Ghost From the Past

by sbishoff

Someone from Mark's past comes to LA. What will his arrival mean for Hardcastle and McCormick.

Author's Notes: I don't own the characters. They belong to their original creators.

This story takes place after Mark has been at Gulls-Way two years. Although Sarah was gone from the show at this point, she is in the story. Frank is also in the story.

Please understand that any references to police procedure and background checks is made up for this story, and may not be accurate. I needed it to be that way for the story, and am not suggesting that this is the proper procedure.

Someone once suggested the idea for a story where Frank got to be the hero, and come to the rescue, so here it is.

Ghost From the Past

by Susan Bishoff

It was supposed to be a simple case. All we had to do was follow Watson and when we had enough information, call in the cops, the older man thought as he sat there trying to figure out how this went wrong. Hardcastle observed his young companion lying unconscious on the floor across the room.

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It started last Tuesday when Judge Miller came to see Hardcastle. Sarah was away visiting her sister, so the jurist had answered the door.

"Come in, Carl. McCormick and I were just about to catch a game. You're welcome to join us," the judge said, greeting his friend and showing him to the den.

"Well, I really came to see you and Mark about a matter I may need your help with," Miller replied.

Mark rose from his seat as Hardcastle and his guest entered the room.

Judge Miller smiled at the young man's reaction. "Relax, Mark. We're not in my courtroom," the jurist said, noticing the ex-con's face flushing red.

"Sorry, Your Honor, it's just a reflex response," McCormick replied, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"If only I could get him to show me that kind of respect," the Hardcastle said, knowing the young man would retort, and smiling when he heard the response.

"Fat chance, you old donkey," the ex-con remarked, starting to relax and forget his earlier embarrassment.

Judge Miller watched the pair as they continued to banter and smiled as he thought about their unique relationship. Milt, you have been a good judge and saw the law as it was, but in more personal matters, you held everyone at arm's length. You had your friends from the courthouse and your family but no one else stood a chance of getting close.

Then two years ago, you took in this street-wise, smart-mouthed ex-con and things seemed to change. As we all watched and worried, this kid seemed to get under your skin. We were all afraid he was going to hurt you, but you were sure he was different. That the only act he was pulling was that he was tough and needed no one.

Well, Milt, this is one time that I'm glad we were wrong and you were right.

And you, Mark, you were the biggest surprise of all. When Milt said he was going to do this retirement project of his and you were his assistant, well, a lot of us thought he was crazy. And then we met you and knew it was only a matter of time before you showed you were no more trustworthy than all the others he tried to help.

But he helped you catch the man that killed your friend and you in turn helped him with his cases. It soon became obvious to us that your attitude was changing and that you respected Milt, even if he is the one who put you in prison. And now as I watch the two of you I can see that respect has turned to affection on both sides.

Mark, you have proven yourself to be the man Milt saw when this partnership began.

As Carl turned his thoughts back to observing the two men in front of him, he heard the tail end of their conversation.

"McCormick, would you shut up so we can see what Carl wanted to talk to us about," Hardcastle replied.

"I would if you would just admit I'm right," the ex-con remarked.

Realizing that the two men could go on like this forever, Miller cleared his throat.

Both men stopped, and realized they had completely forgotten they had a guest.

Turning to his old friend, Hardcastle said, "Carl, please sit down and excuse this inconsiderate ex-con of mine. What can we help you with?"

Judge Miller smiled as he took a seat and winked at McCormick as he replied, "That's quite all right. I came to see you about a friend of mine. Actually, it's my neighbor's son. I think he may have gotten involved in a bad situation. His father lost his job and the boy got a job after school and Saturday afternoons making deliveries. I was talking to him last night and became concerned when he started telling describing what his job entailed.

Mark sat up straight and was suddenly very attentive. Something in his behavior alerted the older man that the kid had picked up on something in the conversation.

"How old is he? This job, it isn't for a grocery store or a delivery service, is it?" the ex-con asked, hoping that his suspicions were wrong.

"He's sixteen and no, the job isn't for a grocery store. He works for a man that owns a gift shop," Miller replied, and saw his own apprehension mirrored on the young man's face.

"This shop owner, he has a small shop and told the boy he needed someone trustworthy to make deliveries for him so he wouldn't have to close up the shop to make them himself. He also pays the kid very well. Is that correct?" McCormick asked, a scenario already formed in his head.

"Yes, Kenny Parks, that's the boy's name. Anyway, Kenny said he gets paid $50 per delivery," Carl told them, shifting nervously in his seat. He didn't like that the ex-con's thoughts seemed to be going in the same direction his had. I had hoped I was overreacting, but Mark thinks something's fishy just as I did. I can see it on his face.

"What are you driving at McCormick?" Hardcastle asked. He knew his young associate had something on his mind and trusted the kid's instincts, so whatever it was, it was worth considering.

"Let me ask a few more questions, Hardcase, and then I'll let you know what I'm thinking," Mark said, as he wiped all emotion and expression from his face. He turned back to Judge Miller and asked, "And these deliveries are made to the same four or five businesses, right? And he gets paid when he returns to his employer with a receipt and an envelope containing the payment for the package."

