Mystery Map Read online

  BURIED TREASURE!

  Frank looked over at Chet. He was crouched down in the same spot, still with his back to the rest of the kids. It looked as if he was tugging at something on the ground.

  What is he doing? Frank wandered closer.

  Chet heard him coming and looked around. “Hey, Frank, help me!” he said eagerly.

  “Help you with what?” Frank hurried over.

  Chet tugged again at something. Frank could see it now. It looked like the edge of a piece of thin yellow paper buried in the dirt.

  “I was following some raccoon tracks over here,” Chet said. “But I think I just found a treasure map!”

  THE HARDY BOYS® SECRET FILES

  #1 Trouble at the Arcade

  #2 The Missing Mitt

  #3 Mystery Map

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ALADDIN

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Aladdin paperback edition August 2010

  Text copyright © 2010 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Scott Burroughs

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  THE HARDY BOYS is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  Designed by Lisa Vega

  The text of this book was set in Garamond.

  Manufactured in the United States of America/7010 OFF

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Control Number 2009937537

  ISBN 978-1-4169-9165-6

  ISBN 978-1-4424-0719-0 (eBook)

  CONTENTS

  1 DODGEBALL DANGER

  2 TRASH OR MAP?

  3 SECRET SPOTS

  4 THE SEARCH BEGINS

  5 RUNNING AND HIDING

  6 ON THE TRAIL

  7 FOLLOW YOUR NOSE

  8 A NEW LEAD

  9 CASH BACK

  10 SECRET FILE #3: TWO CASES CLOSED

  1

  Dodgeball Danger

  Gotcha!” someone yelled.

  Frank Hardy spun around. A ball was flying toward him. He ducked just in time.

  “Missed me!” he yelled back.

  Then he swooped down and picked up another ball off the ground. There were at least ten people in the dodgeball game. And about eight balls. That made things extra exciting.

  One of the other players was Frank’s brother, Joe. He was chasing their friend Iola Morton with one of the balls. But they were both too far away for Frank to try to hit them.

  Frank looked around for someone else. His friend Phil Cohen was nearby. He was leaning over to pick up a ball. Frank grinned and winged his ball at Phil.

  “You’re out!” he called as the ball bounced off Phil’s back.

  “Aw, man!” Phil complained. “You got me out last time too, Frank!”

  “I’ll get him back for you, Phil,” Joe called out. He dashed over and flung the ball he was holding at Frank.

  Frank dodged it easily. Joe was pretty good at dodgeball. But sometimes he got too excited and impatient to aim carefully enough.

  “You’ll have to do better than that,” Frank said. “Or—”

  ZZZZZZZIP!

  A ball whizzed past, inches in front of his nose. It was going really, really fast. It almost hit Phil in the head, but he ducked just in time.

  “Ha!” someone shouted.

  Frank spun around. Adam Ackerman was standing at the edge of the game. Adam was the worst bully in Bayport. He was eight years old, just like Joe, which made him a whole year younger than Frank, Phil, and some of the others. But he was bigger than all of them—and a lot meaner. He was always getting in trouble at school for picking fights and stealing kids’ lunches.

  “Hey!” Joe yelled. “Who invited you to play?”

  “It’s a public park, dummy,” Adam taunted. “I can be here if I want.”

  Frank frowned. Adam was right. They were playing in Bayport Park. Everyone was allowed to play games there, or have picnics in the grassy parts, or hike in the woods. But that didn’t mean it was right for Adam to butt in on their game.

  Adam grabbed a ball off the ground. He had an evil glint in his eye as he looked around for another victim. Then he smiled.

  “Great,” he muttered gleefully. “Easy target!”

  Frank followed Adam’s gaze. Uh-oh. He was staring right at Chet Morton.

  Chet was Iola’s brother and one of the Hardy brothers’ best friends. He wasn’t very good at dodgeball or most other sports. But he had lots of other interests. His friends and family liked to joke that Chet had a new hobby every week. Lately he was interested in learning how to identify and follow animal tracks. Right now Chet was at the edge of the woods, facing away from the dodgeball game. He was bending over and staring at something on the ground.

  Frank groaned. Chet was probably looking for animal tracks or something. When he got caught up in a new hobby, Chet forgot about everything else. That meant he’d never see Adam’s attack coming.

  Joe and the others saw what Adam was about to do too. “Don’t do it, Adam!” Iola cried.

  Adam ignored her. He wound up and threw the ball at Chet as hard as he could. And that was pretty hard.

  “Noooooo!” Joe howled. Flinging himself forward, he tried to block the ball with his body before it reached Chet.

  THUNK! Joe blocked the shot, all right. But not with his body. He accidentally used his face instead.

  “Ow!” he cried as the ball slammed him right in the eye. He dropped to his knees and grabbed his face.

  “Grow up, Adam!” Iola stomped over to the bully. “In case you’re wondering why we never invite you to play, that’s why!” She pointed to Joe, who was still clutching his face.

