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looked at the woman with relief, ignoring her doubtful gaze. "At least I can wait for Phil in the hall instead of on the doorstep." She chattered on, charming the woman, and finally entered the building with her. Annie even held her groceries while she opened the two doors into the Riverview Apartments.
    "Pretty good member of our team, huh, Frank?" Joe said as the Hardys approached the door moments later. Annie held the front door open, and they slipped through.
    "Apartment Seventeen, top floor," Annie whispered. "His name is still on the box."
    The Hardys, trusting Annie's skills by now, pushed the button for the small, rickety elevator and rode up in silence.
    "Oh!" Annie stepped backward right into Joe and gasped as the door to 17 swung open. It was not locked. Inside, the picture was the same — someone had been there, too.
    They made a quick search, but expected to find nothing. Annie stood in the middle of the one tiny dark room the whole time, glancing over her shoulder and twisting the ring on her finger nervously.
    "Let's get out of here, guys. I don't like this." After seeing this new evidence, Annie was no longer pleased to be playing detective.
    Frank didn't like it, either, but he wanted to search thoroughly, anyway. He didn't know what he expected to find.
    Once again there was nothing. Whoever was employed in the search-and-destroy division of this operation was skilled and thorough.
    "Okay, let's go," he said, and led the way back to the elevator.
    Out on the sidewalk in front of the building, they all gratefully breathed in the fresh air. Annie walked toward the van ahead of the brothers, anxious to be safe inside the vehicle. As she was passing a limousine parked at the curb, both passenger doors opened. - Before either of the Hardys could react, two men dressed entirely in black leaped out and grabbed Annie, who barely had time to let out one short scream.
    The men wrestled Annie into the car and roared away.

Chapter 7
    "No!" shouted Joe.
    "Let's go after them," Frank yelled, heading for the van. "Keep your eye on that car."
    The Hardys dashed for their van, and Frank had the engine roaring before Joe fastened his seat belt.
    Frank followed the limo easily, racing through yellow lights and weaving in and out of traffic. But near a group of warehouses a red light stopped them. Frank had been so intent on chasing the limo that he didn't notice it until it was too late. It was then that he heard the scream of a siren and saw a red flashing light appear in his rear-view mirror.
    "Ignore them," Joe urged. "We'll lose Annie." He sat forward in his seat as if he could help Frank drive faster.
    Frank heaved a sigh. "I can't, Joe. Keep an eye on the limo as long as possible." Frank pulled the van to the curb and waited for the ticket that was certain to follow.
    When Frank stopped, Joe jerked open his door and hit the sidewalk running. One of the police officers called out to him, but he ignored the man's shouts. He sprinted after the limo for two blocks, watching it pull farther and farther away. Annie, he thought determinedly, I can't lose you now.
    The black car slowed at an intersection, and just as Joe thought he might catch up, it turned right and disappeared. Joe pounded the concrete even harder until he reached the corner where the limo had turned. There was an empty lot on one side, an old building surrounded by a fence on the other, and directly in front of him a ramp that led to underground parking.
    Joe's lungs burned as his breath came in ragged spurts, and his legs, with the oxygen depleted, felt heavy as lead. He glanced around, knowing the limo hadn't gone farther. It had to have gone down the ramp.
    Cautiously he slipped into the cool darkness that led under a building. The light was dim, but as soon as Joe's eyes adjusted, he saw only afew cars in a neat row. Was the building abandoned?
    No black limo. This was impossible. The limo couldn't just vanish.
     
    ***
     
    "Okay," snapped the officer,