"Yes, Kenny takes the packages to three different places. He takes the box to the business and gets a receipt and payment from the owner to take back to his boss and then he gets paid," Miller replied. With each question from the young man, the situation was sounding worse.

Hardcastle considered all the questions McCormick had asked and the answers Carl had supplied. He was beginning to suspect what the ex-con was thinking, but decided to wait and hear what the kid had to say to be sure.

Mark had been silent for a few moments as he thought over the answers he had received. He didn't like this one bit. He was afraid he knew what this kid had gotten mixed up in, and if he was right it might be hard to get the boy out. The ex-con decided to ask the last few questions although he already suspected what the answers would be. "I'm sorry to be putting you through the third degree, Your Honor," McCormick said, "but I want to be sure we have all the information we can get."

Judge Miller nodded his head and replied, "No, that's okay. I understand. You need to know as much as possible to help Kenny."

"Did he say what the packages look like? And the envelopes, they have no writing on them, right? Did he say what the receipts have on them?" Mark asked, after acknowledging the judge's response.

"Yes, I asked Kenny about those things. He said the packages are all wrapped in paper and the receipts just say 'receipt for one package,'" Miller replied. He watched as the young man thought it all through. He couldn't read anything from the ex-con's face, but the questions McCormick had asked were enough to let him know the younger man had some idea about Kenny's job.

Hardcastle was also observing his young friend's face. He could tell by the completely blank look that the kid was deliberately keeping his emotions off it. He could also tell by McCormick's body language that he was nervous and even a little fearful. Whatever you're thinking is bad, isn't it, kiddo?" the judge thought as he waited for the ex-con to speak.

Turning to his friend, the young man asked, "Judge, do you know what I think?"

"Maybe, but why don't you tell me to be sure," Hardcastle responded.

"I think Kenny is in over his head and doesn't even know it. There are not a lot of delivery jobs for sixteen year olds, especially ones that pay $50.00 per trip. At least not legal ones. He goes and gets a plainly wrapped box, delivers it to another business and gets a generic receipt. When he takes the money and receipt back to his boss, he gets paid. I'd bet you just about anything that what is inside those packages is illegal," the ex-con said, maintaining eye contact with Hardcastle.

Judge Miller was shocked at the suggestion, and replied, "But Kenny is a good boy. He's just trying to help his family. He wouldn't do anything illegal."

Mark looked at Carl and answered. "I'm not saying he's a bad kid and he probably wouldn't do it knowingly. But these guys know that a lot of kids like Kenny are desperate for money. Whether they have a parent out of work or sick, or even worse, are living on the streets, they are potential pigeon for certain kinds of men."

Everyone was silent for a while and finally Miller said, "I mentioned all this hoping that you'd tell me I was overreacting and the job sounded on the up and up."

McCormick looked at the floor as he replied, "I'm sorry Judge Miller, but that's just what I thought. I could be wrong."

Hardcastle's long time friend looked at the bowed head and said, "Don't apologize, Mark. I wanted your honest opinion. That's the other reason I came to you and Milt. I thought that if maybe something was going on, you could help Kenny."

Hardcastle, who had remained silent during most of the conversation, now spoke up. "Carl, we'll do anything we can to help, but first we need to know who he's working for."

Judge Miller said, "Kenny told me his boss is Justin Watson. He owns a gift shop on Grand Avenue."

"Have you heard of him, Hardcase?" the ex-con asked.

"No, he's not anyone I've come across in my cases," the jurist answered.

Miller said, as he rose from his seat, "I'll leave you two to what it is you do. Call me if I can be of any help."

"Okay, I'll walk you out," Hardcastle said as he stood also.

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McCormick sat thinking about what the boy and the situation the kid had gotten himself into. He'd seen it enough from his time on the streets. A kid needs money bad and someone waves it in front of his nose. Makes it sound like a great opportunity, and it's so easy. All the kid has to do is deliver a package, but what the boy doesn't know is what's in it could get him killed. If he should decide to look inside or fail to deliver, his boss won't hesitate to kill him. These jerks don't worry about getting rid of their delivery boys, there are plenty more needing the money.

The judge walked back into the room to find his young friend deep in thought. The look on the ex-con's face was one of disgust, anger and just a little fear. He didn't know what was running through Mark's mind, but he could tell his young associate was deeply disturbed by this case. Whatever you're thinking, kid, don't hold it all in. If it's something that might help with this case, you need to share it," the older man silently encouraged as he watched the emotions play across the young man's face.

After a few moments Mark shook himself from his thoughts. He looked over at the judge and said," Sorry, I was trying to sort this out."

The older man studied his young friend for a few moments, and then replied, "From the look on your face, you did not like what you were thinking."

"It's just that I've seen guys like this Watson. They don't think twice about using children to do their dirty work, and the kids think their bosses are the greatest. They believe that the guy really cares what happens to them. But if it comes down to it, he'd just as soon get rid of the kid than take any chances of getting caught," the ex-con replied, as he tried to explain without giving too many clues away.

