Free Blood Money by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

the truth - and if you're going to sit here moping all day, I guess I'll have to look myself." He stood up and grabbed his coat.
    Joe didn't move.
    "I'm going to try to talk to Emily Moran," Frank said. Without another word, he stalked to the front door and threw it open. He sucked in air and gave a low whistle.
    Framed in the doorway were two men. Carew's goons. He recognized one of them from the club.
    "Oh," the man said, smiling. "Now this is a pleasure we didn't anticipate." He drew a gun with one hand, and with the other he roughly shoved Frank back into the apartment.
    "I've been looking all over town for you - and you show up here." He pointed his gun at Frank. "I guess this is going to be my lucky day."

Chapter 13
    His companion stepped in behind him and shut the door.
    "So you're Ned Nolan," the man said to Frank.
    "No, I'm Ned Nolan." Ned and Joe had appeared in the arch between the hall and the living room. "What's going on here?"
    "Frank, who is this guy?" Joe asked.
    "I'm his fairy godmother," the man said. "It don't matter who I am. What matters is this," he said, flicking his gun. He motioned Ned and Joe toward the door. "Let's go, all three of you."
    Joe shrugged and stepped forward, then suddenly stopped and planted his feet. He swung his elbow to the side and knocked the goon's gun out of his hand.
    In a flash his hand was inches from picking it up. He stopped half bent over when he heard the unmistakable sound of a trigger being cocked.
    Joe looked up. The second gunman had a revolver to Ned's head.
    "Leave the gun alone," the man said simply.
    Joe had no choice. He stepped back.
    "One more trick like that, kid," the first guy said, bending over to pick up his revolver, "and you'll be staying here - permanently. Now let's go."
    The three of them were taken back to Cosmos - and to the office Frank had seen the previous evening. Johnny Carew was there himself, waiting.
    "What's going on, Terry?" Carew asked the man who'd brought them there.
    "This" - he waved his gun at Ned - "is Nolan's son. And this" - he indicated Frank - "is that punk who was in here last night. I don't know who the other one is."
    "Ah, but I do," Carew said, carefully scrutinizing first Frank, then Joe. "You're Hardy's two boys, aren't you?"
    "That's right," Frank said.
    "Playing detective, are you? Hope to follow in your father's footsteps?" Carew asked the question with a smile, but there was underlying malice to his words.
    "Why are we here?" Joe demanded.
    "Feisty, eh? I like that." Carew laughed and sat down behind his desk. "All right, I'll tell you."
    "It has to do with Josh Moran's will, doesn't it?" Frank asked.
    "It does at that," Carew nodded. "Moran's will - and my son's death." He silently stared off into space for a moment. When he began talking again, his voice was lower, more intense.
    "I had a funny thought last night, when the police were hounding me with questions about Billy Delaney." He lifted his gaze to Frank's. "I was thinking how funny it would be if one of the people the police would never think of questioning - one of the 'good guys' - had actually killed my son. Somebody who could really use Josh Moran's money - somebody like Hugh Nolan, for instance, or maybe even Fenton Hardy.
    "So I sent Terry and Monk" - he nodded at the men standing guard at the door - "to find those two and bring them here for a little talk. Instead, I got you."
    He nodded to Terry, who moved forward and laid a hand on Frank's shoulder and guided him, none too gently, into a chair in front of Carew's desk. Joe and Ned were also marched over and made to sit in chairs next to Frank.
    "So," Carew asked, folding his hands and leaning forward on his desk. "Where are they?"
    "We don't know," Frank said.
    "Come now - that won't do," Carew said, shaking his head. "Where are they?"
    "He just told you," Ned said. "We really don't know. Besides, haven't you been paying attention? The police have your son's killer - and Delaney's - in custody. Tommy