Frank Short is an FBI agent, and the former deputy Police Chief for the UnityPoliceForce.

He is in his early forties, short, stocky, and balding, with a ruddy, open countenance.  Frank is friendly and very honest. He is passionately interested in local history, including both both the history of Westerners and the native indian tribes in the Rhode Island area. He joined TheUnitySociety in 1919 through this interest, and mostly comes to the club for reading material or to discuss a recent discovery with someone else of similar interests.

Frank's an occasional vistor at TheUnitySociety, turning up once every couple of weeks for an evening. He's on speaking terms with all the PCs, and has a good idea of their interests in history, but knows very little of them outside of that.

Frank is always careful to let MrFlanagan know the day before he comes round that he's planning to visit. This is ostensibly 'so that the cook can do something his weak liver can handle', but it's mainly because Frank doesn't drink and doesn't want the awkwardness of having to not see people drinking. As long as it's just plausible there's nothing illegal going on, he's happy.

Frank had a reputation for being honest and responisble. He's well liked by the men in the force and he took considerable pains over their welfare. As a detective, he wass slow, and not particularly bright, but very thorough. Frank never took a bribe, and would take against anyone who offered him one, but TheMob know him, and know that he won't go looking to make trouble for them; in any case, Police Chief [[LloydMcDonall|Lloyd McDonall]] always made sure that Frank didn't get any cases that would bring him into direct contact with TheMob.

Frank was never fond of Lloyd's attitudes, but had a great deal of respect for him as a detective and as a police chief.  However, Frank left the police force in February 1926 (''DeadInTheWater''), when he learnt that Lloyd was involved in the deaths of several young girls.

Two months later (''AndTheRockCriedOut''), after a stay in New York, Frank joined the FBI and returned to Unity.