Hardcastle knew that McCormick had been on his own from an early age. He didn't know a lot of what the young man had been through. But now, as he watched his friend's face, he wondered if the kid was talking from personal experience. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Kiddo, as soon as Carl mentioned that Kenny was making deliveries, you started asking very pointed questions. You seemed to know just what questions to ask. Have you been involved in one of these situations before?"

Mark realized that the judge had been watching him and that the jurist suspected the truth. When he heard the question the young man knew he couldn't hide it any longer. "Yeah, when I was fifteen, before I got caught joyriding," the ex-con answered. He hoped Hardcastle wouldn't ask for details as it still was hard for him to think about what had happened.

The jurist knew the kid was holding back and he wasn't sure exactly what the young man wasn't telling. But he could also see by watching his friend's face that it was troubling the ex-con very much. "Listen McCormick, I need to know whatever you can tell me so we can handle this the best way possible," Hardcastle said. Seeing his young associate blanch at his words, he thought, Okay, kiddo, just what is it that has upset you so much? The judge watched as Mark sighed deeply and all the life seemed to go out of him.

Looking at the judge, the young ex-con said, "Okay, I'll tell you but let me finish before you say anything." He waited for a response from the jurist.

The older man studied his friend and thought to himself, Okay kid, you've got my attention now and I'm sure what I'm gonna hear is bad. No matter what it is, it's got to come out; you can't hold it inside any more. Then to Mark, he said, "Sure, Kiddo. You tell me when you're finished." The judge watched as McCormick fidgeted in his chair and knew he was sorting out what he wanted to say.

After a few moments, the ex-con started talking. "You know I was in foster homes since Social Services took me from my uncle after Mom died when I was eleven. Most of the homes were okay, but I didn't want to be treated like a little kid that didn't know anything. I had been helping Mama around the apartment since I was seven and now I was being given all these rules and orders and told all these things to do. But other than telling me what to do, no one had time for me anymore. The only way I could get attention was to be bad. But the problem with that was, instead of trying to find out why I was misbehaving, my foster parents kept sending me back. After a while, I didn't try anymore because I knew it would only be a matter of time before the new family would get tired of me. I know now that it wasn't the right way to fit into the family, but I was a kid and my Mom had just died. I was scared and alone, and messed up." Mark stopped talking and took several deep breaths to calm himself, as he remembered the lonely time following his mother's death.

McCormick continued on with his tale, "The last one I was in, there were several kids and the parents didn't really care about what we did. They took us for the money and as long as we stayed out of their hair, they were happy. Anyway, I had been there for four months, and just turned fifteen, when my foster father came home drunk and started hitting me. After going through that with my uncle, I decided I wasn't going to again, so I told my social worker. The social worker came to the house to talk to my foster parents. Of course, my foster father had an excuse. He told the counselor that I had been disruptive and he had been forced to punish me. He told her that I had gotten angry because he had. and that I said I'd get back at him for doing it. He told the counselor that he knew that sometimes these kids would strike out until they learned their parents had their best interest at heart. The social worker thanked him for being so understanding and then told me I should be grateful that a nice family had taken me in after all the trouble I caused in my other homes."

"Well, after the social worker left, my foster father decided to teach me a lesson about telling what went on under his roof. He started to beat me again, but I managed to get away and into my room. I was trying to get out the window when he busted the door in, and caught me. And then he started hitting me again. After he decided I'd had enough, he grabbed me by the shirt and tossed me out the door. Then he went to my room and threw my stuff out the window. He told me not to come back," the young man stopped talking as he tried to control his emotions.

The ex-con had recited his story in a monotone, as if he were talking about the weather. He had dropped his head about halfway through and was looking at his hands.

Hardcastle had listened as his young friend had spoken and the more he heard the angrier he became. He had thought McCormick's childhood and youth had been rough but he never would have guessed the kid had experienced things such as he'd just described. No wonder you're always afraid everyone's going to leave you, Kiddo. It sure explains why you're so afraid that if you make a mistake, I'll send you away. Not only did your father leave you, but the foster homes you were placed in sent you back or threw you out on the street. It's a wonder you can trust at all, the older man thought as new understanding of his young associate's behavior came to light. The jurist waited for Mark to continue, knowing if he spoke, the kid would clam up. He also wiped his feelings from his face as he did not want them reflected there, feeling the ex-con would misinterpret their cause and stop telling what had happened to him. And as angry as what he was hearing was making him, Hardcastle wanted the young man to finish.

After a few minutes, McCormick looked up at the judge and then quickly dropped his gaze back to the floor, but not before the jurist saw the hurt in the ex-con's eyes.

Mark cleared his throat and continued, "I knew some kids, who lived on the streets and I knew they would let me crash with them for a few days in the old building they lived in. One of the older boys is the one who taught me to boost cars, but I didn't do that until later, which you know about."

