The Case of the Psychic's Vision

by Franklin W. Dixon

  “It’s not a waste, Mrs. Randles,” Joe said. “We’d like to help.”

  “Well, it would go faster with two more people to help us count,” Mr. Randles said.

  “Then we’re hired!” Joe said.

  That made everyone laugh.

  Mrs. Randles gave them all inventory sheets, and they set about counting the items on the list.

  They had been working for about an hour when the front door opened, and Callie’s father came in. He wasn’t smiling, and Frank knew that the Randles were about to hear some more bad news.

  “Hello, Mr. Shaw,” Mr. Randles said, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. “We’re doing a little inventory. Just a minor problem.”

  Mr. Shaw took a deep breath. “Well, maybe not so minor,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” Colin asked.

  Mr. Shaw looked at Colin then back at his parents.

  “I got a telephone call from the bank a few minutes ago. Mr. Johnson’s bank,” Mr. Shaw said. “He told me that I might start having trouble with my loans, and I’ve made a lot of them, because of some urban renewal projects I’m involved in. Mr. Johnson gave me a lot of banker’s talk, not all of which I understood—but I did understand one thing. He let me know one way I could keep from having any problems.”

  “What was that?” Frank asked.

  “I have to fire Mr. and Mrs. Randles,” Mr. Shaw said.

  11 A Change of Plans

  * * *

  “I understand, Mr. Shaw,” Mr. Randles said. “You’re just doing what you have to do.”

  “No, he’s not!” Colin shouted. “He’s caving under the worst kind of pressure.”

  “Colin! Stop it!” Mrs. Randles said. She turned to Mr. Shaw. “We all have to do what we have to do. My husband and I understand.”

  The Hardy boys looked at each other, wondering if they could say something to Mr. Shaw that would make him change his mind. In the end, they decided that Mr. Johnson was a more formidable foe than they had realized, and would do anything to get even with people who didn’t leave him and his family alone.

  “I’m sorry,” Mr. Shaw said. “I really am.”

  With that, he turned and left the hardware store.

  Everyone stood around for several minutes, wondering what they should do first. Looking at his watch, Mr. Randles said, “It’s closing time. I’ll make out the night deposit, drop that by the bank—Mr. Johnson’s bank—and then we’ll go on home.”

  Later, when the Hardy boys were on their way home, Joe said, “I’m really disappointed in Callie’s dad. I never expected something like this from him.”

  “We may not know the whole story, Joe,” Frank countered. “Sometimes people get themselves in over their heads. I know Mr. Shaw has been investing a lot in the urban renewal of downtown Bayport. He may have gotten himself so much in debt that Mr. Johnson can pull any strings he wants to pull.”

  “That’s never going to happen to me,” Joe announced. “I’m going to be on top of any investments I make.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Shaw thought the same thing,” Frank said.

  When they pulled into their driveway, they saw Mr. Hardy’s car.

  “I’m glad Dad’s home,” Joe said. “We need to let him know what just happened with the Randles.”

  “He won’t be surprised, I’m sure,” Frank said. “I got the feeling last night that he had plans to check into Mr. Johnson’s business operations. Dad was really angry about how the Johnsons acted last night.”

  Mrs. Hardy and Aunt Gertrude had just finished setting the table for dinner, so Frank and Joe washed up and joined everyone.

  “I’m starved,” Joe said. “This looks really good.”

  “Of course it does,” Aunt Gertrude told him. “What did you expect?”

  It was obvious to Frank that Aunt Gertrude was in one of her “moods,” so the best thing was to change the subject—even if it meant giving them the disappointing news about the Randles.

  Frank detailed the events that took place at Mr. Shaw’s hardware store.

  “I’m sure Melanie put her friends up to it,” Joe said. “They were having a really good time, making the Randles’ lives miserable.”

  “Unfortunately, making some people unhappy is often what makes other people happy,” Aunt Gertrude observed. “I don’t understand what’s going on in the minds of people like that.”

  “I don’t either,” Mrs. Hardy agreed.