  “Yeah. Either play by the rules or go away,” Phil added. Some of the other kids nodded. Others hung back, looking nervous. Almost everyone was at least a little bit afraid of Adam.

  But Joe was too annoyed to be scared. He stood up and hurried over, still rubbing his face. “Adam,” he asked, “why do you have to be such a jerk?”

  Frank looked over at Chet. He hadn’t even noticed his close call. He was crouched down in the same spot, still with his back to the rest of the kids. It looked as if he was tugging at something on the ground.

  What is he doing? Frank wandered closer.

  Chet heard him coming and looked around. “Hey, Frank, help me!” he said eagerly.

  “Help you with what?” Frank hurried over.

  Chet tugged again at something. Frank could see it now. It looked like the edge of a piece of thin yellow paper buried in the dirt.

/>   “I was following some raccoon tracks over here,” Chet said. “But I think I just found a treasure map!”

  2

  Trash or Map?

  Just go away, Adam!” Iola yelled.

  Adam crossed his arms. “Who’s going to make me?”

  Joe looked around for Frank. He was usually pretty good at calming everyone down at times like this.

  But Frank wasn’t even paying attention to Adam anymore. He was way over by the edge of the woods with Chet. They were leaning over, looking at something on the ground.

  Iola and the others were still busy yelling at Adam. They didn’t even notice when Joe left. He jogged over to his brother and Chet.

  “What are you guys doing over here?” he asked.

  “Chet found something,” Frank said.

  Chet nodded eagerly. “I’m pretty sure it’s a treasure map!”

  “A treasure map? Really?” Joe couldn’t help being doubtful. Who would hide a treasure map in boring old Bayport? Still, he bent down to help the others dig out the piece of paper. It was pretty muddy after being buried in the ground.

  Joe noticed that one corner of the paper was missing and its edges were ragged. “Looks like something chewed off part of it,” he said.

  Chet nodded. “It could have been that raccoon I was tracking.” He pointed to some small, hand-like prints in the mud. “Or maybe a dog or something.”

  Joe looked over at the sidewalk across the street. He remembered that a tall, blond kid had been walking a lively hound puppy on a leash over there earlier. Joe had noticed them because he loved dogs. He didn’t know the kid, but he’d seen him around. He was pretty sure the puppy was new, though. They were both gone now anyway.

  “It was probably a dog,” Joe said. “They like to eat anything and everything. That’s why Mom says we can’t get one.”

  Frank was carefully spreading out the muddy paper. “Sorry, Chet,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a treasure map after all. Looks like a used wrapper from a fast-food burger.”

  “Yuck,” Joe said. “You’re right. I think that’s ketchup there under the dirt.”

  Chet grabbed the burger wrapper and turned it over. “Look,” he said, pointing. “There’s stuff written on the back. See? It is a map!”

  Joe leaned forward for a closer look. Just then there was a shout from behind them. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Adam heading their way.

  “Oops,” he said, shoving the wrapper at Chet. “Better hide this before Adam sees it. You know how he is.”

  Chet looked nervous. “You take it,” he whispered, shoving it back at Joe.

  Joe shrugged and stuffed the wrapper in his pocket. Then he and Frank walked back toward Adam and the others. Chet stayed a little behind them.

  “Hiding from me, Morton?” Adam taunted him with a smirk.

  “Leave him alone,” Frank said.

  Just then there was a buzzing sound. Phil reached into his pocket. “It’s my phone,” he said.

  Phil had the fanciest cell phone of anyone his age. He loved gadgets and anything high tech. When he grew up, he wanted to be an inventor.

  He answered the phone. Then he held it out to Frank and Joe.

  “It’s for you two,” he said. “It’s your mom.”

  “Thanks.” Frank took the phone from him.

  “Aw, how cute,” Adam goaded Joe, using a baby voice. “Your mommy is checking up on you! Is she afraid her two little babies will get lost trying to find your way home all by your baby selves?”

  “No way,” Joe answered with a frown. “If someone with a brain as tiny as yours can find your way home, we can do it too.”

  Adam just smirked. “If you say so, Baby Joe.”

  Soon Frank hung up and handed the phone back to Phil. “We’d better head home,” he told Joe.

  “Already?” Joe asked unhappily.

  “Just come on,” Frank said. “Mom wants us to stop at the grocery store on the way.”

  “We’ll walk you to the store,” Chet said. “It’s on our way home. Right, Iola?”

  He still sounded nervous. That reminded Joe that Adam was still hanging around. As long as he was there, staying at the park wouldn’t be much fun anyway.

  The four of them said good-bye to the others and walked away. “I still don’t see why we had to leave so early,” Joe complained. “The store’s right across the street. It will only take a second to stop in there.”

  “I know,” Frank said. “But Mom wants us home early. Aunt Gertrude’s coming for dinner tomorrow, remember? So we’re supposed to help make sure our room is nice and clean.”

