The Florida Chase: Collectors Edition: The Florida Chase, #5

Chapter 1: The Letter

The red sedan pulled up to a two-story house in Pittsburgh. Jordan Brody, a fair-haired youth with a muscular figure, strolled down the path and went inside.

Music blared throughout the house as he hurried up the stairs and rapped on a bedroom door. A few moments passed before his brother, who was three years younger than him and still in high school, cut the music and threw open the door.

Luke was shorter than Jordan and a bit more on the chubby side, but he had the same blue eyes and fair hair. I thought I saw you drive in, he said, smiling.

I came as soon as I could. Jordan entered the bedroom as Luke leafed through a pile of papers that were stacked three-feet high on his desk. What are you looking for?

You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. Just wait a minute while I find it.

It had better be good. I was supposed to meet Julie at the plaza at four. I’m gonna be late.

Found it! Luke grabbed a sheet of paper and handed it to his brother.

Jordan saw that it was a letter addressed to their father, dated one week ago. He read it aloud. Dear Mr. Brody. As soon as I received your information, I did some searching of my own. It looks as though you are right. We need to meet and discuss the situation. Do not let anyone else know about this meeting. It is imperative that we keep it a secret. You and I would not last long if this information got into the wrong hands. Please meet me at the park bench in Lansburgh Park near the Friendship Baptist Church this Thursday at noon. I repeat, under no condition reveal this information to anyone. Be careful, Richard Stone. Jordan looked up. Where did you find this?

The last time we searched the desk in Dad’s study, the middle drawer looked a bit weird. I had forgotten about it, and it wasn’t until I was in the study again that I remembered.

Was the letter hidden in the drawer?

Sort of. I pulled out all the drawers and found a hidden compartment attached to the back of the desk. After fiddling around for a few moments, I finally found the button to open it. The letter and some other documents were inside. Luke looked at his brother excitedly. Do you realize what this means? We finally have some evidence that proves that Dad may have been kidnapped after all. The police will have to listen to us now.

The letter only suggests a meeting place, Jordan replied. We don’t know if he even made it there. We need to get more information before the police will listen to us.

Then we’ll get some information.

Jordan looked at his brother in amazement. How can we get any more information? Are we supposed to track down Richard Stone ourselves?

I looked it up on my phone and mapped out the way already.

But wouldn’t there be more than one Richard Stone?

Of course. But there’s only one that lives in Washington D.C, and that’s where Lansburgh Park is.

Are you crazy? Haven’t you forgotten how far it is? Dad will probably come back safe and sound next week. Why not wait? I know he said that he hoped to be back on Saturday, and now it’s Tuesday, but you know how reporters are. If they get hold of a good story, they lose track of time.

If you don’t want to come, I’ll just go myself right away. After grabbing his backpack, Luke made his way to the door, but his brother beat him to it.

You know what happened the last time you went off by yourself, Jordan blurted. You would have been locked-up for two years for stealing that car if I hadn’t come along and proved your innocence.

That was different, Luke said, defiant. I was younger then. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. I’m going to Washington to find Richard Stone and ask him what he knows about Dad.

Jordan hesitated as Luke moved to open the door. Resigned to the fact that his brother was going to go whether or not he liked it, he moved out of the way.

Good to see you’re not stupid, Luke said as he opened the bedroom door and went downstairs.

Jordan paused and tried to think about what he should do. He didn’t want to go on what would probably turn out to be a wild-goose chase, but what if their dad had been kidnapped?

He had already lost his mom in a terrible car accident three years ago, and so, not wanting to lose his dad, he hurried downstairs.

Luke was making a sandwich in the kitchen and looked up as Jordan entered.

What are you going to do for money? Jordan asked.

I’ve got my savings account.

Jordan smiled grimly. That would only last you for a couple of days.

What do you have in mind then?

We can use the credit card Dad just got me.

Suits me.

Oh, and one more thing. If we don’t find anything, we come back straight away. But, if we do, we go straight to the police. Agreed?

Agreed.

Okay. Make me a sandwich while I get some clothes. We’ll leave in five minutes. He ran back upstairs, opened his closet, and started throwing stuff in a backpack. After glancing around the room to make sure he had everything that they needed to make the 200-mile trip, he went downstairs.

He called to Luke to meet him outside and made his way to the sedan. After throwing the backpack in the back, he climbed into the driver’s seat.

His brother joined him a few moments later and Jordan put the car in gear and drove off. Luke leaned back in his seat, trying to get comfortable for the long drive ahead.

Chapter 2: Appointment with Richard

The Brody Residence, One Week Earlier

After getting home early from work, Mr. Brody glanced through the mail. Seeing that it was mostly bills, he was about to chuck it onto the table to read later, when he saw the address of the sender of the last letter. It was from Washington D.C. He quickly tore it open. A ghost of a smile broke across his face as he read it. It looked like his suspicions were correct.

Hearing his sons pull up, he stuffed the envelope into his pocket and made his way to the kitchen to prepare some lunch.

Hi, Dad, Luke said as he and his brother entered the room.

You’re home early, Jordan said.

The newspaper wanted me to do a story on the local police force. I came home to get some details off the internet and type up the story. I’ll head back to the office later to see if they like it.

I’m sure they will, Luke said. He munched down a salad roll that he’d bought on the way home.

Thanks for the encouragement, his father replied, grinning. Oh, I have to go on a trip and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.