  Mr. Hardy didn’t comment, but he looked pensive.

  “Can we do anything about it, Dad?” Frank asked. “Will the Randles have to move?”

  “I’m discovering that Mr. Johnson is a more powerful man than I had realized,” Mr. Hardy said. “He has quietly been buying up a lot of property in and around downtown Bayport. He is more or less dictating what’s going to happen down there.”

  “I spoke to Colin on the phone just before dinner. He told me that the Randles are planning to move to New York City tomorrow,” Joe said. “They don’t see any future in Bayport.”

  “Unfortunately, I have to agree with them,” Mr. Hardy said. “That disappoints me too. Things like this shouldn’t be happening.”

  There wasn’t much conversation after that. Everyone’s thoughts seemed to be on what they could do to help the Randles, but by the end of the meal no one had offered a plan.

  After dinner, Joe called Colin again. He thought maybe just talking to him would let the whole family know that the Hardys were still their friends.

  Colin told Joe that Mr. Randles had already rented a trailer, and that they were packing their belongings. “We should be ready to leave by dawn. Mom and Dad don’t want to stay in Bayport any longer than they have to. We’ll call the school for our transfers once we get to New York.”

  “Is there anything Frank and I can do?” Joe asked.

  Colin thought for a minute. “Well, it’s going to be a tight fit, because we couldn’t afford the biggest trailer—so your van would really come in handy,” he said. “Since it’s the weekend, maybe you and Frank could come along. It’d be nice to have some company.”

  “We’re in,” Joe said.

  After he hung up, Joe told Frank that he had offered to help the Randles move.

  “Good idea,” Frank said. “We need to get some more information from Colin anyway.”

  “More information?” Joe said. “About what?”

  “You don’t think we’re just going to let this drop, do you?” Frank said. “The more I think about Colin’s visions of Melanie, the more I’m convinced that this kidnapping did take place. Don’t you think that, the way Mr. Johnson is overreacting about this whole thing? I certainly do.”

  “You may be right, Frank,” Joe said. “Some people would have just laughed it off. They might have gotten a little irritated, but they wouldn’t do what Mr. Johnson did.”

  “Unless he’s basically a really mean person,” Frank added, “but then I think that part of his personality would have shown itself before now.”

  Joe nodded. “Maybe he’s scared, Frank,” he said. “Maybe he knows that Colin is telling the truth.”

  The Hardy boys had a renewed determination to solve this mystery. Mr. Johnson may have been successful in forcing the Randles to leave Bayport, but he wouldn’t have the same luck with stopping the Hardys from investigating.

  The next morning, Frank and Joe were up and out of the house before dawn. They left their parents a note, telling them they were using their van to help the Randles move to New York. The boys knew that if their parents needed anything, they could reach Frank and Joe by cell phone.

  “We’ll never forget what you boys have done for us,” Mrs. Randles told Frank and Joe. “You’re the people we’ll remember when we think of Bayport.”

  “That sounds so final, Mrs. Randles,” Joe said. “Don’t you ever want us to visit you in New York?”

  “Of course we do. Of course,” Mrs. Randles hastened to add. “It’s just that, well . . .”

 
When she trailed off, Colin said, “It’s just that in all the other places we’ve lived, people have been glad to see us go.”

  “Forget that,” Frank said.

  The boys and Colin made short work of packing up their van with the things in Colin’s room, and just as the sun came up, they headed toward New York City.

  Frank and Joe used the drive to let Colin know that they weren’t going to give up trying to solve the Melanie Johnson mystery.

  “It must be nice to have roots,” Colin said. “That’s what I’d really like, to be able to call one place home for more than a couple of weeks.” He looked over at Frank. “I tried, you know. I really tried. It’s just when these visions come to me, when I see things that I think might help other people, well, I have to talk about them.” He shook his head in disgust. “I just wish I could keep my mouth shut.”

  “Quit beating yourself up, Colin,” Joe said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “My parents would probably disagree with you,” Colin said.

