model-perfect frame the restaurant's informal uniform of striped jersey and jeans looked like a fashion statement. Her shoulder-length hair was midnight black.
"I — wow!" Joe sat back and stared.
"What my talkative friend here wanted to say was that we'd like a couple of those three-dollar steaks," Frank told Shauna.
She brought them the steaks in moments, and the boys dug in.
"Frank," — Joe looked up, his mouth half full of steak and fries — "remember how I told you never to let me fall for a waitress again?"
The second great love of Joe's life had been a Bayport waitress, Annie Shea, who'd nearly gotten him killed in the Witness to Murder case.
Frank nodded. "I remember."
"Well, I want you to forget it." Joe's eyes followed Shauna as she walked among the tables.
"I should have guessed," Frank groused. "But I warn you, she's getting you into trouble already."
"What are you talking about?" Joe demanded.
"You've been so busy keeping an eye on her, you didn't notice those guys at the table behind us. They came in right after us, and they've been watching us ever since."
Joe turned, pretending to watch Shauna while actually scanning the room. "You think we've got a tail?"
"Well, there's one way to find out." Frank abruptly rose from his seat, tossing a ten on the table. Joe gave one sad glance to what was left of his steak and stood up, too. The three guys who'd been eating behind them abandoned their meals. It was the proof the Hardys needed.
"They're between us and the door," Joe said.
"I know—we'll take another exit." Frank had already noticed another door that opened onto a small sidewalk dining area. Leading Joe, he walked through the diner, over the knee-high fence that separated the tables from the traffic, and down the street.
The tails took the same route, blank faced.
"They've got to know we're on to them," Joe whispered. "What will they do now?"
His answer came as four more rugged-looking types joined the three guys.
"I don't like this," Frank said. "Come on!"
He darted into traffic and across the street, then turned right. They were on a very busy boulevard that led up a steep hill to an open park. The seven trackers began closing in.
Joe glanced over at his brother. "If we're going to run, it's easier downhill," he said.
Frank nodded. "On the count of three, we cross back, and run down. One — two — "
He waited until a bus blocked the pursuers from crossing the road, then called, "Three!"
Frank and Joe dashed in front of the bus, then down the hill.
The tails were caught flat-footed and couldn't pursue until after Frank and Joe had a decent lead.
Joe glanced back, grinning at the guys behind them. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"We stop," Frank said.
Joe stared at his brother. "Why?"
"We just ran out of running room," Frank answered.
Their escape route dead-ended—right into Halifax Harbor.
Chapter 3
THE HARDYS HAD only two ways out of this disaster — to the right or to the left, along the water.
To the left Joe saw quays and tourist joints. Far in the distance rose the Harbour Hotel, a possible haven that might as well be on Mars.
"This way!" Frank was looking right—to a sign that read Ferry Passengers.
The ferry terminal was just beyond that, and beyond that the ferry. Late commuters were boarding, and it was obvious the ship was about to leave.
Joe didn't need to be told twice. Both Hardys darted to the right. As they entered the terminal building, they were confronted by a line of turnstiles. But Joe saw a sign by the snack bar that said Tokens. Still on the run, he slapped down the necessary fares and got two tokens.
He and Frank were through the turnstiles and boarding just as the pursuing posse stormed into the terminal. The loading gates came up, and the ferry pulled away. Joe waved goodbye to the seven furious faces.
"Looks like they missed the boat," he said.
Frank nodded. "I just wonder where we're going." He dug into his jacket pocket and came out with
"I — wow!" Joe sat back and stared.
"What my talkative friend here wanted to say was that we'd like a couple of those three-dollar steaks," Frank told Shauna.
She brought them the steaks in moments, and the boys dug in.
"Frank," — Joe looked up, his mouth half full of steak and fries — "remember how I told you never to let me fall for a waitress again?"
The second great love of Joe's life had been a Bayport waitress, Annie Shea, who'd nearly gotten him killed in the Witness to Murder case.
Frank nodded. "I remember."
"Well, I want you to forget it." Joe's eyes followed Shauna as she walked among the tables.
"I should have guessed," Frank groused. "But I warn you, she's getting you into trouble already."
"What are you talking about?" Joe demanded.
"You've been so busy keeping an eye on her, you didn't notice those guys at the table behind us. They came in right after us, and they've been watching us ever since."
Joe turned, pretending to watch Shauna while actually scanning the room. "You think we've got a tail?"
"Well, there's one way to find out." Frank abruptly rose from his seat, tossing a ten on the table. Joe gave one sad glance to what was left of his steak and stood up, too. The three guys who'd been eating behind them abandoned their meals. It was the proof the Hardys needed.
"They're between us and the door," Joe said.
"I know—we'll take another exit." Frank had already noticed another door that opened onto a small sidewalk dining area. Leading Joe, he walked through the diner, over the knee-high fence that separated the tables from the traffic, and down the street.
The tails took the same route, blank faced.
"They've got to know we're on to them," Joe whispered. "What will they do now?"
His answer came as four more rugged-looking types joined the three guys.
"I don't like this," Frank said. "Come on!"
He darted into traffic and across the street, then turned right. They were on a very busy boulevard that led up a steep hill to an open park. The seven trackers began closing in.
Joe glanced over at his brother. "If we're going to run, it's easier downhill," he said.
Frank nodded. "On the count of three, we cross back, and run down. One — two — "
He waited until a bus blocked the pursuers from crossing the road, then called, "Three!"
Frank and Joe dashed in front of the bus, then down the hill.
The tails were caught flat-footed and couldn't pursue until after Frank and Joe had a decent lead.
Joe glanced back, grinning at the guys behind them. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"We stop," Frank said.
Joe stared at his brother. "Why?"
"We just ran out of running room," Frank answered.
Their escape route dead-ended—right into Halifax Harbor.
Chapter 3
THE HARDYS HAD only two ways out of this disaster — to the right or to the left, along the water.
To the left Joe saw quays and tourist joints. Far in the distance rose the Harbour Hotel, a possible haven that might as well be on Mars.
"This way!" Frank was looking right—to a sign that read Ferry Passengers.
The ferry terminal was just beyond that, and beyond that the ferry. Late commuters were boarding, and it was obvious the ship was about to leave.
Joe didn't need to be told twice. Both Hardys darted to the right. As they entered the terminal building, they were confronted by a line of turnstiles. But Joe saw a sign by the snack bar that said Tokens. Still on the run, he slapped down the necessary fares and got two tokens.
He and Frank were through the turnstiles and boarding just as the pursuing posse stormed into the terminal. The loading gates came up, and the ferry pulled away. Joe waved goodbye to the seven furious faces.
"Looks like they missed the boat," he said.
Frank nodded. "I just wonder where we're going." He dug into his jacket pocket and came out with
Similar Books
A Baby of Convenience
Lena Skye
CLAIMED (By the Alpha Billionaire #2)
Rossi St. James
Rufus M.
Eleanor Estes
Bride's Flight from Virginia City, Montana
Murray Pura
The Castle in the Forest
Norman Mailer
Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies
Jennifer Estep
Laid Open
Lauren Dane
The Reluctant Wife
Bronwen Evans
The Red Wolf's Prize
Regan Walker