McCormick took a deep breath before continuing. "After I had stayed in the old building for a few days, I decided I'd see if my foster family would let me come back home. When I got there, my foster father wasn't home and my foster mother told me that if I behaved and didn't cause any more trouble, she might be able to convince her husband to let me stay. I told her I didn't want him hitting me anymore and she said that if he felt I needed to be punished, then I had to take it and keep my mouth shut. That's when he came home and became angry when he saw me. He said since he'd told me to get lost and I'd come back, I needed to be taught to listen. He only hit me twice before I got out of the house. I never went back."

"I went back to the building I had been staying in. There was plenty of room and they'd leave me alone. I had to get my own food and things, but could stay as long as I wanted. I knew I'd have to get a job to make some money for food and clothes. I got a job in a grocery store, but it was barely enough for food. I wanted to get out of there, so I tried to save some money, but wasn't able to." The ex-con paused to swallow a lump in his throat before he continued talking.

"I had a friend that lived there. His name was Jimmy and he was seventeen. He was working for some guy making deliveries and he always had money. He said his boss paid well and he thought the guy would give me a job if I wanted one. He told me what he did and it sounded too good to be true so I asked him if it was illegal. He got mad and said all he did was deliver packages and what could be wrong with that? I told him I wasn't interested." McCormick stopped talking while trying to keep his emotions under control. He hadn't thought about Jimmy for years and it was hard to talk about what had happened. He had closed his eyes to keep the tears that threatened from falling and turned his head away so the judge couldn't see his face.

Hardcastle had watched his friend as the young man continued his tale. The jurist knew there was more and felt the rest was just as bad as the beginning. He had caught a glimpse of the moisture in the young man's eyes before he had turned his head away. The older man had heard the emotion in the ex-con's voice and it matched the anguish on the kid's face. Come on kiddo, you're almost there. Once you get it out in the open, we can deal with it, the judge thought as he wished he could ease his young associate's misery.

Mark regained his composure and started talking again. "The manager at the grocery store found out I was fifteen and fired me because I lied about my age. I tried to find another job, but no one wanted to hire me. I was starting to run out of money and I knew I had to get another job."

"So when Jimmy approached me again, I said yes, I was interested. He took me to meet his boss and the man seemed like he really cared. He asked me about myself and why I needed this job. Jimmy had told me to tell his boss the truth, so I told him my foster father threw me out of the house and I wanted to make money to move away."

"The man told me to come back the next day and he would have something for me. So after school the next day, I went back to the guy's store. He gave me a package in brown paper and told me to take it to an apartment building a few blocks away. He told me the name of a man to give it to and told me not to give it to anyone but the man I was supposed to. When I got a receipt and the money from the man, I was to come back and he'd give me $25.00. I couldn't believe he'd pay me that much to deliver it. Something about it kept telling me it was wrong, but I needed the money. I took the box and walked to the building the manager had told me to go to, and buzzed the room number the man had given me. When I went in, the place was bad. There were people lying all over, either drunk or strung out. I was scared so I quickly went to the room and knocked on the door. When the man answered, I asked his name and he told me the one the store owner had given me. I gave him the package and he gave me the receipt and money. I hurried from the building and back to the shop to get paid. The building I delivered to scared me so when the shop owner asked if I wanted to make another delivery the next day, I said no. He told me if I ever wanted to work for him again, just come back and he'd have something for me."

"While I had the cash from the delivery I tried to find another job, but it was no easier then it had been a few weeks before. I tried to stretch the money as far as I could, buying only food. After the money was gone, I waited as long as I could, but after four days with nothing to eat, I was desperate, so I went back."

"The manager gave me a package to take to the same man in the same building as before. I was entering the building when two men jumped me and took the box from me. I tried to get it back, but they shoved me down and took off."

Mark stopped talking and sighed before continuing. "I went back to the shop and told the owner what had happened. He became enraged and beat me so bad I could hardly stand, all the while telling me I had cost him over $1000 and he was going to take it out of my hide. When he was done, he told me to get lost and never come back."

"I managed to get back to the building I had been staying at and rested until I started feeling better. I was lying there a few days later when Jimmy came in and told me I never should have screwed up. It made him look bad. I told him that there was something wrong with the job. He said I was just jealous that he had a good job and I hadn't been able to keep it. I told him I was afraid his boss would hurt him."

McCormick stopped talking and went to the window and looked out. He stood there as he started talking again. "Then I did something stupid and Jimmy died because of it. I tried to stop him from making his next delivery, and told I was afraid his boss would hurt him. He said his boss wouldn't do anything to hurt him. I asked Jimmy about what his boss had done to me. He said it was my fault for losing the package and I deserved to be punished."

"I tried to convince him not to go back or make any more deliveries. I told him that what was in the boxes had to be illegal or the man wouldn't have gotten so mad when I lost it. Besides, I said no one pays kids that kind of money for making deliveries. I tried to convince him that if he was going to get another package, to take it to the police," the young man said, breathing heavily as he struggled for control.

McCormick continued after a moment. "Jimmy told me I was just saying that to scare him. I told him that his boss told me that what was in the box was worth over a thousand dollars and he had beat me for losing it. I asked him that if it was just a package, then why did his boss get so mad."