  “I doubt that, if you really pressed them,” Frank said. “It’s just that they’re frustrated, trying to figure out how to deal with being psychic and living in a world where there are a lot of people who don’t believe in psychics.”

  Most of the rest of the trip was taken up by listening to music on the radio and talking about movies they’d like to see.

  The Randles were planning to stay with friends of Colin’s mother in Williamsburg, located just over the Williamsburg Bridge in the northern section of Brooklyn.

  “It’ll be crowded,” Colin said, “but there’s a subway stop nearby that’ll get me to Manhattan in a matter of minutes.”

  Joe knew that Colin was trying to sound happy, but he wasn’t doing a very good job.

  When they finally arrived, Frank parked the van behind the trailer the Randles had been pulling, and they all piled out.

  The friends were Joseph and Lydia Kopsky, and they were delighted to see everyone. As far as the boys could tell, the Kopskys were really excited about the Randles staying with them until they could get a place of their own.

  First, Mrs. Kopsky showed Nella to her bedroom, which she would be sharing with the Kopskys’ daughter, Julia, who was the same age. The bedroom was large, newly decorated, and had a pleasant view of the backyard. Frank and Joe could tell that Nella probably wouldn’t miss Bayport. Mrs. Kopsky had turned her sewing room into a bedroom for Mr. and Mrs. Randles. It was small, but it also had a view of the backyard.

  Then Mr. Kopsky showed Colin his bedroom, which Colin learned he was going to have to share with Mr. Kopsky’s elderly uncle. He had just moved in about a week ago, because his wife had died, and he didn’t want to live by himself. Nobody seemed to think Colin would be bothered by this. Nobody, that is, except Frank and Joe.

  Joe suddenly had an idea—a plan. He was sure it would work, and was surprised no one had thought of it before now.

  When they all went to the dining room, where Mrs. Kopsky had set out coffee and tea and a delicious-looking cake, Joe said, “We’d like for Colin to live with us in Bayport, Mr. and Mrs. Randles—at least for the rest of the school year. I mean, we’ll need to make sure this is okay with our parents, but we’re positive it’ll be fine.”

  You beat me to the punch! Frank thought.

  Colin gave both of the Hardys a puzzled look, but he didn’t say anything.

  Mr. and Mrs. Randles looked absolutely stunned.

  “Oh, never! Never!” Mrs. Randles said. “I wouldn’t sleep at night, for worrying about him.”

  “He’d be with us most of the time, Mrs. Randles,” Frank said. “He could even call you every night so you wouldn’t worry.”

  “What would your parents say?” Mr. Randles asked. “You really would need to ask them about this.”

  “They’d be totally fine with it, I’m sure,” Joe said. “They like Colin. They’d welcome him as part of the family.”

  “Well, it might not be such a bad idea,” Mr. Randles said. Now he was looking at the Hardy boys with an understanding he had not had initially. Frank and Joe both were sure that they saw something in his eyes that told them he knew Colin had unfinished business in Bayport. “Colin’s never had a chance to have friends like the Hardys. The more I think about it, the more I think we should let him do it.”

  “Well, I need to think about this,” Mrs. Randles said.

  “While you’re thinking, we can have some coffee and cake,” Mrs. Kopsky said. “That always seems to make everyone feel better.”

  Joe didn’t normally like coffee, but he had to admit that Mrs. Kopsky’s coffee tasted really great with the cake she had baked.

  When everyone was finished, Mrs. Randles looked at Colin. “Nobody seems to have asked you how you feel about this, Colin,” she said. “So now I’m asking you.”

  “I want to go,” Colin said simply. “I’ll miss you, but I think it’s the best thing.”

  Mrs. Randles nodded. “You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders, Colin,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll continue to use it well.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Mr. Randles said.

  Frank and Joe got into the van, while Colin said his good-byes. He thanked the Kopskys for their thoughtfulness, hugged Nella and his parents, and then got into the van.

  “When did you first get this idea, Joe?” Colin asked as they headed down the street toward the Williamsburg Bridge.

  “I’m not sure. I think it was when Mr. Shaw fired your mom and dad,” Joe replied. “I knew we couldn’t let Mr. Johnson get away with that.”

