“What about safety from police harassment?” Stone yelled.
“You know, I never thought I’d find myself agreeing with Jay Stone,” Joe whispered to Frank. “But after yesterday outside the coffee shop . . .”
Frank and Jamal nodded in reply.
“Safety for everyone is the responsibility of each one of us,” Hamilton continued. “Though some selfish people would have us think otherwise.” She smiled at the crowd and Stone sneered back at her. Hamilton took no notice. “Since our mayor is out of town on important business, it is my pleasure to introduce a prime mover in making Bayport a safer place to live—Clark Kubrick of Securitech Industries.”
A strong burst of applause rang from the crowd, broken only by catcalls from the Kings and the dim sounds of a protest chant from the placard carriers near the back. Hamilton stepped aside and let the man behind her step to the microphone. Kubrick was a tall, well-dressed man in his middle thirties. He had long black hair, tied back, and wore a tie with a pattern of cartoon characters on it.
“Kubrick seems pretty popular with the college set,” Joe whispered.
“He should be—he employs enough of them,” Jamal whispered back.
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Kubrick said, acknowledging the applause.
“Down with Big Brother!” Stone shouted.
“What do you know,” Frank whispered. “Stone must have read a book once.”
“Maybe he just saw the video,” Joe countered.
“Well, thank most of you anyway,” Kubrick said with a slight chuckle. The crowd laughed. Kubrick showed the cartoon on his tie to the crowd. “Despite my tie,” he said, “I’m here to talk about a very serious matter today—the future security of Bayport. A future, I’m happy to say, that many of you have had a hand in bringing about.”
The crowd applauded. Frank noticed that Morelli and his crew were clowning around, making faces and mugging for one another. Not more than a half-dozen people separated the Hardys and the Kings.
“As you know,” Kubrick continued, “many of Securitech’s most valued employees are BIT students. Without them, we couldn’t activate this new security system today. For the first phase of this program, we’ve put Securitech cameras in the most crime-ridden areas of the city. It is our hope that the system will reduce youth crime and violence by half in the first year. While the areas we activate today are limited, by the end of next year we hope to cover all of Bayport in a high-tech security blanket.”
“Cover yourself in a blanket!” Vince Morelli shouted. His companions made rude noises. Some of the crowd chuckled nervously.
Joe looked at Frank. “Should we quiet those guys down?” he asked. “They’re making it seem as though all teenagers are idiots.”
“They’re the only ones who look like idiots,” Frank whispered back. Nevertheless, he saw Joe edging closer to the Kings. Frank was well aware of his brother’s hot-headed nature and kept close to Joe. Jamal followed, too.
“Now,” said Kubrick, “I’d like to introduce you to some of the fine students who worked with us on this project. They’re one of the main reasons we decided to hold this rally and press conference at BIT Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Councilwoman Hamilton stepped to the mike beside Kubrick. “These exceptional young people, some of them still in their teens, are to be commended for not slipping into laziness and hooliganism.” She looked at both the orderly protesters and the Kings, now just a dozen feet from the Hardys, as she spoke.
Kubrick glanced at Hamilton as though her impromptu remark had caught him off guard. He recovered and said, “If our student employees would step onto the platform, please.”
A small crowd of students did so. Kubrick began introducing those who had worked on the project.
As the list of names reeled on, Frank said, “I don’t see Jake.”
“There’s Vanessa, though,” Joe added. Then, mischief in his voice, he turned to Jamal and said, “Wave hi to your new girlfriend, Hawkins.”
Jamal nudged Joe with his shoulder good-naturedly. “She’s not my girlfriend, Hardy.”
Joe bumped him back. “Not yet anyway,” he said, smiling.
“A lot you know about romance, Hardy,” Jamal countered. “Your idea of a date is anything you don’t have to pay for.”
Frank rolled his eyes. Joe assumed a boxer’s stance.
“Well,” Joe said to Jamal, “your idea of a date is taking a girl to a high-school boxing match.” He threw a few shadow punches in Jamal’s direction.
