The Case of the Psychic's Vision (14 page)

“Are we late?” Joe asked, looking at this watch. “I thought Mr. Johnson said—”

“No, no, you're not late,” the receptionist said, interrupting him. “Everyone else is early.”

The Hardy boys looked at each other. It was obvious that the Johnsons wanted to get this taken care of as soon as possible.

The elevator took them silently to the top floor. When the doors opened, they were turned over to another receptionist whose job it was to take them to the conference room.

“Things have certainly changed within the last twenty-four hours, haven't they?” Joe whispered to Colin. “I think I prefer being on Mr. Johnson's A-list instead of his Z-list.”

Colin nodded, but Joe could tell that he was starting to get really tense.

Joe patted him on the shoulder. “It's going to be
all right, Colin. We're no longer the enemy.”

When the second receptionist opened the door, they weren't greeted by their idea of a typical conference room, with a long table surrounded by chairs. This conference room looked more like an exquisitely decorated living room, with soft couches and chairs strategically but unobtrusively placed where everyone could see everyone else. Coffee tables were stocked with plates of muffins and rolls, bottles of water, and different kinds of juices.

Mr. Johnson walked up to the Hardys and offered his hand. “Good morning,” he said.

Frank thought it was more businesslike than friendly, but it certainly wasn't unfriendly.

Joe noticed that Melanie was sitting with Bonnie on a sofa close to the front of the room. She waved at them, but she didn't get up. She still had a strained look on her face. Joe doubted that she had gotten much sleep the night before.

Frank looked around the room. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were there, of course, as well as Melanie and Bonnie. There were several people in the room Frank didn't recognize. He assumed they were members of the law firm.

“Would everyone please be seated?” Mr. Johnson said.

Almost as if it had been choreographed, the entire gathering was in place within a few seconds.

Joe helped himself to a little muffin and a glass of
orange juice. Frank took a glass of apple juice but nothing else. Colin ignored the food, not taking his eyes off of Melanie. She glanced in his direction from time to time, always with a smile on her face.

“I am here to make a confession. I could have certainly done this at home, but I wanted to make sure nothing I said could be misinterpreted or misunderstood,” Mr. Johnson said. “What I am about to say will be a legal deposition.” He looked at Melanie, cleared his throat, and continued. “I kidnapped my daughter when she was two years old.”

There was an audible gasp from Melanie.

The Hardys had been prepared to hear those words, but they still somehow sounded totally out of character for Mr. Johnson.

Frank noticed that Melanie had now bowed her head and was crying. Bonnie had put her arm around Melanie's shoulders.

What followed was an incredible admission.

Mr. Johnson had divorced Melanie's mother before Melanie was born, because he found out his wife had kept some significant secrets. She had been in prison for writing hot checks. The divorce took place before Mr. Johnson knew that Melanie's mother was pregnant. When Mr. Johnson found out that he was going to be a father, he tried to get his former wife to let him have the baby to raise. She refused. After Melanie was born, Mr. Johnson tried to get partial custody of her, but again, his former
wife refused. When Mr. Johnson discovered that Melanie's mother was not only writing hot checks again, but had remarried someone he considered a very unsavory character, he couldn't stand the thought of his beautiful child living with them. He legally changed his name; then he went to his exwife's home one night, and when she and her new husband were asleep, Mr. Johnson took Melanie.

He then moved to New York City with his young daughter, where he met the current Mrs. Johnson. He confessed to her what he had done and together, they decided to get married, move to Bayport, and start a new life. They knew that everyone would just assume that Mrs. Johnson was Melanie's mother. Mr. Johnson had completely lost touch with Melanie's real mom.

When Mr. Johnson finished, there was total silence in the room—until Melanie walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

“You did what you thought you had to do, Daddy,” Melanie said. “I love you. I'll always love you.”

Then everyone in the room watched as Melanie joined Colin and the Hardy boys. “Can you help me find my real mother?” she asked. “I think I'd like to talk to her.”

“I think I can, Melanie,” Colin said. “I honestly think I can.”

The next morning at breakfast, Colin picked up the copy of the
Bayport Times
off the dining room table. He quickly scanned it, and said, “I thought there'd be something in the newspaper this morning about Mr. Johnson's confession.”

“Nope,” Joe said. He took a bite of scrambled eggs. “I'm sure his lawyers have seen to it that it's kept under wraps.”

“So nobody knows about it?” Colin said.

“Oh, I'm sure they do,” Frank said. “I'm sure it's all over Bayport—but it's just not going to be on the national news.”

“Or even the local news,” Joe added.

Colin shook his head. “It's amazing what money can buy.”

“I'm sure Mr. Johnson doesn't see anything unusual about it,” Frank said. “He confessed, so now he's the good guy.”

“I talked to Melanie this morning. She hasn't changed her mind,” Colin said. “She still wants me to help her find her mother. I told her we'd come over this morning.”

At ten thirty, the Hardys and Colin got in the van and headed over to Melanie's house.

Joe laughed. “You know, doing this is making me a little nervous. I keep thinking that as soon as we get there, Mr. Johnson is going to come charging out of the house holding a gun.”

“I think those days are over,” Frank said, “but I'm not expecting a really warm welcome.”

“Dad talked to some of his contacts in the Bayport Police Department about the case. He told me about it this morning before he left for New York,” Joe said. “They're uncertain as to how they should proceed—or even if they
should
proceed.”

“What Mr. Johnson did was illegal,” Colin said. “He didn't have custody of Melanie.”

