Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
Frank rushed past Harley into the parlor. The bookcase had been pushed back into place, and all the paintings hung untouched. He went straight to the sideboard. The glass case lay there, its top open, its satin cushion rumpled. But the Borgia dagger was nowhere to be seen. He turned to Harley and Dr. Lansdale, who stood dumbfounded in the doorway.
"Harley, check upstairs. Dr. Lansdale, look in the hallway and the sitting room. If we're lucky, Joe has just hidden it somewhere for safekeeping."
Frank scoured the parlor. He looked in drawers, checked under the rug, shook books down from the bookcase. Nothing.
Soon Harley and Dr. Lansdale appeared in the doorway again. They both shook their heads.
"What do you think happened to it?" asked Harley. "You think someone kidnapped Tessa?"
"There's no ransom note, and the other car is gone. I've got to assume she and Joe went some where in a hurry, maybe taking the dagger with them for some reason. Any ideas where they might be?"
"The country club!" Harley said immediately.
"Or the mall," Dr. Lansdale suggested.
"Well, I guess those leads are as good as any, Dr. Lansdale, you and I will go to the club in my van. Harley, you check out the mall." I "Right!" Harley eagerly hopped into the Lamborghini. Frank helped Dr. Lansdale into the passenger seat of the van and then climbed in on the other side.
The two cars took off down the winding driveway, leaving a trail of dust. As they reached the bottom, Frank suddenly jammed on the brakes. Harley skidded to a stop behind him, barely missing the rear bumper of the van.
In front of them, trudging wearily up the road was Joe.
"Hey, what's all the excitement about? I could use a little lift," he said.
"Joe! What are you doing here?" Frank called out from inside the van. "Where's Tessa?"
Joe shrugged his shoulders and said, "Off floating through the countryside somewhere, far away from the dark terror of Joe Hardy."
"You lost her!" Frank said.
"Well, it's more complicated than that," Joe answered. "You know, a guy tries to be on his best behavior, tries to be the ideal bodyguard, right? He keeps quiet, does his job, and then decides to make conversation — asks a dumb, innocent, friendly question — " Frank crossed his arms. "What did you ask her, Joe?'
"Well, I was reading Personality magazine and I got to thinking about the actors in the movies— you know, the ones who have to do those kisses In close-up? Well, I realized these people probably don't even really know each other — " "I don't believe this," Frank said, rolling his eyes. "Get to the point, Joe!"
Joe lowered his head. "All I did was ask how she would feel kissing a perfect stranger — "
"What?" Harley bellowed. Joe said, "She didn't even give me - a chance to — "
"Cool it, you guys," Frank said. "Go on, Joe, what did she do after this 'innocent, friendly' Question?"
"Well, she gave me a look, ran outside, and drove away. I tried to run after her. I even ran all the way into town, hoping she just stopped at an ice-cream store or something, but no luck."
"Did she take the dagger with her for any reason?" "I don't think so. Why?"
"It's gone, Joe. The front door of the mansion was open, and the dagger was gone."
"Well, Tessa was storming around the house this afternoon. It's possible — "
"My guess is that someone else has it — someone who wants to use it — "
Joe finished the sentence. "On Tessa!"
Dr. Lansdale gasped. "Oh, my poor little girl!'
"Look, chances are it's nothing serious,' Frank said. "She's probably at the club or driving around blowing off steam. Why don't you and Harley comb the town for her, while I take Dr. Lansdale and look for Ruppenthal. I've got to track him down — "
"Hold it a minute, Frank," Joe said. "You want me to go with Harley? Uh, I hate to say it but that doesn't sound like the best combination."
They both glanced over at Harley pacing back and forth, his hands curled into fists. "Right," Frank said. He gave Joe the piece of paper with Ruppenthal's address. "Okay, you go with Dr. Lansdale. Try to get Ruppenthal to talk." He reached into the van. "I'll take one of the mobile phones and call you when we find Tessa."
As Frank stepped into Harley's car, Joe gunned the van down the road toward Short Neck.
"Please, Joe, I'm a little slow at this sort of thing," said Dr. Lansdale. "Why are we looking for Albert Ruppenthal?"