“Not any match you’re in, Hardy,” Jamal said. “I like a fight to last more than one round.” He dodged and wove and threw a few shadow punches back.
Joe was about to counter when suddenly he felt Frank’s hand on his shoulder. He turned and realized that much of the crowd was staring straight at him.
“And that,” Hamilton’s voice boomed over the P.A. system, “is exactly the kind of hooliganism that I plan to prevent!”
4 Wrongly Condemned
“Hey,” Joe called out, “we were just fooling around.” But his explanation was drowned out by Hamilton’s voice on the P.A.
“It’s bad enough that they have to waste the valuable time of our speakers with their rude remarks, but now they flaunt their violent ways in our very midst,” Hamilton said, her voice icy cold.
“That wasn’t us shouting,” Jamal protested, “that was . . .” But when he looked to where the Kings had stood a minute ago, they were gone.
“Some people,” Hamilton continued, “seem to feel that their rights supersede those of everyone else. They seem to think that they have the right to fight and steal and disrupt an event that other people are enjoying.”
The Hardys and Jamal could feel the heat of the crowd’s stare now. They looked around for someone to bolster their story, but if anyone knew they weren’t the culprits, no one stepped forward.
“Look,” Frank said calmly, “I think you’ve got us confused with somebody else.”
“I don’t think so, young man,” Hamilton said. “I know exactly who you are. You’re the type of person that our Securitech system is designed to protect us against! In another few minutes, we’ll activate the system and your kind will be banished from Bayport forever!” She stepped back from the microphone in triumph and the crowd applauded.
Joe saw a chance for them to slip into the crowd and motioned to Frank. Jamal followed and the three of them slunk away. “I think we should be safe near the parking lot,” Joe said. Behind them, they could hear Kubrick talking again.
Jamal shook his head. “Man, I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. I hope Vanessa didn’t see that. I’ll never live it down.”
“We caught a bad break,” Frank said, “but we should have been more careful. Did either of you see Jake in that crowd?” Joe and Jamal both shook their heads.
“I don’t get it,” Jamal said. “He knew he was supposed to be here.”
“Maybe we should blow off this rally and head over to his place,” Joe said. “It’s only a few blocks away.”
Before they could leave, though, a familiar figure ducked out of the crowd in front of them.
“Nice going,” Cindy said. “I didn’t think you guys had it in you. Good job sticking it to the authority figures.”
Frank shook his head. “That’s not what we were doing,” he said.
“Sure looked like it to me,” Cindy said.
“It was a case of mistaken identity,” Joe insisted.
“Do I know you?” Jamal asked.
“I don’t think so,” Cindy replied.
“She used to be Jake’s girlfriend,” Joe said.
Jamal nodded. “That must be it. I’m Jamal, a friend of Jake’s. Pleased to meet you.” He extended his right hand.
She shook it. “Cindy,” she said.
“Have you seen Jake around?” Joe asked. “We were looking for him.”
Cindy shook her head. “Nope. Haven’t seen him all day. Anywa
y, I thought you guys were way cool up there. Keep up the good work.” Before any of them could respond, Cindy slipped back into the crowd and disappeared.
“Funny,” Jamal said, “she doesn’t really seem like Jake’s type.”
“Well, they’re in a computer class together, so maybe . . .” Joe said, letting his voice trail off.
“Let’s make doubly sure Jake’s not here before we go to his place,” Frank said.
They found an unobtrusive spot near the back of the crowd, well away from the protesters. Kubrick finished introducing his BIT employees and got back into the meat of his speech.
“This system,” he said, “is state of the art digital technology. Our cameras now cover downtown, outside the mall, and this campus, as well as several other ‘danger areas’ around town. Phase One of the Securitech project will cut down on muggings, vandalism, pickpockets, and other types of crime.”
An assistant rolled out a podiumlike platform from one side of the stage. Atop it sat an oversize green button. “When we press this ceremonial button,” Kubrick said, “the Securitech system will come online and all of us in Bayport will be much safer than we were the moment before.”