"I couldn't convince him not to deliver the next package, or to take it to the cops. He finally did agree to quit after this one. He told me he wanted to tell his boss in person that he wasn't going to work for him anymore. I tried to convince him to just not go back after he finished with this delivery, but he wouldn't listen. A few hours later he came back to the building and collapsed. He had been beaten and when I got closer I found he had also been stabbed. He was bleeding badly and told me that his boss had done it," Mark said, quietly.

"He was hurt bad and I tried to get him to go to the doctor or let me go for help, but he said no. He begged me to stay with him, that he didn't want to be alone. I held him and tried to stop the bleeding, but it was bad and I couldn't. He died as I held him.

"I went to the police and told them about Jimmy and what had happened. They checked the guy out. He told them that Jimmy had worked for him, but had quit the week before. The shop owner had been an upstanding member of the community. It came down to his word against a kid from the streets. The police took one look at my history and wrote me off as some punk who wasn't worth their time. Not long after that, I got the job at the car wash and you know the rest," the ex-con said sadly.

Mark stopped talking and just stood staring out at the yard. Man, I never meant to tell him all that. I just meant to tell him about the time I took the package. I wouldn't have mentioned about the foster home but I wanted him to know I was desperate. And all that about Jimmy; once I started talking, I couldn't seem to stop until it was all out. Judge, you knew about the cars, but not this. I don't want to see the look on your face right now. I know I can hardly stand myself with what I did, I just can't bear to see the look of disappointment and disgust that I know will be there, the ex-con thought as he continued staring outside, while trying to brace himself for the judge's reaction.

The judge watched his young friend and saw the tension in his shoulders. He thought about all the kid had told him. Hardcastle noticed McCormick was shaking as he stood trying to regain control of his emotions. Gosh kiddo, I never had any idea you'd seen anything like that and I know you hadn't planned on telling me all this, but I'm glad you did and now it's out in the open. You were just a kid. You never should have gone through all that. The system was supposed to protect you from those kinds of things, but it failed you. You survived not because of the help you received but by your own efforts. Well, as long as I can help it, no one will hurt you like that anymore, he thought as he waited until his friend indicated he was ready to continue their discussion.

After several minutes, Hardcastle realized the young man was waiting for a response from him. Taking a deep breath and trying to control the emotions he felt raging through him, the older man said, "McCormick, come over here and sit down so we can discuss this." He watched as Mark squared his shoulders as if bracing himself for a bad experience. When the ex-con turned, the jurist noticed that the young man's face was free from expression or emotion. No, kiddo, don't put the wall up now. We need to deal with this, he thought as his friend sat in the chair across from him.

McCormick looked at Hardcastle and saw none of the things he had expected. He could see that the jurist was carefully hiding his feelings from him and decided to let the older man say what he had to.

The judge waited for Mark to say something and when the ex-con remained silent, Hardcastle decided he'd say what he had to tell the young man. "Listen, kiddo, you were just a kid. You are not responsible for what happened to Jimmy."

McCormick flinched at the mention of his friend's name. "But if I'd never convinced him to quit, he wouldn't have gotten killed," Mark, said, finding it hard to let go of the guilt after believing it was his fault for so long.

"McCormick, you were concerned for his safety and like a good friend, tried to help. If he wouldn't have gone back, then maybe he might not have been hurt. But then again, the guy might have found him and killed him anyway," the judge said, wanting to help his friend quit blaming himself.

The ex-con could see the judge's point but his mind kept telling him it was still his fault. "But I should have just left it alone. If I hadn't interfered, the shop owner wouldn't have gotten mad at Jimmy," he said, as he gazed at the floor.

"You don't know that," the judge replied and when McCormick jerked his head up to look at him, he went on. "This guy probably liked using younger kids because they were easier to manipulate. You said Jimmy was seventeen and soon would have been able to find other work. The shop owner may have been wanting to get rid of a possible problem and planning on killing him anyway." The jurist could see his young friend trying to accept these facts and attempting to finally release his guilt. You've held it in for too long. Let it go, kid. It's time to let it all go, he thought to himself as he watched his friend struggle to maintain control.

Mark listened to everything the judge had told him. He sat there considering it and thinking, I wish it were that simple, Judge, but I'm the one that convinced him to quit. I'm the one that didn't talk him out of going back. I knew the guy was dangerous but did I leave it alone? No, I pressed Jimmy until he quit. And what did that get him?--killed is all.

As he watched McCormick continue to come to terms with what had happened. Hardcastle stated one last fact, hoping to break through the kid's defenses. Clearing his throat, the jurist said, "Kid, the only one responsible for what happened to Jimmy was the man he worked for. He's the one who was using kids to make his deliveries, and he's the one that beat you and killed Jimmy."

McCormick sat as what the older man had said sank in and he lost the battle to control his emotions. He broke down and released all the guilt, shame and grief he had held in all those years. The judge moved to sit next to Mark when the young man finally let his suppressed feelings out. The jurist placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to let the ex-con know he was not alone.

