Final Cut by Franklin W. Dixon Read Free Book Online

me . . ."
    "You know - maybe something could be - arranged," Andrea said.
    "Arranged? Meaning what?" Joe asked.
    Gertrude bustled in, carrying a tray. "Here's some nice cocoa for everyone, and some home-baked cookies. Now, Mr. Addison - "
    "Just Jim, please, Gertrude," said the actor.
    "Jim, then. A cup of cocoa will make you feel much better. I'll just leave you all to your business." Gertrude quickly left the office.
    "What did you mean, something could be arranged?" Frank said.
    Andrea shrugged. "If we found witnesses who would swear that at the time of the murder Jim was, oh, let's say, having breakfast with them miles away, why, they'd have to clear him."
    Joe frowned. "But Jim was alone, in his room at the time."
    Andrea waved it off. "You know that, sweetie, and I know it, but we can still get witnesses - for a price."
    Abruptly Fenton stood up. "That's foolish talk, Andrea. And I have to tell you that if you ever try such a thing, not only would we drop the case, but we would have to go to the police and tell them about this conversation."
    Now Andrea got up and glared at Fenton. "If you cared more about helping your clients and less about little legal formalities - "
    "Andrea!" Jim Addison's voice rang out. "That's enough! It's late, and we're all tired. Let's go and let the Hardys do their job. Now." Andrea blinked and looked confused for a moment. "Yes, of course. You're right, Jim. I apologize if I - I'm sorry."
    The visitors got up to go, and Jim Addison noticed the untouched cocoa.
    "Thank Gertrude for her hospitality," he said to Frank with a grin. "Good night."
    Fenton Hardy showed them to the door and rejoined his sons in his office.
    Frank shook his head. "That Andrea Stuart is something else."
    "Can you believe her trying to get us to go along with phony witnesses?" exclaimed Joe. "She could be real trouble."
    Frank sat up straight. "Maybe she's mixed up with this murder herself! With her attitude toward the law - maybe she set Jim up - "
    "How could she have set up the argument that witness overheard?" Joe asked. "Maybe the lady is bent, I don't know. But right now I'm more worried about who else she told about why we're really at the studio. Even if she's honest, she's dangerous."
    "I think we should turn in and worry about it in the morning," replied Frank, yawning. "We're going to be short of sleep as it is, and tomorrow, we've got to - "
    Crash!
    The sound of smashing glass shattered the nighttime silence.
    "That came from the living room!" Frank shouted, charging out the office door.
    An engine was gunned, and someone took off at high speed.
    Frank reached the living room first, and stopped short just before his father and brother joined him. Daggerlike shards of glass from the living room window lay scattered all over the carpet. In the middle of the room lay a brick, a piece of paper wrapped around it. Joe picked his way carefully through the mess to get at the brick. He carried it back to where all three of them could read the message scrawled in block letters on the paper.
    "Mind your own business. Next time we'll use a bomb."

Chapter 8
    The next morning Frank and Joe were back at work on the sound stage. Sam Freed was there, too, but he hadn't reacted at all when he saw Joe. No one had any comments about the scrapes on Joe's face either.
    The Hardys had decided not to let anyone, including the police, know about the brick and the bomb threat. "If we don't keep quiet about it," Frank had said, "we won't be able to do our job because the police will be following us around to protect us."
    "It sounds like a bluff anyway," Joe said. "If someone goes after us with a bomb, it's like saying that the case against Jim isn't open-and-shut after all."
    While a shot was being prepared, Frank and Joe were learning about wireless microphones from Headcase.
    "See, you can hide the mike on a costume, like behind a button," Headcase explained, holding up the tiny gadget, "and then the actor puts this transmitter