A half-hour later, the police arrived.  Detective Tremain started questioning everyone, especially the kids.  He was currently talking to a still frantic Alicia.
 "We were all just eating lunch," Alicia began, still shaking.  "Then, these guys in stocking masks just showed up and grabbed Molly.  One of them had a gun and he warned us not to follow them."

 Detective Tremain wrote all this in a notepad.  "Besides the stockings on their heads, what did these guys look like?" he asked Alicia.

 "Big and muscular," Alicia answered, sniffing and wiping away her tears.  "They were wearing T-shirts and generic-brand jeans.  I think one of them had holes in his pant knees..."

 Shirley observed and heard everything from a distance with Bo and Blake.  Teachers were trying to comfort the children while police officers questioned them.  Near a lunch table, reporters were swarming around Ms. Stratmann, asking her questions about Molly's abduction.
Ms. Stratmann did her best to keep her composure, but it was clear that she was disturbed by what had happened.

 "Ms. Stratmann, is it true that someone sent a threat to Miss Hardy?"

 "Ms. Stratmann, is it true that radical environmentalists are behind Miss Hardy's kidnapping?"

 "Please, please."  Ms. Stratmann waved her hands in the air, trying to keep order.

"It is true that a threatening note was sent to the school, but at this time we do not know the party responsible for this...outrageous crime."

"Have the parents been contacted yet?"

 "Molly's parents are on a business trip in New York City," Ms. Stratmann answered.  "We have contacted them about this tragedy and they are now trying to find a flight to Redington."

 "Has there been a ransom demand from the kidnappers?"

 Ms. Stratmann was about to answer when Mrs. Fish, her secretary, ran up to her.  "Ms. Stratmann, Ms. Stratmann!" she called out while waving a piece of paper in the air.

 "What is it, Mrs. Fish?" Ms. Stratmann asked, gesturing to the crowd of reporters.  "I'm very busy right now..."

 Mrs. Fish, still a little out of breath, handed Ms. Stratmann the paper.  "This just came in from the fax machine.  You may want to read it."
 Ms. Stratmann read the paper.  Her eyes widened.

 "What does that paper say, Ms. Stratmann?"

 Ms. Stratmann took a deep breath before continuing.  "It's...it's a ransom note from the kidnappers."  She read the note's contents.  "'We, the Friends of Mother Earth, or FOME, demand that Mr. Hardy ceases all oil drilling operations in all coastal areas.  Otherwise, he will never see his daughter again.  We also demand $10,000 as a donation to our righteous cause.'"

 Shirley watched as the reporters started asking Ms. Stratmann more questions.  Some of the reporters spotted Detective Tremain and went up to him, asking him questions about the kidnapping.

 "Man, I can't believe this is happening," Bo said.

 "I've heard of these FOME guys," Blake recalled.  "They're pretty extreme.  Heck, they make Greenpeace look tame."

 "I've also heard of FOME," Shirley said.  "They are truly devoted to ecologism and animal rights.  There was a rumor that they once tried to 'liberate' Shamu from Sea World."

 "So Molly's been kidnapped by a bunch of eco-nuts?" Bo asked.

 "So it seems."  Shirley started towards the dormitory.
 Bo and Blake walked with her.

"Where are we going?" Blake asked.

 "Molly's room," Shirley answered.  "I need to check out something there."

 "Well, here we go again," Bo said to Shirley and Blake.  They were climbing down the ladder inside the old laundry chute in the dormitory.
 Bo remembered how Molly used it once to disappear in order to get her parents to come back from a trip to watch her at the Nationals.  "I'm surprised this ladder is holding up all three of us."

 "Live and learn," Shirley said from below.  She was the first one to climb down the ladder.  The next one was Blake.  Bo eventually decided to join them despite his doubts about the old ladder's sturdiness.

 A while later, they found themselves in Molly's room.  Shirley noticed that the computer was still on.  A fireworks screen saver was currently being displayed.  "Ah, perfect," she said.  "Sherlock, would you do the honors?"

 "Why, I most certainly would."  Blake walked up to Molly's desk and sat down.  He put on some plastic gloves, then his fingers started flying across the keyboard after he turned off the screen saver.

 "Better hurry, Blake," Bo said.  "Someone might come by."