"Sorry, Dr. Lansdale. Frank and I can't help thinking Ruppenthal's up to something. He and Squinder are the only Ones who seem to have clear motives for wanting to harm Tessa." Dr. Lansdale stared out the window distractedly. "I still can't believe this is happening. Why should anyone want to murder Tessa Carpenter?" "We're not sure. That's why we've got to follow every lead."
"And you think Mr. Ruppenthal might be be in this?"
"Possibly. The only thing that puzzles me is that he says he now has the agreement that gives the collection back to the museum." "A bluff, perhaps?" Dr. Lansdale suggested. "Maybe, but why?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, he may know that you and Frank are guarding her. If he gets you to believe he has the agreement, then you'll think the Carpenter Collection legally belongs in the museum."
"And we'd stop guarding her if we thought she was doing something illegal." "Precisely. This could be a means of luring you two away from her so he can attack."
Joe smiled. "You're not 'a little slow at this sort of thing' at all, Dr. Lansdale." "Not when my Tessa's life is at stake!" "All right, then!" Joe reached into his pocket and gave Dr. Lansdale the paper on which Frank had written Ruppenthal's address. "Let's find him."
Before long they left Cliffside Heights. Dr. Lansdale directed Joe through Short Neck and onto a road of small houses and towering maple trees. House after house looked almost identical - white shingles, freshly cut lawns, and flower gardens. But one was completely hidden by enormous green hedges.
"That's it," said Dr. Lansdale. "I must say,': she added as Joe pulled up in front, "it looks sort of creepy and overgrown."
"I don't see a car in the driveway," Joe said "We may have to wait for him."
"How do you expect to involve me in this?" Dr. Lansdale asked.
"Wait here and watch carefully while I check around. As soon as Ruppenthal lets me in, I'll sit him down and question him. I have a feeling he'll be offering me a bribe I've already refused. If he does, I'll somehow get him to offer it to me in the front room."
Joe opened the van's secret floor compartment and pulled out a small camera. "I'm setting this zoom lens for you. All you have to do is press this button and film the exchange of money. We'll build a case on Ruppenthal." -
Dr. Lansdale grabbed the camera with excitement. "I'll do anything to help put this awful fellow behind bars."
"Just keep the windows up. They're tinted, so he won't be able to tell anyone's in here." Joe walked up the empty driveway. He noticed plastic bags of trash by the side of the house. To anyone else, it would not have seemed unusual, but Joe noticed none of the other houses had put their trash out yet. He walked to the front door and rang the bell. No answer. He tried another time, then went over the front windows.
One peek was all it took. Joe ran back to the van and yanked open the front door. "Quick, Dr. Lansdale, move over!" "What is it? He's not home?" "Not only that! There are sheets over all his furniture, and the trash is out early. He's gone all right — and it's a good bet he's on the run!"
Beeeep. Beeeep. Dr. Lansdale was startled by the sound of the mobile phone. Joe picked it up. "Yeah, Frank ... You did? Is she okay? ... A what? ... Location? ... I'll be right there!"
Joe threw the van into gear. The tires left a black double curve as he made a squealing U-turn.
"They've found Tessa," he said.
"What is it, Joe? Is she all right?"
Joe tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He didn't quite know how to say this. "They don't know. She's lying in a ditch by Fairground Road."
Dr. Lansdale clutched the dashboard as Joe zoomed back into Cliffside Heights. The tree branches alongside the road bent in the wind the van went by.
Fairground Road was a sharp right about a half mile past the Carpenter mansion. The van teetered sharply to the left as Joe made the turn.
The numbers on the digital speedometer changed in rapid succession. Finally Joe caught sight of two cars off to the side of the road.
"There they are!" cried Dr. Lansdale.
Joe drove onto the shoulder and stopped behind Harley's car. To their right, on the grass by the side of the road, Harley was cradling a woozy Tessa in his arms. Frank was kneeling nearby.
Dr. Lansdale threw open the van door and rushed out to Tessa, with Joe close behind.
"What happened?" Joe called out.
"We found her in the woods, almost unconscious," Frank said. "We never got to the mall."
"Why were you going on this road?" Joe said. The mall's much closer to town." "Harley knew about some sort of shortcut. It was a lucky thing we came this way, or we'd never have found her." "Is she hurt?"
