The Case of the Psychic's Vision (7 page)

“You mean Melanie and whoever kidnapped her are psychic?” Joe asked.

Colin shook his head. “You don't have to be psychic to
think,
Joe,” he said. “We can all think. But you do have to have a well-developed psychic ability to
receive
the messages. I was born that way. And, like I said, people can develop their psychic abilities over a period of time.”

“Well, I'm not having much luck,” Joe said. “I haven't received any messages since yesterday when Mom was thinking about the CDs I ordered.”

“I'm not having much luck, either,” Frank added. He didn't say that he wasn't quite sure he wanted to
be psychic. Truly, if it meant dealing with what Colin had to deal with on a daily basis, he'd turn it down. “But that's not solving this mystery.”

“Should we tell Dad?” Joe asked.

Frank shook his head. “We'll keep it among the three of us for the time being,” he said. “We need to figure out a plan of action first. We also need to decide why we're really doing this.”

“I can tell you why,” Colin interjected. “Melanie didn't want to leave. The man was taking her by force.”

No one said anything for several minutes. The three of them continued to eat cookies and think about how they wanted to proceed.

Finally Frank said, “From what I've heard, Melanie Johnson is never at home in the evenings. She's always at a party or at the movies or just driving around. I think Joe and I should follow her and see if we can pick up some clues.”

“I'll come along,” Colin said.

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Frank said. “You're not exactly the most popular person at Bayport High School now.”

“If Melanie saw you with us, she'd really be suspicious,” Joe added. “As it is, we'll still have to make sure she doesn't spot us.”

Colin reluctantly agreed. “What I can do, though,” he added, “is to stop blocking the messages I've been receiving about Melanie.”

“That would be good,” Joe said. “We'll need every bit of information we can put together to solve this mystery.”

Joe had some homework he had to get started on, so Frank drove Colin home. He got back just in time for dinner.

Neither one of the boys felt like talking much at the table, but Aunt Gertrude seemed interested in what was happening to Nella and Colin.

“What do the kids at school think about them?” she asked. “Do they make fun of their psychic abilities?”

“Sometimes,” Joe mumbled. He took a big bite of mashed potatoes to keep from having to explain.

“Figures,” Aunt Gertrude said, more to herself than to anyone else. “I'll never understand people who don't keep open minds.”

Frank looked over at Joe. They were thinking the same thing—that that sounded strange coming from Aunt Gertrude. She was one of the most opinionated people they knew.

Through the rest of dinner, Aunt Gertrude complained about how hard Fenton was working, that he was away from home too much, that he should spend more time in the yard, and that he had promised to fix the window in her bedroom, and he still hadn't done that.

Finally, Frank and Joe had a chance to excuse themselves and go to their room. Joe finished up
his homework, and Frank searched the Internet for information for a project in one of his classes.

Joe looked at his watch. “It's six-thirty, Frank. If we're going to follow Melanie tonight, we'd better leave. She's probably finishing dinner about now.”

Frank shut down the computer, and Joe shouted to Mrs. Hardy that they were going out for a while.

Melanie Johnson lived in a part of Bayport that had million-dollar homes. It also had several busy streets that crisscrossed the area, so the Hardys knew they wouldn't be stopped—if they didn't act too suspicious.

When they got to Melanie's house, they found several cars parked along the curb in front.

“She may be having a party,” Joe said. “She may not be going anywhere tonight.”

Frank pulled the van in behind an SUV and turned off the engine and the headlights.

“Or some of her friends could have met here, with plans to go somewhere else, all in one car,” Frank said.

“Let's hope,” Joe said.

After a few minutes, several girls came out of a gate that led to the back of the Johnsons' house. They were laughing about something as they headed down the driveway toward one of the vehicles parked in front.

“Duck!” Frank said to Joe.

The boys ducked just in time. The vehicle the
girls all piled into was the SUV that was parked in front of the van. Frank hoped he hadn't parked so close that the driver couldn't get out.

