Morton’s words hung in the air. Joe Hardy looked around the room. Everywhere he turned, he stared into a worried face. “It certainly isn’t like Iola to go off without telling somebody where she’s going,” Mr. Morton said. “She was supposed to meet us at Pizza Palace after the television show,” Frank said. “Did something happen to change those plans?” Mr. Morton asked. “Well, Sis and Callie did end up being guests on the show,” Chet said. “Maybe they’re hanging out with some of the people from Monty Mania.” Chet’s parents both gave their son quizzical looks. Chet began to fill them in on the details, drawing on the story that Frank and Joe had related to him earlier that evening. Meanwhile, Frank had gone into the kitchen to use the phone. First he called his own house to see if the missing girls had left any word there. Then, after that phone call came up empty, he tried Callie’s house. Nobody answered. “Nobody’s home at the Shaws’,” Frank said when he returned to the living room.