"Doesn't seem so. There's practically no sign of a struggle. But there is something very weird — "
Frank was interrupted by a muffled cry from Dr. Lansdale.
All eyes looked down. Dr. Lansdale was quickly brushing away hair from Tessa's forehead. Underneath was a red mark that looked like a huge, jagged scar.
Frank bent down and immediately realized it wasn't a scar at all. Shaped like a twisted lightening bolt, the mark had been drawn onto Tessa's forehead with bright lipstick.
Frank stared at it, bewildered. "It's a letter B," he said.
The color had drained out of Dr. Lansdale's face. "Yes," she said, nodding gravely. "It's the ancient symbol of the Borgia family." Immediately they all fell silent. "What are you all staring at? Tell me!" Tessa cried out. Now fully awake, she glanced from face to face with terror in her eyes. Realizing where everyone was looking, she shot her hand up to her forehead. With a sweep of her fingers, she wiped away some of the lipstick.
"What is this — some sort of a joke? What's happening to me?"
"Everything's okay now," said Harley with a reassuring smile. "Just lie back and take it easy for a few minutes."
He rocked her in his arms, but her eyes were on Frank. "Frank, I'm scared," she said, her voice quivering. "I never should have gone alone. But your brother — "
Frank sat down across from her. "I know From now on, there are going to be some changes." He gave Joe a sharp, quick glance. "The three of us will stick together at all times and Harley and Dr. Lansdale will help us. Now tell me what you remember."
"Well, I wasn't really watching the road. All of a sudden, this big blue sedan honked its horn. Tessa choked back a sob. "I thought it was tryin to pass, so I moved over. Then it pulled alongside me and came closer and closer trying to drive me off the road."
"Did you see who was in the car?" Frank asked.
"No, I don't remember anything from that point on," she said. "I must have hit my head or something — it's all a blank."
"Nothing in the rear-view mirror? Was it one or two people?"
Tessa looked confused. "Two, I think."
"Male?"
"I think so."
"Wearing business suits? " "I don't know — maybe. Why? Do you know who it might be?" "I have a feeling Harley and I may have run into them earlier." Frank got up and began pacing round. "But why all this Borgia hocus-pocus? We've got to put these pieces together. Tessa, ve'll take you back to the house, and Dr. Landsdale can take a look at — " "No," Tessa said sharply. "I'm too frightened to go back there. Whoever's trying to kill me can easily find me at home."
Dr. Lansdale stood up and took Frank by the arm and she led him away from the other three. "Just a minute, Frank," she said softly. "Tessa's right, going back to the mansion isn't such a good idea, Especially since the dagger has disappeared. We can't be sure the thief isn't still on the premises." "That's true," he answered. "But don't you think Tessa's head should be looked at?" "She seems fine, aside from being shaken up. Let's go to a diner or something for a couple of hours, where she can at least calm down. That's what she needs most."
"If you say so, Doctor. Actually, a restaurant might be a good place to sort out all the clues."
Frank turned back to Joe. 'Callie's been tailing Squinder for a while. I'll go pick her up to join us. Why don't we meet you at the Argo for dinner?" Then he smiled at Tessa. "It may be not the kind of restaurant you're used to, Tessa, but it's safe, and it'll be more comfortable than sitting here!"
***
Callie broke into a grin when she heard frank Hardys' van pull up behind her car. She parked a block away from Squinder's house.
Frank walked over to the car and leaned in the driver's window. "I came to relieve you from watch duty."
"Good. I was starting to get bored. I tail Squinder home from work, and he hasn't left since then."
"Did you see anything suspicious?" Frank asked.
"Not really. He reshot his scene a couple times at the mall, then sat around watching them shoot another scene, and finally went home couple of hours ago."
"Any visitors?"
"One guy, sort of short and greasy-looking. He had on a jacket and bow tie, wore tortoise-shell glasses. He may have been the 'Simon' whom Squinder was going to see at six o'clock."
"Is he still inside?" Frank asked.
"No, he left alone shortly after he arrived."
"Good work, Callie. How about taking a dinner break?"
Callie's face lit up. "Great! I was wondering when you'd ask! Where are we going?"
