Frank. Annie's life is in danger now — not later."
"Tell the Bayport police the whole story, Joe," Frank urged.
"Getting Annie out of there is my number-one priority, Frank, but you know as well as I do that we've got to find the diamonds—to connect Phil to the robberies. And to clear Annie and then me. I want you go get the van. Take a can of gas."
"You ran out of gas?" asked Frank.
"I don't want to hear it, Frank. Just go get the van." Joe rummaged through a drawer.
"I have a better idea." Frank paced the floor while Joe dressed. "I'll send a tow truck for the van, and we'll borrow Callie's car. It'd take too much time to go out and get the van right now."
"I will report Annie missing, and I won't interfere with the NYPD, but I think it's up to us to find her. Dad would understand that."
Back in the bathroom Joe poured some hydrogen peroxide over his wrists, wincing as the antiseptic bubbled and fizzed in the scrapes and cuts. He shrugged off the bandages that Frank pulled from the medicine cabinet. "Don't need them. Pick me up at the station in half an hour." Joe ran down the stairs.
Frank used Joe's extension phone to make his calls.
"Of course you can borrow my car, Frank," said Callie when he reached her. "But I'm going along. I'm tired of never seeing you." "This may be dangerous, Callie. I don't want you along."
"I don't care what you want, Frank. I can drive. You may need me. I won't go inside, but I'll keep the engine running." Frank knew better than to argue with Callie when she was in that mood. Besides, she might be right. They could need her if they had to make a quick getaway. Cutter's men and the tall man, whoever he was, knew the van. They wouldn't be looking for Callie's car.
Callie picked Frank up and they drove to the police station. Joe was already pacing the sidewalk outside.
"Reflash of the whole case," he explained as he hopped in the back seat of Callie's little green car. "That's all they wanted to do. Waste of time. They didn't even want to hear what happened yesterday. I told them I hadn't been able to locate Annie, but they weren't concerned."
"I guess even they're convinced she's part of the gang," Frank said. "But they can't do anything until they get some hard evidence against her."
While Frank wanted Annie safe, he did remind ' Joe that Annie, if involved, had gotten herself into this mess.
"Ready for a little trip to New York City, Callie?" asked Frank as they hopped into the car.
"Filled the tank before I picked you up. You navigate." She spun efficiently out of the lot and headed for the expressway.
"I'm glad you remembered to get gas," said Frank, looking at Joe and hoping to get a smile. But Joe stared into the distance as though he hadn't heard what Frank said.
Frank and Joe reviewed all they knew about the case on the way to the city, but what they arrived at was that they had no concrete evidence that would convict Cutter. And that the identity of the tall man was still a mystery. His involvement in the case seemed to be independent of the police or the jewel thieves.
"Find a space or double-park, Callie," Frank instructed as they entered the underground lot that held the key to Cutter's hideout. "Head the car for the exit and wait. We might need to get out of here fast."
"If we ever get inside." Joe seemed less optimistic than Frank about finding the secret for getting upstairs to Cutter's secret apartment.
Facing the solid concrete wall, Frank and Joe didn't know where to start looking. Somewhere there was a hidden panel, a button, or switch, that brought down and opened an elevator large enough for a car. The limo seemed to have disappeared into thin air, so that had to be the explanation.
The wall was cold to the touch and rough-textured. Frank patted, punched, searched, having started at the middle and headed right. Joe, beside him, moved to the left, fingering the solid wall in the same manner.
In a matter of minutes, they met back in the center where
"Tell the Bayport police the whole story, Joe," Frank urged.
"Getting Annie out of there is my number-one priority, Frank, but you know as well as I do that we've got to find the diamonds—to connect Phil to the robberies. And to clear Annie and then me. I want you go get the van. Take a can of gas."
"You ran out of gas?" asked Frank.
"I don't want to hear it, Frank. Just go get the van." Joe rummaged through a drawer.
"I have a better idea." Frank paced the floor while Joe dressed. "I'll send a tow truck for the van, and we'll borrow Callie's car. It'd take too much time to go out and get the van right now."
"I will report Annie missing, and I won't interfere with the NYPD, but I think it's up to us to find her. Dad would understand that."
Back in the bathroom Joe poured some hydrogen peroxide over his wrists, wincing as the antiseptic bubbled and fizzed in the scrapes and cuts. He shrugged off the bandages that Frank pulled from the medicine cabinet. "Don't need them. Pick me up at the station in half an hour." Joe ran down the stairs.
Frank used Joe's extension phone to make his calls.
"Of course you can borrow my car, Frank," said Callie when he reached her. "But I'm going along. I'm tired of never seeing you." "This may be dangerous, Callie. I don't want you along."
"I don't care what you want, Frank. I can drive. You may need me. I won't go inside, but I'll keep the engine running." Frank knew better than to argue with Callie when she was in that mood. Besides, she might be right. They could need her if they had to make a quick getaway. Cutter's men and the tall man, whoever he was, knew the van. They wouldn't be looking for Callie's car.
Callie picked Frank up and they drove to the police station. Joe was already pacing the sidewalk outside.
"Reflash of the whole case," he explained as he hopped in the back seat of Callie's little green car. "That's all they wanted to do. Waste of time. They didn't even want to hear what happened yesterday. I told them I hadn't been able to locate Annie, but they weren't concerned."
"I guess even they're convinced she's part of the gang," Frank said. "But they can't do anything until they get some hard evidence against her."
While Frank wanted Annie safe, he did remind ' Joe that Annie, if involved, had gotten herself into this mess.
"Ready for a little trip to New York City, Callie?" asked Frank as they hopped into the car.
"Filled the tank before I picked you up. You navigate." She spun efficiently out of the lot and headed for the expressway.
"I'm glad you remembered to get gas," said Frank, looking at Joe and hoping to get a smile. But Joe stared into the distance as though he hadn't heard what Frank said.
Frank and Joe reviewed all they knew about the case on the way to the city, but what they arrived at was that they had no concrete evidence that would convict Cutter. And that the identity of the tall man was still a mystery. His involvement in the case seemed to be independent of the police or the jewel thieves.
"Find a space or double-park, Callie," Frank instructed as they entered the underground lot that held the key to Cutter's hideout. "Head the car for the exit and wait. We might need to get out of here fast."
"If we ever get inside." Joe seemed less optimistic than Frank about finding the secret for getting upstairs to Cutter's secret apartment.
Facing the solid concrete wall, Frank and Joe didn't know where to start looking. Somewhere there was a hidden panel, a button, or switch, that brought down and opened an elevator large enough for a car. The limo seemed to have disappeared into thin air, so that had to be the explanation.
The wall was cold to the touch and rough-textured. Frank patted, punched, searched, having started at the middle and headed right. Joe, beside him, moved to the left, fingering the solid wall in the same manner.
In a matter of minutes, they met back in the center where
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