The girls must have rolled down the windows of the SUV, because Frank and Joe heard someone mention Colin's name, which was followed by hysterical laughter.

Whoever was driving ended up bumping the front fender of the van, but Frank didn't think it was enough to cause any damage, so he decided not to get out and examine it. He knew he would have a lot of explaining to do.

The SUV headed down the street at a relatively fast pace. Frank started the van and pulled out after it.

“I think we can stay pretty close to them,” Frank said. “Being tailed is the last thing they'll be thinking about.”

Joe laughed.

The traffic was relatively light, and the SUV had big taillights, so it was easy to keep the girls in sight.

“I wonder where we're going,” Joe said.

“Who knows?” Frank said.

They didn't have to wait long for an answer. The SUV pulled into the parking lot of a multiplex theater. All of the girls piled out and headed up to the box office.

“I hope it's something I want to see,” Frank said.

“If it's a romance, I may just stay in the lobby and eat popcorn,” Joe said.

“I don't think so. We need to sit as close to them as possible and listen to what they say,” Frank said. “You can ignore what's on the screen.”

As it turned out, the movie Melanie and her friends bought tickets for was a comedy that both the Hardy boys had been wanting to see.

“Even if we don't find out anything tonight,” Joe said, “it won't be a total waste of time.”

Frank bought their tickets. He and Joe held back from going into the theater while Melanie and her friends nearly bought out the concession stand and went into the theater.

The movie was scheduled to start in a couple of minutes. Frank suggested they wait to enter until the movie started, so it would be dark.

“Uh-oh,” Joe whispered. “There's Chief Collig and his wife.” Ezra Collig was the chief of the Bayport Police Department and a friend of the Hardys. “If he sees us, he'll want to know if we're working on a case, and may give us away.”

They weren't too far from the men's restroom, so they ducked inside and both headed to separate stalls. After several minutes, when they thought the Colligs had already gone into their movie, they slipped out and headed to their theater.

Inside, the previews were just starting. Frank and Joe stood at the back of the auditorium until their eyes had adjusted. The theater wasn't too crowded, but there were enough people that they wouldn't be too conspicuous.

“There they are, in the middle, and there are some seats behind them,” Joe whispered.

Frank looked. They'd have to pass in front of some other people, but the middle seats would be perfect.

They made their way down the aisle until they reached the row behind the one where Melanie and her friends were sitting. They had to squeeze past many people, but they finally made it to their seats.

They sat down quietly, hoping that neither Melanie nor her friends would turn around and recognize their profiles.

They didn't. The girls were whispering to each other, giggling about what they had just said, and were totally ignoring what was on the screen.

Once, someone at the end of the Hardys' row made a loud shushing sound, but Melanie and her friends ignored it.

Joe was glad, because if they didn't stop whispering, maybe one of them would give the boys a clue that would help them solve their mystery.

Most of what the girls were whispering about was innocuous and silly, Joe thought, until right
before the opening credits of the movie.

Melanie leaned over to the person next to her and said, “Don't worry. My boyfriend has plans for Colin Randles. He won't be bothering me anymore.”

The Hardy boys jumped up from their seats. They startled Melanie and her friends, but Frank was sure they did not give away their identities. The boys made their way back down through the aisle, whispering “Excuse me” as fast as they could.

As they hurried toward the exit, Joe said, “We should have suspected something like that from her, Frank.”

“I guess, but we really don't know her that well, Joe,” Frank said. “She's in the really rich set, and she normally keeps to herself.”

“Well, we know now,” Joe said.

They had reached the lobby and were running toward the outside doors.

“Is there anything wrong?” a voice called. “Is there a problem with the projection?”

“It's okay!” Joe shouted. “We forgot to do our homework.”

Several people in the lobby started laughing. Frank hoped that nobody recognized them.

Just as they stepped outside, a loud clap of thunder shook the area.