After a few minutes, the young man began to regain his composure. He hadn't raised his head from looking at the floor, but his sobs had lessened and almost stopped. Once he had gotten his emotions back under control, he looked up at the judge and said quietly, "I want this guy. I know it's not the same guy that killed Jimmy, but I don't want him to use or hurt any more kids."

Hardcastle had known they were taking this case even before Judge Miller had left. Now that the jurist knew how important it was to McCormick and why, he had decided that they would do whatever they could to stop this guy. "You got it, kiddo," the older man said, as he clapped his friend on the back.

They discussed what they knew, which wasn't much and decided they would visit Frank in the morning and see if he had any additional information on Watson. Mark wanted to go right away, but the judge knew the kid was exhausted from his earlier experience, so he convinced the young man that by the time they got to the station, Frank would be off duty. It would be best to just relax this evening and start the case the next day.

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Wednesday morning, Hardcastle and McCormick walked into Lieutenant Frank Harper's office after a light knock on the door.

The cop looked up and seeing them, wondered what they would need this time. In the two years since the judge had started his hobby of chasing bad guys, Frank had seen him in his office more than in the 30 years the jurist was on the bench. He watched as the two men sat down and guessed by the looks on their faces that it must be serious. "What can I do for you, Milt?" he asked wondering how involved the case would be. One thing he had learned was you never could tell with these two.

"Have you heard of a Justin Watson?" Hardcastle asked.

"The name doesn't sound familiar," the lieutenant answered, curious.

"Could you check him out?" Mark said, speaking for the first time.

When Frank looked at the young man, he noticed the ex-con wasn't lounging in the chair as he usually did. Instead he was sitting ramrod straight, as if he was extremely nervous, and ready to bolt at any moment. The officer also noticed something about the look on McCormick's face that led him to believe this one was personal. "Did you guys get caught up in something?" he asked, hoping one or the other would clue him in.

"No, we're not familiar with him either. Kenny Parks, a boy that Judge Miller knows, works for him. Carl was concerned and came to us to see what we thought." The judge paused and glanced at the ex-con before continuing. Seeing his slight nod, the jurist said, "Based on the information Carl was able to give us, McCormick said he sounded like a guy he ran into once."

Frank turned to the young man and asked, "You've met the guy before?"

Mark looked at Harper and the lieutenant could see the turmoil in his eyes. "No, just someone like him. Someone who uses kids for his dirty work and then just gets rid of them when he's through with them," the young man said, becoming upset.

"Easy, kiddo," Hardcastle said, putting a reassuring hand on McCormick's shoulder.

Frank was curious about what had upset the younger man but knew not to ask--at least not now. He reached for his notepad and took the information they had collected down and then looking at Mark said, "I think your guess could be right. We've had a increase in cocaine recently and haven't been able to find the supplier."

The officer was about to go on when the young man stood suddenly and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes." He gave Hardcastle a slight nod in response to the jurist's unasked question. The ex-con then turned, left the office and walked down the hall.

"What's that all about, Milt?" the lieutenant said, knowing there was more to it than an emergency run to the restroom.

"I think the kid was hoping you'd tell him he was wrong," Hardcastle replied.

"He said he knew someone like this Watson," Frank said, hoping the judge would fill in the blanks. He'd grown fond of the young man and wanted to understand why the kid was so upset.

"Yeah," the jurist answered and then told the lieutenant what Mark had told him the day before.

When he was done, Harper sat back in his chair. "No wonder he's so upset," the cop said, not sure what to say to his friend.

"He's better today than yesterday," the judge replied.

"Maybe he shouldn't work on this case, Milt. It might be too close to home." the officer suggested, knowing that it could get bad.

"He wants to do this one. I think he wants to make up for not being able to help his friend. He wants to stop Watson before Kenny or anyone else gets hurt," Hardcastle explained.

"And what if you can't stop him before something happens to Kenny? How will Mark handle it if something goes wrong?" Frank asked, concerned that his young friend could get hurt.

"I don't know, but I do know that this is something that he needs to do. You should have seen him yesterday. He's blamed himself all these years for Jimmy's death. He couldn't do anything to prevent it, but he can try to help Kenny," the judge told his long time friend.

"I hope you know what you're doing Milt. I'd hate to see either of you get hurt," the lieutenant replied.

The two men fell silent while they waited for Mark to return to the room.

00000

The ex-con had gone to the restroom and then he waited in the hall to give Hardcastle time to tell Frank what he'd told the judge the night before. He didn't mind that the lieutenant knew; he just couldn't be there to hear it again.

The young man was just starting to let go of his guilt and was afraid to see accusation in the eyes of the cop. After he had waited what he thought was enough time, he walked back to the room and entered.

00000

Once McCormick returned, the three sat and discussed a plan of action. The judge and the ex-con were going to watch over Kenny for a few days and see if they could determine where he delivered. After they had all the locations, they would observe Watson's store and try to figure out when and where he got his merchandise. Once they knew where, they'd tell Harper so he could run the info through his computer and try and find out when the next delivery would be.