Where to? Jordan asked.

New York. I’m meeting a close friend of mine and doing some research into one of my old projects.

Still hunting for that big story? Luke asked.

Mr. Brody nodded.

How long have you been working on this story of yours? Jordan said.

Well, it’s not the length of time it takes, but what the result is.

Jordan looked at Luke and made a face. Ever since their mom had died, their dad had been on the lookout for a big story – the story that reporters dreamed of. Something that would propel him, a small-time reporter, onto the cover of one of the big newspapers in New York or Los Angeles.

How about we move back to New York city after Luke finishes high school? Jordan asked.

Son, we have gone over that many times before. We’re not going to go over it again. Maybe when I get my big story, but not before.

Luke joined the conversation with, But why did we have to move from New York in the first place?

Because I needed to be away from all the hustle and bustle. After your mother died, I decided to take a break from my IT job and move here to Pittsburgh and—

Became a hot-shot reporter, Luke broke in. We know the story, but what happens if you don’t get that break? What are we going to do then?

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Mr. Brody declared. He glanced at his watch. I’ve got to go now, but I’ll be home by seven. Remember, I booked that Mexican restaurant for dinner tonight. With that, he left the room.

After making sure that their dad was out of earshot, Luke glanced at Jordan. Do you think we’ll ever move from here?

Maybe. Who knows? All I know is that is that I don’t want to be stuck in this town forever. Once I finish college, I’ll be off to New York. What about you? Are you happy here?

Well, it’s a roof over my head. Anyway, we’ll see what happens.

The boys parted ways. Jordan went outside for some basketball practice while Luke headed to his bedroom to study for the SAT.

After typing up his report, Mr. Brody climbed into his white sedan and headed toward Pittsburgh. After presenting his story to the boss, he made his way to a big department store and purchased camping equipment. He put the equipment into the back of the car and took out his cell phone. After taking a business card from his pocket, he dialed the number on it.

It was an anxious few moments as he waited for someone to pick up the phone. If no one answered, his worst fears would be realized. After letting it ring ten times, he hesitated, then hit the end call button on his phone. With a heavy heart, he made his way to the car. He hoped that nothing was wrong, but he would soon find out. He looked at his watch. Time had flown and it was nearly five p.m.

Mr. Brody arrived home to discover that Jordan was out and Luke was studying in his room. Hoping that he wasn’t going to be disturbed, he quietly went into the basement and, after picking two fairly large backpacks, made his way to the kitchen. He was halfway through putting food into one of them when he heard the music stop upstairs and the bedroom door open.

Throwing a glance around the kitchen hoping to see a place to hide the bags, he heard footsteps descending the stairs. He stuffed the two backpacks into one of the lower cabinets. A moment later Luke walked into the room. He mustered up a smile.

Hi, Dad, Luke said. I didn’t hear you come home.

I only just got home a few minutes ago. Have you seen Jordan around? It’s nearly time to leave for the restaurant.

No, Luke said. I’ve been studying in my room the whole time. He looked at his dad curiously. The phone has been ringing almost non-stop all afternoon. I picked it up once or twice, but, when I told them that you weren’t home, they hung up. What’s going on?

Nothing, Mr. Brody said as he tried to conceal his worry. It was probably just a persistent salesman. You know what they are like. They’ll do anything for a sale.

Maybe, Luke replied, looking oddly at his dad.

Noticing the weird look, Mr. Brody decided to change the subject. How about we go out and play some one-on-one basketball till Jordan comes home?

~

As the pink dawn spread across the horizon, Mr. Brody climbed into his car and drove off. He left a note at the kitchen table to remind his sons that he was going to New York and that he would be back in time for Jordan’s basketball game on Saturday.

Midmorning found him nearly at his destination. Having stopped only for a quick bite to eat at a fast food place, he’d made excellent time. The drive to Washington D.C was a long one, but he had plenty to think about. Twice, he called the number that he had tried yesterday, but there was still no answer.

He turned off the interstate and headed for Lansburgh Park. It was early, but he wanted to make sure that he could find the place. A quarter of an hour later saw him arrive at the recreation area. He grabbed a folder from the backseat of the car, locked the vehicle, and made his way to the park.

There were only a few people about, and most of them were children who were playing on the swings. After looking around, he decided to sit next to one of the trees and wait. According to the letter that he had received the other day, Richard was due to arrive in ten minutes.

Time passed, and he was about to give up any hope when he saw a figure dressed in a black raincoat approach a nearby seat and sit down.

Not knowing what Richard looked like, he could only assume that it was him, so he went over to the park bench and sat down. The other man didn’t move for a few seconds and Mr. Brody wondered if he had made a mistake. Then he got the shock of his life. The man opened the left side of his coat and revealed a gun!

Mr. Brody quickly threw the pile of papers into the man’s face and started to run toward his car. He had parked on the far side, so he would have to travel near the children who were playing in the park.

Wishing that he had parked somewhere else, but knowing that his safety relied on him reaching the car, he sprinted for his life. He shuddered as he heard the man fire his pistol and saw the bullet smack one of the nearby trees.

As he approached the play equipment, he hoped that the man would stop firing once he saw that people were around. He did stop shooting, but not for that reason.

Mr. Brody had just reached the far side of the swings when he rounded a tree and was knocked to the ground by another man coming in the opposite direction. Quickly, the man pulled out a handkerchief and put it over his mouth. He