  Colin grinned. “Are you sure your parents won’t mind? Were you just saying that for my parents’ benefit?”

  “Mom and Aunt Gertrude are on your side, Colin. They were really upset about what happened,” Frank said. “And Dad, well, I know Dad is really angry about what Mr. Johnson did. He’ll be glad you’re back.”

  Joe grinned. “I can hardly wait until Monday morning,” he said. “When Colin shows up at school, there are going to be some really surprised people.”

  Colin nodded. “I don’t need to worry about my parents now. Nobody can run them out of Bayport,” Colin said. “And I’ve got some good friends. I don’t have to suppress my psychic visions. I can concentrate and make them stronger.

  “I’m going to find out why Melanie Johnson was kidnapped.”

  12 The Meeting with Melanie

  * * *

  Frank and Joe were right about one thing. A lot of the kids at Bayport High School were surprised to see Colin Randles walking down the hall, going to his first class. But the person they thought would be the most surprised, Melanie Johnson, acted as though there was nothing unusual about it.

  “I don’t trust her one bit,” Joe whispered to Frank. “She’s got something planned, I’m sure.”

  “If she doesn’t, then it’s probably safe to say that some of her friends do,” Frank agreed. “We need to make sure one of us is with Colin at all times.”

  “Agreed,” Joe said.

  Even though Frank and Joe didn’t have all the same classes that Colin did, they arranged for one of them to be outside Colin’s classroom door at the end of every class. This kept them running through the halls most of the day, but they succeeded.

  By the time school was out, not only had nothing happened, but the people Frank and Joe thought might cause Colin trouble—like Mr. Brooks and some of Melanie’s friends—seemed to be ignoring him. This seemed weird.

  Just as they were heading to the van to go home, Joe’s cell phone rang.

  He answered it, then stopped, and motioned for Frank and Colin to stop, too.

  “Well, as a matter of fact, Melanie,” Joe said a little louder than he needed to, “Colin is right here. Do you want to talk to him?”

  Colin had a puzzled look on his face. This was obviously something that none of them had expected.

  He took the telephone from Joe. “This is Colin, Melanie,” he said nonchalantly. “What’s up?�
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  Colin listened for about ten minutes. Joe and Frank tried to read his face but it remained passive. “Okay. We’ll be there.” Colin punched the “end” button and handed the cell phone back to Joe.

  “Where are we supposed to be?” Frank asked.

  “Melanie wants us to come to her house tonight, at seven thirty,” Colin replied. “Her parents will be at a banquet. She said she has something very important to tell us.”

  “You actually told her we’d be there?” Joe asked incredulously. “Don’t you think she might be setting a trap for us?”

  “I don’t think so,” Colin said. “I heard something in her voice.”

  “Well, this could work out after all,” Frank said. “I had been wondering how to get this investigation started.”

  “I still don’t like it,” Joe said. “I would have suggested a neutral meeting sight.”

  “We do need to work out some sort of a strategy,” Frank said. “We can’t just walk into her house tonight unprepared.”

  “Okay. I can understand that,” Colin said. “I’m not sure it’s really necessary, but I won’t argue.”

  They got into the van and headed toward the Hardys’ house. Their confrontation with Melanie was going to take place sooner than any of them had imagined.

  At seven fifteen, Frank drove by the front of the Johnsons’ house a couple of times, to see if any cars were parked in front. There weren’t, but he decided that it would be smart to park the van one street over.

  “Just in case,” he said. “I think a little caution here is important.”

  Joe agreed.

  Colin seemed lost in his thoughts.

  “I say we scope out the place first,” Frank said, “just to make sure it’s not a trap.”

  The three of them got out of the van and started walking down the sidewalk. They had all worn dark clothing, so they wouldn’t be any more visible than necessary.

  At the corner, they turned left onto a side street that would take them to the Johnsons’ house. They had planned to go in through a gate that led to the backyard and check out what was going on from there, but before they reached the gate, Joe stopped.