He and Hamilton exchanged smiles, then they stepped forward and pressed the button together. The crowd applauded wildly.
“We can all sleep safely knowing Securitech is on guard,” Hamilton said, beaming. She took Kubrick’s hand and held it up like a champion prize fighter’s.
Kubrick leaned forward. “We wish you all a very good—and safe—day,” he said, calling the press conference to an end. Members of the media surged forward to take pictures and get interviews. The student employees of Securitech shambled off the stage and into the thinning crowd.
“I still don’t see Jake,” Frank said.
“Neither do I,” Joe said.
“Let’s ask Vanessa about him,” Jamal suggested. “If he was here, she should know where to find him.”
Joe looked toward the stage where reporters were still milling about. Councilwoman Hamilton was eating up the publicity as she smilingly shook hands and granted interviews. Kubrick was doing the same. Joe spotted Vanessa in a group of students not far from the stage.
“Talking to her is a good idea,” Joe said, “if we can avoid Hamilton and company while doing it.”
Frank nodded agreement. “No sense getting our faces on the front page if we can help it.”
“I don’t feel much like giving interviews, either,” Jamal added. “We’re lucky the reporters didn’t snag us in the middle of the rally.”
“Yeah,” Joe said. “I hear reporters like talking to us tough-guy criminals.”
“Let’s just look for an opening and get to Vanessa if we can,” Frank suggested.
They didn’t have to wait long. Kubrick and Hamilton soon led the reporters away from the stage and toward a hall that had been set up as a reception and interview area. As the reporters left, the Hardys and Jamal walked toward the stage.
Vanessa met them halfway, frowning. “What were you guys doing?” she asked, her voice a mixture of anger and puzzlement. “I didn’t think you were the type to disrupt an event that way.”
“Honestly,” Frank said, “it was a case of mistaken identity. We weren’t the ones yelling at the stage. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Joe and I were just horsing around,” Jamal said. “Might not have been the best time for it, I admit, but . . .”
“Anyway,” Joe said, finishing his friend’s thought, “we weren’t really fighting, and we didn’t mean to cause a ruckus.”
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and said, “Well . . .”
“To tell you the truth,” Frank said, “not to excuse my barbarian brother and our friend here, I think Councilwoman Hamilton was looking for something to punch up her speech. I don’t think she’s very tolerant of people our age.”
Vanessa smiled slightly and nodded. “I kind of got that idea from her speech. I’ve heard her daughter is a bit of a troublemaker, too. So that would make sense.”
“Just too bad we fell into her trap,” Joe said.
“Sorry if we embarrassed you, Vanessa,” Jamal said.
“That’s okay,” Vanessa said, her smile widening. “Nobody knows that you guys are friends of mine.”
“If we want to keep it that way, we should move away a bit,” Frank said half seriously.
“Let’s go over by the science building,” Vanessa said, pointing to a nearby structure. “It’s pretty much press-free over there.”
“We were looking for Jake during the speeches,” Frank said as they walked, “but we didn’t see him. Was he onstage with you?”
Vanessa shook her head. “Nope. He didn’t show. I’m not sure that Kubrick noticed, with everything else going on, but Jake’s absence is sure to show up on Jake’s time card. I’m a bit worried about him.”
“We were thinking about checking his apartment,” Joe said, “to see if he’s there.”
Before Vanessa could respond, though, someone called to her from the science building.
“Robinson! Hey, Robinson!”
The voice came from a chubby, middle-aged man with glasses and a goatee. The gray business suit that he wore didn’t seem to fit quite right. He had been standing in the doorway to the science building but started jogging toward the teens when they stopped walking after hearing his call.
“Who’s that?” Joe whispered.
“Professor Firestein,” Vanessa said, a touch of hostility in her voice.
Before anyone could ask her what was wrong, though, the professor had caught up to them.
