they carried him through the front door and into the elevator. When they reached the condominium, the Hardys stretched their uncle Hugh out on the living room sofa. After a few moments the color'began to flow back into his cheeks.
"We've got to find Starkey and force him to give you the antidote," Joe said, but his uncle raised a hand to silence him. He reached for a cordless phone on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Hugh pulled up the antenna and punched in the phone buttons. After a moment the phone clicked. "Starkey? I've got something you want, and you've got something I want. Let's meet." Starkey's voice was muffled, and neither Joe nor Frank could make out the words. "I know the place. See you on the Embarcadero in an hour."
Hugh pressed the antenna back into the handset and hung up the phone. "We've got a lot of work to do," he said. "I'm going to wire myself and try to tape Starkey admitting to everything. One of you will have to hold the recorder." His hands shook, but there was resolve in his eye. He went to his desk, opened it, and pulled out a small radio-microphone and some surgical tape. Pulling off his shirt, he fastened the mike to his chest.
"This is too dangerous," Frank said. "Starkey will take the crown and leave you to die. I can't go along with this plan."
Smiling, Hugh told Joe, "I guess that makes you my sound engineer." Hugh dug a small tape recorder from the drawer and handed it to Joe. "There are some keys in a jar on the bookshelves, Frank."
"I know. I found them before," Frank said. "What are they for?"
"A car in the garage around the corner," his uncle replied. His hands shook as he put his shirt back on. To Frank's surprise, the wire didn't show beneath the shirt. "Why don't you bring it around? Stall one fifty-three."
Frank glowered at him and said nothing. "Come on, Frank," Hugh pleaded in the same kidding way he had once nudged Frank to go fishing when Frank was a boy. "Play along with me."
Shaking his head doubtfully, Frank took the keys and left.
Hugh picked up the crown and slipped it into his pocket, then winced and grabbed at his side. Joe moved to help him stand, but his uncle waved him away and straightened himself.
"I don't think you can do this," Joe said.
"I've got to," he answered. All humor was gone from his voice by then. "My life depends on it."
Joe stared at him for a long time. Finally he pocketed the recorder. "Then we'd better get going." Hugh clapped him on the back in appreciation, and together they went to the elevator.
"Well, well," called a mocking voice behind them as they stepped onto the street. "Fancy meeting you here."
Starkey was leaning against the limousine, his elbows propped casually behind him on the roof. Inside the limo sat Oleg, Feodor, and Mickey. All of them held guns, and all the guns were aimed at Joe and Hugh.
"How did you — ?" Hugh stammered in surprise. "I just called you at your office."
"You've never heard of a car phone?" Starkey said. "I've been sitting around the corner since the robbery, waiting for your call." Suddenly his eyes grew dark. "I've always been one step ahead of you, Hunt. And now it looks like you're all out of steps."
He moved over to Hunt and patted him down. When his hand hit the mike, his face grew dark, and he tore open Hugh's shirt and ripped the microphone from his chest. It fell to the pavement, and he ground it under his heel.
"Enough tricks. Where's the crown?" he demanded.
Somberly, Hugh pulled the crown from his pocket and handed it to Starkey.
"Where's your brother?" Starkey asked Joe.
Joe shook his head. "I don't know."
"It doesn't matter. We'll deal with him later," Starkey said. He opened the limo door. "In."
As he and his uncle climbed into the limousine, Joe glanced down the street, looking for Frank and the other car. If he sees us, Joe thought, we've still got a chance.
"Don't even think it," Starkey said, noticing the hope on Joe's face. "Your chances are all used up."
He
"We've got to find Starkey and force him to give you the antidote," Joe said, but his uncle raised a hand to silence him. He reached for a cordless phone on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Hugh pulled up the antenna and punched in the phone buttons. After a moment the phone clicked. "Starkey? I've got something you want, and you've got something I want. Let's meet." Starkey's voice was muffled, and neither Joe nor Frank could make out the words. "I know the place. See you on the Embarcadero in an hour."
Hugh pressed the antenna back into the handset and hung up the phone. "We've got a lot of work to do," he said. "I'm going to wire myself and try to tape Starkey admitting to everything. One of you will have to hold the recorder." His hands shook, but there was resolve in his eye. He went to his desk, opened it, and pulled out a small radio-microphone and some surgical tape. Pulling off his shirt, he fastened the mike to his chest.
"This is too dangerous," Frank said. "Starkey will take the crown and leave you to die. I can't go along with this plan."
Smiling, Hugh told Joe, "I guess that makes you my sound engineer." Hugh dug a small tape recorder from the drawer and handed it to Joe. "There are some keys in a jar on the bookshelves, Frank."
"I know. I found them before," Frank said. "What are they for?"
"A car in the garage around the corner," his uncle replied. His hands shook as he put his shirt back on. To Frank's surprise, the wire didn't show beneath the shirt. "Why don't you bring it around? Stall one fifty-three."
Frank glowered at him and said nothing. "Come on, Frank," Hugh pleaded in the same kidding way he had once nudged Frank to go fishing when Frank was a boy. "Play along with me."
Shaking his head doubtfully, Frank took the keys and left.
Hugh picked up the crown and slipped it into his pocket, then winced and grabbed at his side. Joe moved to help him stand, but his uncle waved him away and straightened himself.
"I don't think you can do this," Joe said.
"I've got to," he answered. All humor was gone from his voice by then. "My life depends on it."
Joe stared at him for a long time. Finally he pocketed the recorder. "Then we'd better get going." Hugh clapped him on the back in appreciation, and together they went to the elevator.
"Well, well," called a mocking voice behind them as they stepped onto the street. "Fancy meeting you here."
Starkey was leaning against the limousine, his elbows propped casually behind him on the roof. Inside the limo sat Oleg, Feodor, and Mickey. All of them held guns, and all the guns were aimed at Joe and Hugh.
"How did you — ?" Hugh stammered in surprise. "I just called you at your office."
"You've never heard of a car phone?" Starkey said. "I've been sitting around the corner since the robbery, waiting for your call." Suddenly his eyes grew dark. "I've always been one step ahead of you, Hunt. And now it looks like you're all out of steps."
He moved over to Hunt and patted him down. When his hand hit the mike, his face grew dark, and he tore open Hugh's shirt and ripped the microphone from his chest. It fell to the pavement, and he ground it under his heel.
"Enough tricks. Where's the crown?" he demanded.
Somberly, Hugh pulled the crown from his pocket and handed it to Starkey.
"Where's your brother?" Starkey asked Joe.
Joe shook his head. "I don't know."
"It doesn't matter. We'll deal with him later," Starkey said. He opened the limo door. "In."
As he and his uncle climbed into the limousine, Joe glanced down the street, looking for Frank and the other car. If he sees us, Joe thought, we've still got a chance.
"Don't even think it," Starkey said, noticing the hope on Joe's face. "Your chances are all used up."
He
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