The Last Laugh Read Online Free

because they liked him."
    "And now people pay a lot of money for this stuff?" Joe asked.
    "Sure. Collectors like my friend Tom and movie stars and rock - 'n' - roll singers. You'd be surprised. But, hey, if you want a real expert's opinion, ask Tom. He knows more about comic-book art and cartoonists than anyone else I know."
    Frank suddenly remembered how strangely Tom had acted right after the fire. He was about to mention it to the others, but then he saw their exit coming up. "Get off here, Joe," he said.
    Soon they were traveling through the hilly streets of a pleasant suburban neighborhood. Frank spotted a couple of street signs, then buried his nose in the map again.
    "Take a right at the next corner, Joe," he instructed. "Then go down two streets and hang a left. That ought to put us right on Lake Baca Drive."
    Chet leaned forward between the Hardys. "I sure hope we don't run into Flame Fiend or Dreadnought again," he said with a worried expression.
    "But that's exactly what we want," Frank told him. "Why are you so worried, Chet? What could we be up against?"
    Chet leaned back and ticked off the points on his fingers as he spoke. "Let's see - in the comics the Human Dreadnought has superstrength, can run seventy miles an hour, and is invulnerable to anything smaller than an artillery shell."
    Joe rolled his eyes. "What about the firebug in the red suit?" he asked.
    "Flame Fiend? He can shoot blasts of flame or bursts of blinding light from his hands. He's impervious to fire and bullets and doesn't need to breathe."
    Joe slapped the steering wheel and hooted. "Oh, come on, Chet. You can't possibly believe those guys are real?"
    Chet replied with a noncommittal shrug.
    When Joe turned the corner of Lake Baca Drive, all he saw was another ordinary suburban street lined with neat split-level homes. A minute later, however, he noticed a trio of police cars clustered around a split-level house at the end of the street.
    There were tire tracks digging a double arc into the neatly manicured front lawn. An outdoor light had been knocked at a crazy angle, and the front door of the house had been battered in and lay on its side against the inside wall.
    "Pull over, Joe," Frank directed, "but not too close to the police cars."
    "What's the plan?" Joe asked.
    "Just a little eavesdropping on the police band to see what they know," Frank answered.
    Just then a green BMW drove slowly past the Kaner house, speeding up as soon as it passed. As the car swung by the Hardys' sedan, Joe got a quick glimpse of the driver, a dark-haired, middle-aged man with a large nose and a sharp profile.
    Reports of related crimes poured in over Frank's radio. There was a burst of static; then a loud, tinny voice announced, "This is Charlie One at the intersection of Ashwood Avenue and Lake Murray Boulevard. I've got a make on a van resembling the one reported in the Syd Kaner kidnapping going northeast on Lake Murray." There was another burst of static before an answering voice came on.
    "Roger, Charlie One. Pursue suspect vehicle immediately. Backup is en route, and you have eyes in the sky."
    Joe heard the faint buzz of beating rotors. He stuck his head out the car window, and quickly spotted a San Diego police helicopter in the sky to the northeast.
    The helicopter pilot's voice cut in on the police band. "Charlie One, this is Icarus. I have you and suspect van in sight, going northeast on Lake Murray. Your backup will rendezvous at Mono Lake Drive."
    Frank studied the map. "Hey, that van's heading back toward us," he announced.
    The chopper pilot's voice cut back on the radio in a crackle of static. "Hey, where'd they go? Charlie One, do you have a visual?"
    "Negative," the boys heard Charlie One respond. "The van disappeared down a side street. Can you see anything?"
    "No," the chopper pilot responded. "The trees are too thick. I'll circle. Pick a side street, and we'll flush them out."
    "I think I know where they're going, Joe," Frank