forth across the cell. "That means Driscoll wasn't really interested in the Garfield collection after all." Frank smiled at his realization. "What he was interested in was our method for stealing them!"
"That's why he relayed every move we made over the walkie-talkie," Joe said. "No doubt Wesley took careful notes. All of which leaves me with just one question Why?"
"I've been wondering myself," Frank said. "If Driscoll and company wanted to learn our method, they could only have one scheme in mind."
"Another robbery," Joe reasoned.
"You got it!" Frank said.
"Okay," Joe agreed. "But where?" Frank laughed, making Joe stare. Being thrown in a jail cell didn't usually put Frank in a good mood.
"Chief Archie Fraser gave us the answer himself," Frank said. "Remember when he told us about the Newbridge jewels, saying the most precious gems were displayed in the Wedmont mansion?"
"And that all the mansions had similar layouts," Joe said, "meaning they could rob the Wedmonts the exact same way we robbed the Garfields."
Frank dropped to his mattress and held his head in his hands. "I just realized something," he muttered. "The chief told us the Wedmonts wouldn't be back in Newbridge till the twenty-fifth."
"That's tomorrow, Sunday," Joe said. "Well, I think it is. It's one in the morning now, so it's Saturday the twenty-fourth."
Frank nodded. "Which means the theft must take place between now and the morning."
Joe jumped up. "We've got to warn Fraser."
"I don't think he's exactly ready to believe us," Frank said. "What makes it worse is that if Driscoll pulls the robbery off, we get the blame."
"But why?" Joe cried desperately. "We're locked in jail. How could we commit the crime?"
"Since the Wedmont mansion has been empty all month," Frank explained, "the police will believe that the house was robbed before the Garfield mansion. And since they've already caught us for one theft, naturally they'll believe we knocked off the Wedmont place as well."
Archie Fraser was willing to give Frank and Joe another interview. But when he heard their warning instead of the confession he expected, the chief's patience disappeared.
"Look here, Harris, or Hardy, or whoever you've decided to be," Fraser bellowed at Frank. "I don't want to hear any more fantastic stories. The Wedmont mansion is completely secure."
"That's what you said about the Garfield mansion," Joe pointed out.
Fraser grew defensive. "It was secure. We caught you red-handed, didn't we?"
"Only because Gil Driscoll's men turned us in," Joe said.
"Oh, that's right, Gil Driscoll, the criminal mastermind." Fraser pounded his desk. "Listen, you guys will have to do better than that."
He turned to the officer who had brought the Hardys out from the cell. "Take them back," Fraser ordered. "And I don't want to see these two out of their cells until they go before the judge on Monday morning."
"Believe me, Chief," Frank urged. "Just this night you've got to provide extra security for the Wedmont estate." The officer grabbed Frank's arm. "You've got to!"
Hours of monotony followed as Frank and Joe spent all of Saturday trapped in their cell. As the sun went down for the evening, their guard approached to inform them that they had visitors.
The Hardys looked at each other, astounded. They had no idea anyone in Newbridge knew of their arrest, except for Sy Osserman, and surely he wouldn't be coming to see them now.
"Maybe Dad sent us someone who can help," Joe said, hope rising in his eyes.
But when the outer door opened, Frank and Joe were surprised to see Burke Quinn and Kitt Macklin.
"I always wanted to meet actual jailbirds," Kitt said sweetly.
The stars sat across a table from Frank and Joe, while a guard watched from beside the door.
"How'd you hear about us?" Frank asked in a whisper.
"Everyone on the set is talking about your arrest," Kitt said.
"We appreciate the way you got the missing film back to Sy Osserman without pinning any of the blame on us," Quinn
"That's why he relayed every move we made over the walkie-talkie," Joe said. "No doubt Wesley took careful notes. All of which leaves me with just one question Why?"
"I've been wondering myself," Frank said. "If Driscoll and company wanted to learn our method, they could only have one scheme in mind."
"Another robbery," Joe reasoned.
"You got it!" Frank said.
"Okay," Joe agreed. "But where?" Frank laughed, making Joe stare. Being thrown in a jail cell didn't usually put Frank in a good mood.
"Chief Archie Fraser gave us the answer himself," Frank said. "Remember when he told us about the Newbridge jewels, saying the most precious gems were displayed in the Wedmont mansion?"
"And that all the mansions had similar layouts," Joe said, "meaning they could rob the Wedmonts the exact same way we robbed the Garfields."
Frank dropped to his mattress and held his head in his hands. "I just realized something," he muttered. "The chief told us the Wedmonts wouldn't be back in Newbridge till the twenty-fifth."
"That's tomorrow, Sunday," Joe said. "Well, I think it is. It's one in the morning now, so it's Saturday the twenty-fourth."
Frank nodded. "Which means the theft must take place between now and the morning."
Joe jumped up. "We've got to warn Fraser."
"I don't think he's exactly ready to believe us," Frank said. "What makes it worse is that if Driscoll pulls the robbery off, we get the blame."
"But why?" Joe cried desperately. "We're locked in jail. How could we commit the crime?"
"Since the Wedmont mansion has been empty all month," Frank explained, "the police will believe that the house was robbed before the Garfield mansion. And since they've already caught us for one theft, naturally they'll believe we knocked off the Wedmont place as well."
Archie Fraser was willing to give Frank and Joe another interview. But when he heard their warning instead of the confession he expected, the chief's patience disappeared.
"Look here, Harris, or Hardy, or whoever you've decided to be," Fraser bellowed at Frank. "I don't want to hear any more fantastic stories. The Wedmont mansion is completely secure."
"That's what you said about the Garfield mansion," Joe pointed out.
Fraser grew defensive. "It was secure. We caught you red-handed, didn't we?"
"Only because Gil Driscoll's men turned us in," Joe said.
"Oh, that's right, Gil Driscoll, the criminal mastermind." Fraser pounded his desk. "Listen, you guys will have to do better than that."
He turned to the officer who had brought the Hardys out from the cell. "Take them back," Fraser ordered. "And I don't want to see these two out of their cells until they go before the judge on Monday morning."
"Believe me, Chief," Frank urged. "Just this night you've got to provide extra security for the Wedmont estate." The officer grabbed Frank's arm. "You've got to!"
Hours of monotony followed as Frank and Joe spent all of Saturday trapped in their cell. As the sun went down for the evening, their guard approached to inform them that they had visitors.
The Hardys looked at each other, astounded. They had no idea anyone in Newbridge knew of their arrest, except for Sy Osserman, and surely he wouldn't be coming to see them now.
"Maybe Dad sent us someone who can help," Joe said, hope rising in his eyes.
But when the outer door opened, Frank and Joe were surprised to see Burke Quinn and Kitt Macklin.
"I always wanted to meet actual jailbirds," Kitt said sweetly.
The stars sat across a table from Frank and Joe, while a guard watched from beside the door.
"How'd you hear about us?" Frank asked in a whisper.
"Everyone on the set is talking about your arrest," Kitt said.
"We appreciate the way you got the missing film back to Sy Osserman without pinning any of the blame on us," Quinn
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