of the water. As Frank followed him, Chet bowed deeply to the crowd, and the conventioneers immediately applauded and cheered. The cheering increased as Chet turned to another portion of the crowd.
Frank smiled disbelievingly. "Chet, why are they cheering for us?" he whispered as he joined his friend.
"Because we made it into the pool from a third-floor window," Chet explained with a smile. "They think it was a stunt."
Just then Frank caught a fleeting glimpse of a face that set off warning bells. He twisted his head around to get a better look, and sure enough, it was the familiar hawk-nosed profile of Harry Saul.
Saul was staring up at the third floor, where flames billowed out of the window of Parente's room. The crowd suddenly noticed the flames all at once. A girl screamed, and in the distance, Frank heard the high-pitched wail of a fire truck as it approached the hotel.
Frank's eyes flicked back to where Saul had been standing, but he was gone.
***
Frank wanted to get out of his wet clothes, but he knew he had to report Parente's kidnapping and the fire to the authorities right away, so he and Chet stopped at a pay phone in a back stairwell and called Sergeant Hanlon's office. Then Frank and Chet returned to their hotel rooms to change clothes.
Frank called the convention center and had Joe paged, and within fifteen minutes the three boys had reassembled in the Hardys' room.
"I heard about your daredevil leap into the pool. Are you okay?" Joe said as soon as he'd walked through the door. His blue eyes were shining with excitement.
"We're fine, Joe," Frank assured him. "But the kidnappers got Parente."
"What? Those crooks seem to be everywhere!" Joe said in frustration. After a pause he added, "Well, at least I picked up more info about Johns."
"Is it a lead on the kidnappers?" Frank asked eagerly.
"Nope," Joe replied, "but it is interesting."
Joe took a can of cola from the mini refrigerator in their room and took a long drink.
"I was talking to Morrie Rockwitz, this art dealer who used to deal with Johns."
"What'd you learn?"
"He didn't tell me much," Joe said. "He admitted he'd bought and sold Golden Age artwork with Johns over the years, but he didn't seem too eager to tell me anything else. He did accidentally let me see something real interesting, though," Joe added.
"When I walked up to his table, it was deserted, and Rockwitz was standing behind it studying a piece of artwork. As soon as he noticed me, he slipped it into a big art portfolio, which he left unzipped, fortunately."
"Why fortunately?" Frank asked.
Joe tilted his head back to drain the rest of his soda before answering. "Because when I glanced down into his portfolio I saw a Golden Age cover that supposedly got burned up with the rest of Johns's collection!"
Frank's eyes widened. "Are you sure of that, Joe?"
"Positive," Joe replied firmly. "It was the same cover Tom managed to save part of - the corner from the one with the giant robots. And that means - "
"One of them must be a fake," Frank cut in. "Did you ask Rockwitz about the cover?"
"No, but as soon as he saw me notice it, he got real nervous. He started sweating a lot, and then ended the conversation in a hurry."
"Oh, yeah?" Frank asked. "I think I'd like to talk with this Rockwitz guy."
"You can't," Joe told him. "Right after I got finished talking to him, he left the dealers' room. He made some kind of excuse about a meeting."
"I think we should track him down," Frank said. "There's something funny going on with Johns's art collection. Somehow this collection is tied in with the kidnapping.
"Leave him to me, Frank," Joe said confidently. "Once we find Rockwitz, I can play him like a violin."
Frank grimaced. "Cut the drama, Joe."
"This case is getting more complicated by the minute. First a kidnapping, then two, then three, and now maybe art forgeries to boot. It beats me how we're going to solve this one before our time runs out."
Frank nodded. Obviously, one of
Frank smiled disbelievingly. "Chet, why are they cheering for us?" he whispered as he joined his friend.
"Because we made it into the pool from a third-floor window," Chet explained with a smile. "They think it was a stunt."
Just then Frank caught a fleeting glimpse of a face that set off warning bells. He twisted his head around to get a better look, and sure enough, it was the familiar hawk-nosed profile of Harry Saul.
Saul was staring up at the third floor, where flames billowed out of the window of Parente's room. The crowd suddenly noticed the flames all at once. A girl screamed, and in the distance, Frank heard the high-pitched wail of a fire truck as it approached the hotel.
Frank's eyes flicked back to where Saul had been standing, but he was gone.
***
Frank wanted to get out of his wet clothes, but he knew he had to report Parente's kidnapping and the fire to the authorities right away, so he and Chet stopped at a pay phone in a back stairwell and called Sergeant Hanlon's office. Then Frank and Chet returned to their hotel rooms to change clothes.
Frank called the convention center and had Joe paged, and within fifteen minutes the three boys had reassembled in the Hardys' room.
"I heard about your daredevil leap into the pool. Are you okay?" Joe said as soon as he'd walked through the door. His blue eyes were shining with excitement.
"We're fine, Joe," Frank assured him. "But the kidnappers got Parente."
"What? Those crooks seem to be everywhere!" Joe said in frustration. After a pause he added, "Well, at least I picked up more info about Johns."
"Is it a lead on the kidnappers?" Frank asked eagerly.
"Nope," Joe replied, "but it is interesting."
Joe took a can of cola from the mini refrigerator in their room and took a long drink.
"I was talking to Morrie Rockwitz, this art dealer who used to deal with Johns."
"What'd you learn?"
"He didn't tell me much," Joe said. "He admitted he'd bought and sold Golden Age artwork with Johns over the years, but he didn't seem too eager to tell me anything else. He did accidentally let me see something real interesting, though," Joe added.
"When I walked up to his table, it was deserted, and Rockwitz was standing behind it studying a piece of artwork. As soon as he noticed me, he slipped it into a big art portfolio, which he left unzipped, fortunately."
"Why fortunately?" Frank asked.
Joe tilted his head back to drain the rest of his soda before answering. "Because when I glanced down into his portfolio I saw a Golden Age cover that supposedly got burned up with the rest of Johns's collection!"
Frank's eyes widened. "Are you sure of that, Joe?"
"Positive," Joe replied firmly. "It was the same cover Tom managed to save part of - the corner from the one with the giant robots. And that means - "
"One of them must be a fake," Frank cut in. "Did you ask Rockwitz about the cover?"
"No, but as soon as he saw me notice it, he got real nervous. He started sweating a lot, and then ended the conversation in a hurry."
"Oh, yeah?" Frank asked. "I think I'd like to talk with this Rockwitz guy."
"You can't," Joe told him. "Right after I got finished talking to him, he left the dealers' room. He made some kind of excuse about a meeting."
"I think we should track him down," Frank said. "There's something funny going on with Johns's art collection. Somehow this collection is tied in with the kidnapping.
"Leave him to me, Frank," Joe said confidently. "Once we find Rockwitz, I can play him like a violin."
Frank grimaced. "Cut the drama, Joe."
"This case is getting more complicated by the minute. First a kidnapping, then two, then three, and now maybe art forgeries to boot. It beats me how we're going to solve this one before our time runs out."
Frank nodded. Obviously, one of
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