Read Online Final Cut by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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Fairburn's murder," Joe added. "So he was treating it as a separate incident."
"Well," said Frank thoughtfully, "he may have a point. I mean, we've turned up a lot of people who hated Fairburn, but there's no history that we can find between him and Freed."
"What did you hear about Fairburn's past from your buddy in Boston?" asked Joe.
Fenton pulled a piece of paper out of an envelope. "You can read this over later if you like, but here's the gist of it: Fairburn had a reputation back then as a heavy gambler who was always in debt, always borrowing from the other reporters. He was too friendly with some of the criminals that he wrote about, in the opinion of the other police-beat writers."
"Not exactly a model citizen," said Joe.
The three Hardys continued to look through the file of stories. Suddenly Joe stopped and said, "Take a look at these." He gave his brother a handful of clippings.
Frank checked them over. "They're about a gang that pulled off a string of big heists twenty-five years ago," he said to Fenton. "Apparently when they broke up the gang, they never caught the brains of the outfit. The stories identified him only as 'Grallagher.' "
Frank tossed the copies on the desk. "These stories read just like the plot of 'Thieves' Bargain,' " he said. "Exactly like it. There's no way it can be a coincidence."
Joe added, "And this Gallagher is just like Jim Addison's character. The mastermind."
Fenton picked up the stories. "Well, I suppose it figures that an ex-crime reporter would turn to his own old material for a TV script," he said.
"Yeah," said Frank, "but Jim said that when he was first told about the TV pilot, it was completely different from this. Then, when Jim got the script, he saw that Fairburn had changed it. Why?"
Joe shrugged. "Maybe he just thought it was a better story than the other one."
Frank shook his head. "You don't rewrite a script completely just before shooting. It wasn't just a little bit here and there, it was a total rewrite, and that - "
The phone rang and Fenton answered.
"Hello? ... Oh, hello, Con ... Yes. What? ... When? ... I'm going to put you on the speakerphone so you can tell Frank and Joe yourself. Just a moment."
Fenton put down the receiver and punched a button. "It's Con Riley. Okay, Con, go ahead."
The policeman's voice sounded strained. "Hi, Frank, Joe. I've got some bad news for you."
"What's up, Con?" asked Frank.
"Sam Freed was being taken for mug shots and fingerprints, and I don't know how it happened, but he somehow managed to overpower his guards and get away. We haven't been able to find him."
"When was this?" asked Joe.
"A half hour ago," Con replied. "We've got an all-points bulletin out on him, and we're combing the city. I figured you ought to know."
Frank's lips were pressed into a thin line. "Well, thanks for the word, Con," he said. "You'll be sure to keep us posted, right?"
"You can count on it," said the tinny voice over the speaker. "And, Frank? Joe? Stay on your toes. This guy is one mean customer. He really has it in for you two. He put two cops in the hospital, and the last thing they heard him say was that he was going to kill those two Hardy brothers!"
Chapter 11
After Con Riley's call, Frank and Joe waited for their father's reaction. He said, "I guess I don't have to tell you two to watch yourselves until this guy is found."
"We'll be careful," Frank assured him. "But we still have a job to do."
"Right," agreed Joe. "Anyway, tomorrow we'll be working in a huge crowd all day. Freed isn't going to pop up there. I mean, he may be a hood, but he isn't crazy."
***
The next day the crew and cast were set up in downtown Bayport, on a block that had been cleared of traffic for the day. Freed was nowhere around.
"Nobody seems to miss him much," said Joe.
"A nice, friendly guy like that?" cracked Frank. "I can't imagine why."
The scene being shot was a gun battle between the gang and the police. At the end of the battle the gang
"Well," said Frank thoughtfully, "he may have a point. I mean, we've turned up a lot of people who hated Fairburn, but there's no history that we can find between him and Freed."
"What did you hear about Fairburn's past from your buddy in Boston?" asked Joe.
Fenton pulled a piece of paper out of an envelope. "You can read this over later if you like, but here's the gist of it: Fairburn had a reputation back then as a heavy gambler who was always in debt, always borrowing from the other reporters. He was too friendly with some of the criminals that he wrote about, in the opinion of the other police-beat writers."
"Not exactly a model citizen," said Joe.
The three Hardys continued to look through the file of stories. Suddenly Joe stopped and said, "Take a look at these." He gave his brother a handful of clippings.
Frank checked them over. "They're about a gang that pulled off a string of big heists twenty-five years ago," he said to Fenton. "Apparently when they broke up the gang, they never caught the brains of the outfit. The stories identified him only as 'Grallagher.' "
Frank tossed the copies on the desk. "These stories read just like the plot of 'Thieves' Bargain,' " he said. "Exactly like it. There's no way it can be a coincidence."
Joe added, "And this Gallagher is just like Jim Addison's character. The mastermind."
Fenton picked up the stories. "Well, I suppose it figures that an ex-crime reporter would turn to his own old material for a TV script," he said.
"Yeah," said Frank, "but Jim said that when he was first told about the TV pilot, it was completely different from this. Then, when Jim got the script, he saw that Fairburn had changed it. Why?"
Joe shrugged. "Maybe he just thought it was a better story than the other one."
Frank shook his head. "You don't rewrite a script completely just before shooting. It wasn't just a little bit here and there, it was a total rewrite, and that - "
The phone rang and Fenton answered.
"Hello? ... Oh, hello, Con ... Yes. What? ... When? ... I'm going to put you on the speakerphone so you can tell Frank and Joe yourself. Just a moment."
Fenton put down the receiver and punched a button. "It's Con Riley. Okay, Con, go ahead."
The policeman's voice sounded strained. "Hi, Frank, Joe. I've got some bad news for you."
"What's up, Con?" asked Frank.
"Sam Freed was being taken for mug shots and fingerprints, and I don't know how it happened, but he somehow managed to overpower his guards and get away. We haven't been able to find him."
"When was this?" asked Joe.
"A half hour ago," Con replied. "We've got an all-points bulletin out on him, and we're combing the city. I figured you ought to know."
Frank's lips were pressed into a thin line. "Well, thanks for the word, Con," he said. "You'll be sure to keep us posted, right?"
"You can count on it," said the tinny voice over the speaker. "And, Frank? Joe? Stay on your toes. This guy is one mean customer. He really has it in for you two. He put two cops in the hospital, and the last thing they heard him say was that he was going to kill those two Hardy brothers!"
Chapter 11
After Con Riley's call, Frank and Joe waited for their father's reaction. He said, "I guess I don't have to tell you two to watch yourselves until this guy is found."
"We'll be careful," Frank assured him. "But we still have a job to do."
"Right," agreed Joe. "Anyway, tomorrow we'll be working in a huge crowd all day. Freed isn't going to pop up there. I mean, he may be a hood, but he isn't crazy."
***
The next day the crew and cast were set up in downtown Bayport, on a block that had been cleared of traffic for the day. Freed was nowhere around.
"Nobody seems to miss him much," said Joe.
"A nice, friendly guy like that?" cracked Frank. "I can't imagine why."
The scene being shot was a gun battle between the gang and the police. At the end of the battle the gang
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