“Robinson,” he said, “are you still friends with Jake Martins?”
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and said, “Yes . . . ?”
“Well,” Firestein said, “I’ve been trying to reach him all day. He’s not answering his e-mail or phone. I’ve left messages on his answering machine, but he hasn’t returned my calls.”
“Maybe he’s out,” Vanessa said defiantly.
“Well, if I don’t hear from him soon, he’ll be out for good. I’m tired of his excuses, and I won’t give him special treatment any longer.”
Firestein pushed his glasses up on his nose and continued. “You tell your friend that if he doesn’t have his paper on my desk in the next hour, he’ll be out of my class—just like you.”
5 Harsh Realities
“That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?” Frank said.
“I’m a teacher, not a nursemaid,” Firestein said. “I’ve cut Martins enough slack as it is. If you’re friends of his, you’ll give him the message. I’m not going to waste any more of my valuable time trying to get in touch with him. I thought he showed promise as a computer programmer, but maybe I made a mistake.” He looked at Vanessa as he said this, implying perhaps that she had been a mistake as well.
Vanessa looked as if she might snap back at the professor, but before she could, Jamal stepped forward. “We’ll deliver your message, professor,” he said.
“See that you do,” Firestein said. He turned and stalked back into the science building.
When he had gone Vanessa said, “Sometimes I just want to punch that guy.”
“Probably wouldn’t be good for your college career if you did,” Frank said.
Vanessa sighed. “Honestly. Sometimes I think that college is overrated.”
“What did he mean about Jake being out of the class like you?” Joe asked.
“I dropped out of Firestein’s class earlier in the year,” Vanessa said.
“Work load too much?” Jamal asked.
“Something like that,” Vanessa said. “I’ve been making a lot of money at Securitech, and his class was interfering with that. I couldn’t do both, so . . .” She shrugged her shoulders. “Plus, I just don’t like the man.”
“It’s a required course, isn’t it?” Frank asked. “That’s what Jake told us.”
“It is,” she said, “but I�
�m hoping someone else will be teaching it next year. I’ll take it again before I get my degree—if I don’t quit and go full-time at Securitech.”
“You’d leave school for the job?” Jamal said.
“I’d rather not, but if I have to, yes. Business is booming in high-tech right now, and sometimes a year on the job is worth more to a potential employer than a year in college.”
“That works so long as high-tech is booming,” Frank said, “but if it busts . . .”
Vanessa laughed. “With more people going online every year, I don’t see that happening. Computers are the place to be. If Jake was smart, he’d drop Firestein’s class, too, and increase his workload at Securitech.”
“I’ve read that people with degrees in computer science make more money in the long run,” Joe said.
“That may be true,” Vanessa replied, “but I haven’t given up on my degree yet, despite Professor Firestein. Until I get that degree, though, I want to earn as much as I can, and if I have to drop a class or two to do it . . .” She smiled and shrugged again.
“Well, I want to make sure that Jake can make that choice for himself,” Frank said. “We need to find him and find him fast, before Firestein kicks him out of class.”
Joe and the others nodded.
“Right,” Jamal said. “Vanessa, do you know some other places to look for Jake besides his apartment?”
“We could call work, for a start,” she said. “Though since he missed the rally, I doubt he’s at the office. There are a few other spots around campus we could check out, too.”
“Great,” Frank said. “You two check the campus, Joe and I will look at his apartment and then Java John’s. Jamal, do you have your cell phone?”
“In my car,” Jamal said.
“Good. We can keep in touch, then,” Frank said. “Call if you find him. We’ll do the same.”
“Let’s get to it,” Joe said. He began to jog back toward the parking lot. Vanessa and Jamal headed toward where Jamal had parked.
As they got to the parking lot, they saw a large crowd of people and reporters standing around a pink sedan. Councilwoman Hamilton stood in the middle of the group, anger blazing on her face. Through the crowd the Hardys could see that the sedan’s tires had been slashed.
The Spy That Never Lies Page 3