The last step would be to try and catch the man with the merchandise. If they could not do this, then they thought maybe the police could convince one of his dealers to talk.

They continued to plan to work out as many areas of possible problems. Once they were satisfied of their plan of action, Mark and the judge returned to Gulls-Way, to get ready to begin the next morning.

00000

That afternoon, Sarah returned to Gulls-Way to find Mark washing the Coyote. She stood a few minutes and observed him closely. She had come to know him well since he'd come to live at the estate and she could tell by his actions that he was upset. The boy was so absorbed in thought that he hadn't heard her arrive, and she knew he didn't need to concentrate that hard to wash the car.

She shut her door loudly, so as to make her presence known.

Hearing the door slam, McCormick jumped and nearly dumped the water on himself. He turned to see the housekeeper approaching. "Hello, Sarah. Did you have a nice visit with your sister?" the young man asked.

"Yes, I did. Mark, are you all right? You and Judge Hardcastle haven't had a fight have you?" she asked, as she looked at the ex-con.

"I'm fine," he said, trying to hide his nervousness. Realizing the older woman was not fooled, he said, "No, Hardcase and I haven't had an argument. We just started a new case and it just brought up some bad memories."

Sarah had seen the sorrow and shame that crossed McCormick's face. She knew whatever was upsetting the boy was bothering him deeply. "Is it something you want to talk about?" she offered.

The ex-con froze. He knew the housekeeper had asked out of concern but he knew she had high standards of right and wrong. The young man didn't want to see contempt in her eyes so he decided he couldn't tell her. "I appreciate your offering to listen, but it's not something I want you to hear."

"Mark whatever it is, maybe I can help," Sarah tried again.

"No one can help. I screwed up a long time ago and a friend died because of it," McCormick replied, not wanting to tell her anything.

Sarah stood and watched the young man before her. She knew he had a tendency to blame himself for things that were not his fault, and felt this was another one. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Mark," she said.

"How can you be sure?" the ex-con asked, wondering how she could be so certain.

"Because I know you and I know you would never do anything to hurt someone on purpose. So if your friend died, it had to be an accident," the housekeeper replied.

"It wasn't an accident. He was murdered and he wouldn't have been if I'd left things alone," the ex-con said, his guilt clearly showing on his face.

"Mark if your friend was murdered, it is the person who did it that is at fault, regardless of what you did. I know you would not have done anything to hurt your friend on purpose or even by accident," she replied, wanting to ease the guilt the younger man was carrying.

"I just wanted him to stop working for this man I suspected of being a crook. I never thought the guy would kill him when he quit. If I hadn't convinced him to leave the job, maybe his boss wouldn't have killed him," the young man responded.

"Mark, you were concerned about a friend and obviously tried to help him. The fact that his boss killed him is not your fault. You didn't want it to happen," the woman replied, as she watched the ex-con relax.

"I know that's true and Hardcase said the same thing, but I can't help feeling that it's still my fault. That I could have or should have done something different to prevent it," the young man replied.

"I'm sure you did everything you could," the housekeeper replied, and embraced him. "You just keep remembering what the judge and I told you until you believe it. It wasn't your fault," Sarah added, as she broke the embrace.

"Okay, I will," Mark replied as he smiled at her. "Thanks, Sarah. Do you need help with your things?" the young man asked, walking toward her car.

"Yes, dear, that would be nice," the housekeeper replied, allowing the ex-con to change the subject.

00000

Once Mark had returned outside, Sarah entered the den. "Your Honor, do you have a minute?" she asked, and waited for him to answer her.

"Of course, Sarah. Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind," the judge asked.

The housekeeper walked over and stood beside the desk instead. "I'm worried about Mark. He seems real upset and he said something about a friend getting killed and it being his fault. Did something happen while I was away?" she inquired, her concern written her face.

"Damn," Hardcastle responded in response to what the woman had told him. Realizing what he had said he added, "Sorry, Sarah. Nothing happened except we started a new case. The kid's talking about something that happened when he was fifteen. He and his friend got mixed up with a shady character. McCormick got out, but not before he was hurt. When his friend decided to quit the man killed the boy. Mark blames himself because he's the one that talked his friend into quitting. I thought I had gotten him to understand it wasn't his fault."

Sarah listened and then asked, "He's thought that since he was fifteen? Surely his parents would have explained that it wasn't his fault." Seeing Hardcastle's face harden, she stopped.

The jurist knew McCormick was uncomfortable talking about his past, but knew the housekeeper was genuinely concerned for the young man, so the older man decided to tell her about what had happened. "You know his mother died when he was eleven and he then went into foster care. His file doesn't list much about what happened then. It just contains notes that there were problems and the parents would bring him back. The home he was in when he was fifteen was a bad one. The father was abusive and threw Mark out. The kid hooked up with some friends on the street and that's how he got mixed up with the man who killed his friend. There was no one there to tell him he wasn't to blame so he's believed it all these years." The jurist looked at Sarah and saw the tears in her eyes.