 A few minutes later, Blake found something.  "Well, well, well..." he said, pleased. Shirley and Bo looked at the screen.  A computer program was displayed.  Bo was puzzled.  "What the heck is all this?"

 "As far as I can figure, it's a program that tells the fax machine to send two certain documents at two set times to the school office's fax machine," Blake said.  "It's a nice piece of work.  I really have to give kudos to Molly.  She's good," he said with genuine admiration.

 "What documents did she send?" Shirley asked.

 Blake pointed to two lines of code.  "These.  C:\THREAT.TXT and C:\RANSOM.TXT."

 Bo sighed.  "Looks like Molly's up to her old tricks again."

 "Can you access them?" Shirley asked.

 "No sweat," Blake answered, already doing Shirley's request.  He accessed the right application and the first file was displayed on the screen.

 Bo read the message.  "This is the same note that Mrs. Stratmann got yesterday."
 "It is indeed," Shirley said.

 Blake brought up the second document.  "It's definitely the ransom note Mrs. Stratmann read to the press," Shirley said.
 Blake spotted a little sheet of paper next to the keyboard.  He read out loud its contents.  "'Harland Acting Agency in Calgary, three tough-looking men:  $10,000.'"

 "That explains the ransom demands," Shirley said.  "Must be the total fee plus a very handsome bonus."
"Molly's all heart," Bo said dryly.

 Shirley walked up to the fax machine and printed out a record of all the recent outgoing transmissions.  She folded the paper and put it in her blazer pocket.
"We're done here.  Let's go."

 Blake returned the computer to normal before he hacked into it.  They all exited the room via the secret entrance.
 Shirley, Bo, and Blake met at the Holmes residence.  School was dismissed early due to Molly's kidnapping.
 They settled down in the attic, which served as Shirley's crime laboratory.

"Molly's done it again," she told Bo and Blake as she stood before the portrait of her famous great-granduncle, Sherlock Holmes.  She was holding the fax record.  "She made reservations under an alias at an expensive hotel in downtown Redington."

 "Is it the same place as last time?" Bo asked.

 "It's a different hotel," Shirley answered.  "Besides that and the kidnapping ploy, it's similar to her last disappearing act."

 "Why would she do this?" Blake asked curiously.

 "With Molly, it's all about getting attention," Shirley stated matter-of-factly.  "As for the 'why,' there are two prominent possibilities."

 "Which are?" Bo asked.

 "The first possibility is that Molly wanted more sympathy from the TSAC.  That way, the Science Club's demise is certain," Shirley said.
"The second possibility is the same one as before."

 Bo caught on.  "To get her parents back here."

 Blake shook his head.  "This girl needs a good psychiatrist."

 "Or electric shock therapy," Bo commented.
 Shirley stared at Bo seriously.  Bo immediately shut his mouth.

 "So which one do you think is correct, Shirley?" Blake asked.

 Shirley picked up her cellular phone.  "We'll find out after the police find her."  She dialed the number for the police station and waited.

 Someone on the other line answered.  "Redington Police Department. How may we help you?"

 "Yeah," Shirley said, sounding tough.  "Get me the guy in charge of the Hardy case.  I got a hot tip for him..."
 

 Detective Tremain and three police officers entered the hotel lobby.
People stared at the policemen as they walked up to the front desk.

 Detective Tremain showed the front desk clerk his badge.  "We got an anonymous tip from some street kid that the Hardy girl and her kidnappers were hiding out here."  He showed the clerk a written note containing the room number.

 A few minutes later, a bellboy led Detective Tremain and his men to the room.  Detective Tremain knocked on the door.  "This is the police. Open up!" he shouted.  There was no response.

 Detective Tremain looked at his men.  "Get ready," he ordered them, He tested the doorknob and found it was locked.  He took out his gun.
"Sorry about this, kid," he said apologetically to the bellboy just before kicking the door open.

 The policemen stormed into the room, guns drawn.  "Nobody..."
Detective Tremain started to shout, but he stopped and gave the room a second look.
 The room was empty.  Everything appeared to be in order.  There was no sign that anyone was ever staying in the room.

 "You know, I could've opened the door for you," the bellboy told Detective Tremain, showing him the room key.

END OF PART THREE
 

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