Line of Fire by Franklin W. Dixon

was a very pale Mrs. Payson.
    "I'm sorry," Joe said. "I thought you'd be in town for the grand jury."
    "Barbara and Callie wanted to take me, but I thought I should wait for Denny," Mrs. Payson said. Lines of strain showed on her face as she spoke.
    Joe's stomach knotted as he looked at her. "Didn't Denny come back?" he asked.
    Mrs. Payson nodded jerkily, trying to hold back tears. "He came back, yes. He pushed by me, went up to his room, then down to the cellar, then out the door and into his car. All without a word. As if I were invisible."
    Joe frowned. He didn't like what he was hearing. Waving for Frank to join them, he turned to Mrs. Payson again. "Was he carrying anything?"
    "He took something downstairs with him, but I couldn't see what it was." Now tears were forming in Mrs. Payson's eyes. "He had it wrapped up in a coat. I couldn't see."
    "I think we'd better go up to Denny's room," · Frank suggested quietly. "Maybe we can figure out what it was that Denny took." They reached the top of the stairs, and turned into Denny's bedroom. Sitting on his desk was the answer to their question. Joe sighed. He'd been wrong. Denny wasn't about to give up his war against Lucius Crowell.
    On his desk was the presentation case for his new gun.
    But the gun and the laser sight were both missing.

Chapter 12
    Frank Hardy turned to Mrs. Payson, who stood white-faced in the doorway. "Do you know where he went?" he asked.
    "After Lucius Crowell," Mrs. Payson whispered. She was obviously on the edge of falling to pieces.
    "He won't catch him," Frank said quickly. "I called my dad. The grand jury is still hearing testimony. They'll be in session until about six. And no matter how angry or desperate Denny might be, I can't see him walking into the courtroom to shoot Crowell."
    He immediately regretted his words when he saw the look on Mrs. Payson's face.
    "Mrs. Payson," Frank said gently, "we don't want Denny to do anything stupid, or have anything stupid happen to him. But if we're going to head him off, we've got to find him as soon as possible."
    "Where do you think he might have gone?" Joe asked.
    "I — I just don't know," Mrs. Payson said. She looked up hopefully. "Maybe he went over to Barbara's?"
    Frank shook his head; he had called on the car phone. Barbara wasn't there, and neither was Denny.
    "I'm afraid not, Mrs. Payson," he said.
    "Please," Joe asked desperately, "think, Mrs. Payson. Is there anyplace Denny goes when he wants to think? When he wants to be alone? Maybe when he was younger?"
    Mrs. Payson shook her head. "I really can't— Wait a second."
    Frank and Joe turned to her.
    "After the fire, Denny used to go to the old Crowell plant. I didn't like the idea, but he was stubborn. Even though I punished him, he refused to stop. He'd ride his bike over there, and just sit, looking at the ruins."
    "Nobody's built there, have they?" Frank asked.
    "Nope," Joe replied.
    They stared at each other. "Let's go check it out," Frank said, heading out of the house and toward the van.
    "Might as well," Joe said, following his brother.
    Frank started up the van, heading for Shore Road. The old Crowell plant had been on Bar-met Bay. Back when the plant had been built, it had probably been the perfect place for dumping. Any chemicals they didn't want, they'd just pour into the bay.
    Times had changed though. There were laws against dumping now. Frank remembered reading the federal reports about the new Crowell plant. It had an excellent reputation for the treatment and disposal of waste chemicals. But what about the old plant? What had been kept there?
    Joe kept talking as they drove along. "You know, it's funny. Denny never could convince the police that Crowell and George were after him. But if we told the cops that Denny was out with his gun, you'd better believe they'd be scrambling all over town to find him."
    "I hope we don't have to go that far," Frank said.
    Joe's lips twisted. "If we tell the cops, Crowell wins."
    "If we don't