Frank looked up. “Oh, great!” he muttered. “Just what we need.”

Flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, creating spiderweb-like patterns above Bayport.

“When that hits, we're going to get soaked,” Joe said.

The Hardy boys jumped into the van and raced out of the parking lot.

“Where should we go first?” Joe asked.

“The Randles',” Frank replied. “We need to find out where Colin went tonight. That's probably where he met Melanie's boyfriend.”

“Good idea,” Joe agreed. “Maybe somebody there could give us a description of the guy.” He looked over at Frank. “Do you think Melanie's boyfriend actually kidnapped Colin in broad daylight?”

Frank shook his head. “No. I think he probably said something that made Colin go with him willingly.”

“I've got it,” Joe said. “He probably told Colin that Melanie wanted to talk to him in private.”

“That would have done it!” Frank said. “In fact, that might be the only thing that would make Colin go with someone he didn't know.”

The street in front of the multiplex led the Hardys to another one of Bayport's main thoroughfares, which at this hour wasn't so crowded that they couldn't make good time. They missed a couple of lights, which slowed them down, but fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of the Randles' house.

“Good! Lights!” Joe said. “Somebody's at home.”

More thunder and lightning greeted them as they ran up the walk to the Randles' front porch. Frank quickly rang the doorbell.

Joe stepped off the porch and scanned the sky. “Maybe the storm'll go around us,” he said. “Most of the heavy stuff seems to be over toward the west.”

“Let's hope so,” Frank said. He rang the doorbell again.

When nobody had answered after several minutes, Joe thought that maybe the lights had just been left on while the Randles had gone out for something. He said as much to Frank.

“I don't think so, Joe. The Randles don't have a lot of money,” Frank said. “They'd remember to turn out the lights.” Instead of ringing the bell again, Frank knocked as hard as he could.

That worked. In a few minutes, the porch light went on and Nella opened the door.

“Frank! Joe!” Nella said. She looked around. “Where's Colin?”

“That's what we were going to ask you, Nella,” Joe said. “You mean he's not here?”

“No. I told him where you said to meet him, and that's where he went,” Nella said. Suddenly, a frown appeared on her face. “That was you who called, wasn't it?”

Frank shook his head.

“Shoot!” Nella said. “I hope it's not happening again!”

“You hope what's not happening again?” Frank asked.

“Everywhere we've lived, there's been trouble, because of Colin's psychic visions,” Nella explained. “I was hoping it wouldn't happen in Bayport.”

“But this isn't your fault, Nella,” Joe said.

“Oh, yes it is, Joe,” Nella insisted. She opened the screen door. “Come in. We've got to think this out. We have to find Colin.”

Joe followed Frank into the Randles' living room. It was clean, but the furniture was from the 1950s.

“Have a seat,” Nella said. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No, we're fine, Nella,” Frank said. “Let's just figure out something quick. Colin might be in danger.” He looked around. “Are your parents here?”

“No. Mom and Dad have been working late, ever
since they got jobs at Mr. Shaw's hardware store,” Nella said. “It was just Colin and me when you—uh, whoever it was—called.”

Frank and Joe sat down together on the sofa, facing the chair that Nella had collapsed in.

“Start at the beginning,” Frank said.

“Don't leave out anything,” Joe added.

“The phone rang about five-thirty, and I answered it. It sounded just like you, Frank,” Nella said. “You said you wanted Colin to meet you downtown, at . . .” Nella jumped up and ran over to a table where there was a telephone. She picked up a piece of paper. “. . . 2314 North March Street. You said you had followed Melanie Johnson there and had something really interesting to tell him.”

“Colin went there?” Frank said.

Nella nodded. “You . . . uh, the caller, said one of the city buses stopped at that address, so Colin walked to the corner one block over and caught the bus downtown.” She took a deep breath. “I had a feeling there was something about that call that wasn't right, but our parents have told us to suppress our psychic ability, so we won't keep getting into trouble. So I went with it.”