportunity, and means.”
“But he wasn’t wearing boots when we checked him out after Frank got pushed last night. And I don’t think the basketball through the window is his style. Old Jake is definitely a hands-on kind of bully,” Joe added, recalling how Jake had pushed him down the bleacher stairs. “Plus, I think we’d have noticed if he came across the court to poison Bill’s water bottle.”
“According to Jamal and Phil, Jake has a lot of thug-type friends,” Frank pointed out. “They could be trying to trash our chances with or with out his knowledge.”
“And if it is the same person who planted the ATM cards and pushed me down the hill, why poison Bill?” Frank asked. “How does he fit in?”
“Maybe the person thought the water bottle belonged to one of us,” Joe reasoned.
“But why plant the ATM cards?” Fenton asked. “If it was the crooks, they must realize that their frame wouldn’t work. Obviously, no one’s going to believe you two are involved in something like this.”
“Maybe they thought we’d be arrested at least, and you’d be embarrassed,” Joe offered.
“It’s possible, but not likely,” Fenton said. “You could just as easily suggest several different people were behind each of these incidents.”
“Come on, Dad,” Joe said. “This case is confusing enough as it is.”
With an understanding smile on his face, Fenton turned to Frank. “Do you have any other suspects in mind?”
“We did see Todd hanging around our van after the game,” Frank said.
“Todd Coates?” Fenton asked.
Frank and Joe nodded.
“That’s some coincidence!” Fenton exclaimed. “I spoke to Con Riley today and found out who made that 911 call after Frank was pushed.”
Fenton frowned. “According to the 911 tapes, the caller identified himself as Todd Coates.”

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