  “Aunt Gertrude?” Iola asked. “Is that your aunt who lives in New York City?”

  Joe groaned. “Yeah. I forgot she was coming to visit this weekend.”

  He loved his Aunt Gertrude, who was his father’s sister. And it was fun to travel to New York City to visit her at her apartment. There was always lots to do in her busy neighborhood.

  But it wasn’t as much fun when she made the trip out to visit them in Bayport. She was always making the boys sit up straight and keep their elbows off the table when they ate. Frank did that anyway, so she was always praising him. But Joe sometimes forgot.

  Soon they were at the door of the grocery store.

  “What time is your aunt coming?” Chet asked. “Want to meet up at the park again in the morning?”

  “Sure. She’s not getting here until dinnertime,” Joe said.

  Frank nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

  3

  Secret Spots

  At dinner Joe reached for the napkin on his lap to wipe his mouth. As he did, his hand brushed against something sticking out of his pocket. It was the crumpled yellow paper Chet had dug up.

  “Guess what?” Joe told his parents, pulling it out. “Chet found this in the park. He thinks it’s a map to hidden treasure.”

  “That’s nice.” Mrs. Hardy hardly looked up from her food. “Don’t drop any of that dirt on the floor, please. I just cleaned the rug.”

  “A treasure map, eh?” Mr. Hardy said. “Well, I suppose you two are just the ones to track down any pirate’s booty hidden in Bayport. You can add it to the list of mysteries you’ve already solved.”

  “That’s true,” Joe agreed. The brothers had solved a couple of mysteries around Bayport lately. It turned out that they had a knack for it. Everyone said they were following in their father’s footsteps.

  “I doubt it’s really a treasure map, though,” Frank added.

  “Hmm.” Mrs. Hardy checked her watch. “Would you all excuse me, please? I really need to put the towels in the dryer.”

  She got up from the table. So did Mr. Hardy. “I’m finished too,” he said. “I, er, have some things to do.”

  They both hurried out of the room in opposite directions. Frank frowned as he watched them go. Then he turned to Joe.

  “What’s with them?” he asked. “They’re acting kind of weird.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Joe was still looking at the treasure map.

  “I hope nothing’s wrong,” Frank said.

  Joe shrugged. “Don’t worry so much. Adults act weird sometimes. It’s just a fact of life.” He pushed the dirty yellow paper across the table. “Check this out. I think Chet’s right—it really does look like someone drew a map on here.”

  Frank took the map and looked at it. “It definitely could be a map,” he agreed. “Look—whoever made it drew a bunch of trees here. Think that’s supposed to be the woods?”

  Joe leaned across the table for a better look. “Probably. And what about this? Looks like a baseball diamond—like the one at the park. So that means the woods are probably the ones right out there.”

  Joe pointed toward the back of the Hardys’ house. A strip of forest lay between their house and the park. There were lots of trails back there for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. The brothers cut through there all the time to get to the main part of town from their neighborhood.

/>   “And this blob here is probably the duck pond behind the post office.” Frank pointed to another mark on the paper. “So it really does look like a map of Bayport. But why would someone draw a map of Bayport, unless . . .”

  “Unless it really is a map to a hidden treasure!” Joe broke in, sounding excited. “Awesome! That twisty dotted line probably marks the trail to the spot where the treasure is buried.”

  Frank peered at the line. “It’s pretty hard to see with all the dirt and stuff,” he said. “Maybe we should show it to Dad. He might have some tips for figuring it out.”

  Joe jumped to his feet. “Let’s go find him!”

  They hurried out of the dining room. In the kitchen their mother was talking on the phone.

  “Yes, Gertrude,” she was saying when they entered. “Fenton will be there to pick you up at the station. I hope you—”

  “Mom!” Joe whispered. “Where’s Dad?”

  His mother frowned and shook her head. Suddenly, Joe remembered that she hated it when he tried to talk to her while she was on the phone. Oops, he thought.

  Frank tugged on his arm. “Come on,” he murmured. “We can find Dad ourselves.”

  The next place they looked was the living room. Their dad liked to read the newspaper there after dinner. But there was no sign of him. He wasn’t in the den watching TV either, or in his bedroom.

  Frank and Joe stopped in the upstairs hallway. “This is turning into a real mystery,” Frank joked. “I think we need to investigate.”

  “Maybe Dad has a secret tree house of his own,” Joe said.

  Frank grinned. Mr. Hardy had helped the boys build a tree house in the woods out back. Nobody knew it was there except the three of them. Lately it had become the headquarters for the brothers’ investigations.

  “If we’re going to solve the case of the missing father, we’d better do it the right way,” Frank said. “The six Ws, remember?”

  “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.” Joe ticked each word off on his fingers. “Okay, we know the Who.”

  “We’re looking for Dad, that’s the Who,” Frank agreed. “The What is that he’s missing, and the When is right now.”