CAST OF CONTEMPTIBLES
HARDYS MOST, WORST, OF ALL!
1. Jerks--rude to girls.
2. FOOLS--TWICE eyes open into traps, bound, gagged, helpless, can't save themselves, saved by "EEK"ing, ice cream on head buffoon Chet.
3. MORAL COWARDS--Don't admit truth ,shamefully silent when cheered, praised, rewarded, Cchet merely thanked "for his assistance."
BANKER
Not worth saving, never at risk. says " can't entrust this to boys," then baits them into case, almost gets them killed walking away, to save own reputation buys bomb-maker's silence with house, lab.
BOMB-MAKER
Reprensible, almost kills Hardys with sstupidity over bomb, then with selfishness going on roof into storm, brothers almost falling to death saving him. Presence at party shows no shame, remorse, shows it cover-up, sham, no outrage, disgust shows almost no one not at house knows who he really is, what happened--if did Aunt would be screaming rightly in his face, pals feel like cowards didn't help.
GIRLS
They DO know--got from Chet, bought silence with turkey. Party their joke getting even, laughing at, taunting Hardys--"won't run out," "Callie giggled."
JENSEN
4th-rate river rat. All about old house. "Clever?" Get new hideout!
MORTONS
Don't care Chet left after dinner, never came back, running around 3:00AM.
BETTER PLOT
Changes: Bank moved to Bayport. November, dark early. Party Morton Farm--Callie, Hardys, at movies--"Chetastrophe," house wrecked, Chet "grounded" from story.
New, better, Enemy--worked in Bank, Dalrrymple sent to prison 20 years for $1,000,000 embezzlement, back for revenge--kidnap, kill, rob bank, frame, town ruined, destroy reputation, work of "Man Who Built Bayport."
Hardys find old bank document turns out related to embezzlement, have Callie rush to bank after hours for original file--walks into the kidnapping!
CALLIE SHAW ONE BOUND, GAGGED, WITH TIME-BOMB!!! Enemy sets for 8:00PM, explains threats, "In prison, time wasted, empty, useless, as if dead. You're in prison now, life sentence, no parole, 'Death While the Clock Ticks.' "
Hardys race through storm, untie Callie, banker, run for lives as house explodes.
Heroes. Callie once lamented perennial bit-player status, "Girls just have to stay home." One night as endangered leading lady enough, with adoring smile now tells Frank, "FRom now on I'll be content 'to stay home.' "
"Well," Frank said with matching smil, "not ALL the titme, I hope."
FOR THE RECORD
Hrdys redeemed themselves saving Callie Shaw bound, gagged, with time bomb (Casefiles #39, "Flesh and Blood," 1990).