“I know,” Joe said, “but from what the Bayport Police learned, Melanie's mother didn't even file a missing persons report. She just left town. There's no telling where she is.”

“She probably knew what had happened—that Mr. Johnson had kidnapped Melanie,” Frank
surmised. “She probably knew that she'd have a hard time getting her back.”

“I have a feeling she might have wanted the kidnapping to happen,” Joe said. “Maybe she had decided that Melanie shouldn't be around her new husband. Or maybe she just didn't care.”

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Colin said.

“What do you mean?” Frank asked.

“Melanie wants to find her mother. Sometimes these missing relatives don't exactly want to be reunited,” Colin explained. “Many times it's better if you just forget it.”

“You know Melanie's not going to be able to do that, Colin,” Joe said. “She's clearly looking for some closure. I think I'd feel the same way.”

“I know, I know,” Colin said. “I just wanted to let you in on what might happen.”

Frank turned onto Melanie's street, drove a couple of blocks, parked in front of her house, and the three of them climbed out of the van.

Melanie was at the door, waiting for them. So were Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.

Mr. Johnson shook hands with all three of the boys. “As you know, Melanie wants to locate her real mother. I'm sure you can understand why, though, we don't want to put an ad in the newspaper,” he said. “She told me she thought you could do it because you're . . .”

“Psychic?” Colin offered.

Mr. Johnson nodded. “I don't claim to understand any of this, but Melanie trusts you, so I trust you, too.”

“This really is the best way, Mr. Johnson, because often the person you're searching for turns out to be someone you don't really want to know at all,” Colin said. “If you contact the police department, or even if you use private detectives, too many people hear about it. I can tell Melanie things that only she and I will know about,” Colin said. “If you do a psychic search, you just have more control over the situation.”

“Yes, that's it. That's it exactly,” Mr. Johnson said. “I'm glad you understand what I mean.”

“If you need anything, just ask for it,” Mrs. Johnson said.

“I need the mother's name,” Colin said.

“Mary,” Mr. Johnson said. “Her maiden name was Davis, and I think the man she married was named Sullivan, but I'm not sure.”

“I can work with that,” Colin said.

Melanie started toward the library, but Colin stopped her. “I think we'd have more luck in your room, Melanie,” he said. He turned to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. “Do you mind? That's where most of Melanie's energy would be, and that's very important.”

“If Melanie doesn't mind, then it's certainly all right with us,” Mr. Johnson said.

“I don't mind. It's kind of a mess, though,” Melanie said, and she blushed. “I just thought we'd all be more comfortable somewhere else.”

“We're not going to take photos for a magazine,” Joe said. He grinned at her. “And we promise not to give away your secret.”

“Don't mind him, Melanie,” Frank said, as they headed up the stairs to the second floor. “You should see the messes Joe makes sometimes. It's not pretty, I can tell you.”

When they got to Melanie's room, the Hardy boys were surprised. They gave each other a look that said, if Melanie thinks this is a mess, she'd think our room was a disaster area.

There was a sitting area in one corner of the large room, where four plush chairs surrounded a table.

“When I have sleepovers, this is where we eat or play cards or just sit and talk,” Melanie said.

“This is perfect,” Colin told her. “What I need from you now is your stuffed lamb.”

The Hardy boys could see the little stuffed lamb lying on one of Melanie's pillows.

She really
does
sleep with it,
Frank thought.

Melanie went over to her bed and grabbed the lamb. “You said you were going to use . . .
psy
. . . I don't remember the word.”

“Psychometry,”
Colin said. “A person's body gives off electromagnetic or biomagnetic energy,
and this energy leaves an impression on some material object.”

“How long does it stay?” Melanie asked. “I've had this lamb for a long time. It's not in very good shape.”

“It's fine,” Colin told her. “These impressions remain forever.”

“That's hard to believe,” Joe said.

Colin gave him a puzzled look.

“Oh, no, what I meant is that it's so incredible, that it's just hard to believe that something like that sort of ‘impressioning' exists,” Joe tried to explain, “but I believe it. I know I'm not making any sense.”

“That's what
I
believe!” Frank said.

Everyone laughed, and that broke some of the tension that had begun to develop.

“I know what you mean,” Colin said. “I forget sometimes just how strange this all sounds to nonpsychics.” He turned back to Melanie. “The material objects also give off energy. During periods of very strong emotion, the person's energy mixes with the energy of the object, and it leaves what psychics call a ‘memory trace.' It's this that a psychic uses to get information that helps to solve a person's problem—whatever that problem may be.”

“But we already know who kidnapped Melanie, Colin,” Joe said. “How's this going to help?”

“It's not the crime I'm going to focus in on,” Colin explained. “I'm sure that Melanie held this
lamb in stressful situations involving her mother and her mother's new husband.”

“Do you want me to pull the drapes and turn off the lights?” Melanie asked.

“Well, yeah, that would help cut down on some of the distractions, but leave that reading light on,” Colin said. “What made you think of that?”

“I've seen a lot of psychic movies before,” Melanie said with a grin.

Melanie got up and pulled the drapes. She turned off all of the lights except for a reading lamp by her bed, and rejoined them at the table.

Colin had already put the lamb to his forehead. “It's so crowded,” Colin said. His voice was barely a whisper. “There's so much here to see.”

“What do you mean?” Melanie asked. Her voice sounded anxious.

“There's so much energy,” Colin explained. “I see so many unhappy moments.”