"Actually," Frank called over his shoulder as he walked back to the van, "we're meeting Joe and the others at the Argo." "Joe and the others! Just a minute, Frank, I thought we were going out!" "Come on, Callie! Wait till you hear what happened!" With that, Frank started the van and pulled away from the curb. Steaming, Callie followed him.
Frank and Callie pulled into the parking lot, just underneath broken neon letters that said: THE ARGO RESTAURANT. For a Monday night, the Argo was pretty busy. Several cars were there, and a lively clanking of plates resounded from the dining room.
In a large booth at the far corner of the dining room, Tessa, Dr. Lansdale, Harley, and Joe sat glumly reading their menus. Behind them, four teenagers were casting quick looks at Tessa and giggling.
"What took you so long?" Joe asked. "We're starving!"
Callie sat on the edge of her seat next to Tessa, and Frank sat across from them. "Looks like you're creating a little stir here," Frank remarked, referring to the table behind them.
"They must have read the paper today," Tessa said.
"It's that front-page article I was telling you about," Harley said to Frank.
"After the interview with me," Tessa continued, "that society columnist happened to stick around long enough to see the whole thing happen. And wrote a news story of his lifetime, probably."
"And more celebrity for you," Frank said.
"As if I needed it," Tessa answered with a laugh.
As Frank and Callie opened their menus, Tessa took out a compact and freshened her makeup.
"Uh, excuse me, are you by any chance Tessa Carpenter?" They all looked up to see a middle-aged woman with a grinning-man and two children.
Tessa smiled sweetly. "Why, yes. Do I know you?"
The woman and man laughed. "Oh, no! We've been reading all about you in the papers and magazines," the woman said. "My children have never met anyone famous. I just wondered— could you — I mean, would it be too much to ask you to — "
"Sign an autograph? Of course!" Tessa answered.
The woman turned to the little boy behind her. "JASON! GET MY MENU—AND ASK THE WAITER FOR A PEN! ON THE DOUBLE!" She faced Tessa again and said, "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to him."
While they ordered and began eating their food, several other people began to drift over to the table to ask for autographs. Tessa greeted each one cheerfully.
"It's almost as if she enjoys it," Frank muttered to Joe. Callie leaned over to listen to the brothers as menus, placemats, and napkins were being signed over her head.
"Look at this," Joe answered. "They're lining up. Every single table in this restaurant!"
"Except for that nerdy-looking guy over there. He's just watching the whole thing," Frank said.
Joe and Callie turned to look at a balding man with spectacles, a bow tie, and a navy blue blazer.
Callie did a double-take and spun around, her eyes wide with excitement. "That's the guy!" she whispered.
"That's what guy?" Frank asked.
"Simon! The one who visited Squinder this evening."
Frank and Joe kept a careful eye on the man while they finished eating. Before long the autograph seekers thinned out, and soon the only people in the room were the ones at their table— and the balding man.
"Why is he just staring at our table with that weird smile?" Joe said under his breath.
"I don't know," Frank answered.
Suddenly Tessa let out a big sigh. "I don't believe this. Is this what my life is going to be like from now on? Smiling and signing menus? Answering policemen? You know, they're still calling and asking questions about the shooting."
"That's one of the things I wanted to talk about," Frank said. "You've got to keep a distance from the press — "
"He's getting up," Joe said, interrupting.
Frank watched as the balding man rose from his table. He took out a wad of neatly folded and clipped dollar bills and put some on the table. Then he straightened out his blazer and made sure that a few long strands of black hair were in place over his bald spot.
Callie craned her neck around to see the man walk slowly over to their table. His eyes were focused on Tessa with a sinister glint. When they weren't looking at her, they were darting nervously from side to side.
The table fell silent as everyone realized what was happening. They all stared as the man approached.
He adjusted his collar after stopping beside their booth. Silently, he let his small eyes rove around the table, then he nodded.
With a strange half smile, he looked straight at Tessa, "Hello, Miss Carpenter," he said. "Edwin Squinder — or should I say, Tyrone Grant—has told me all about you."
Frank felt every muscle in his body tense as the man reached into his breast pocket and slowly withdrew a gleaming silver object!