"That poor boy. No wonder he's always so afraid. He's afraid of messing up so much that he panics if he makes a mistake. And then his friend dies and no one helps him deal with it," she said, turning to watch Mark out in the yard. The squaring her shoulders, she said, "Well, we'll just have to help him realize he's not to blame and that even if he makes a mistake we still love him."

The judge smiled at the look on Sarah's face. You don't know it kid, but you've got one of the strongest supporters I know in your corner. Once Sarah decides someone's worth it, no one or nothing changes her mind. And she's right, kiddo, you do deserve to know you're wanted and that it's okay to make mistakes, the jurist thought to himself as he considered how to help his friend deal with his feelings. Aloud, he said, "Yes. you're right, Sarah."

00000

Thursday afternoon, Hardcastle called Judge Miller to let him know they were going to start checking out Kenny's job that evening. He also asked Carl to describe the boy so he and McCormick would recognize him.

The judge passed the day making notes for the case, while McCormick worked on the hedges.

Frank came over about noon, bringing pizza with him. He saw Mark in the yard and waved to him to come in the house. Hardcastle met the lieutenant at the door and told his friend to come into the den. He then turned and sent the ex-con to the kitchen for plates.

They ate their lunch while Frank filled them in on what he had found out. "Watson came back clean, Milt. He's only been in L.A. for about six months and that's about the time the increase in cocaine started."

"Well, looks like he could be your new supplier," the judge replied.

"Could be. There is one interesting thing I found in his background. He's been all over the country. He doesn't seem to stay in one place too long. I've started checking with police department in some of the cities he's lived in to see if they had any increased drug problems coinciding with the times he was in their locations," Harper explained.

"He probably takes off as soon as the heat starts." McCormick commented. "If he's dealing drugs, how does he keep his supplier if he moves around so much?"

"That is a good question. Whoever is supplying for him must be willing to sell wherever he goes and not have a problem with no set location," the jurist replied.

"Yes, and it makes them harder to catch," the lieutenant stated.

"How far back have you checked?" Hardcastle asked.

"So far about eight years. I'm going to let the search go back until it doesn't come back with anything new. Maybe we'll find an old warrant on him and can just pick him up," the officer explained.

"Keep us informed, Frank," the judge said.

"If I find anything I'll let you know," Harper replied, as he rose to go. Before he left, he warned, "You two be careful and keep me apprised of what you're doing."

"We will," the jurist said.

00000

That evening, the judge and Mark parked down the street from Watson's place and walked up to the café across the street. The two men spent the time drinking a cup of coffee and observed the shop entrance opposite, waiting for Kenny to show up. Hardcastle was also watching his young friend. McCormick was being very quiet with his eyes locked on the storefront.

"What are you thinking?" the jurist asked.

"Judge do you think we will be able to stop him?" the ex-con said, his doubt clearly evident in his voice.

"Sure we'll get him, kiddo," the judge replied, wanting to reassure his friend.

They saw Kenny approach the store, enter it and a few minutes later exit with a parcel.

The judge and McCormick followed a short distance behind and on the opposite side of the street. They didn't want to get too close so as to scare off who Kenny was supposed to meet or alert anyone they were tailing the boy.

The two men trailed the boy until he entered an office building. Crossing the street and entering the building to see if they could find where Kenny was headed for, they couldn't believe their luck when they saw the talking to a man at an office right inside the door.

The two men walked back to the elevator so as not to attract attention to themselves, then as Kenny left the building, the judge followed him see what would happen back at Watson's shop.

Meanwhile, Mark went to the office and knocked. He acted like a potential investor. He asking questions and then said he'd have to think about it before he made a decision. Requesting a business card from the man so he could contact him later, he left and went back to meet Hardcastle.

The jurist was waiting across from the shop when McCormick arrived. The older man told the ex-con that Kenny had come out without a package so they knew the boy was done for the day. The two men decided to go home and get something to eat.

00000

Friday morning, Mark and the Judge went to the police station to tell Frank the first drop off point. They entered the lieutenant's office and waited until Harper got off the phone.

Hanging up the phone, the lieutenant said, "Morning, Milt, Mark. How are you this morning?"

"Hi, Frank," McCormick said, as he sat slouched in his chair.

The cop studied the young man and thought to himself, How can he possibly be comfortable sitting like that. He looks like he'll slide out on the floor any second, but at least he's more relaxed today than the other day. He turned his attention to the older man.

"Morning, Frank," Hardcastle said, and then reached into his pocket. Handing the paper to Harper, he said, "There's the first place on the list that Kenny delivers to."

Glancing at the paper, the lieutenant said, "Okay, I'll run it and the owner this afternoon."

"Did you find anything else about Watson," the jurist asked.

Frank glanced quickly at McCormick before speaking. "Yes, I followed his trail as far back as it went. There wasn't much out of the ordinary except for the fact that the man moved around a lot."

Hardcastle hadn't missed the cop's glance at the young man beside him. The judge had seen Mark sit up straight and knew the ex-con had noticed also. He was about to speak when McCormick spoke up first.

"Okay, Frank you can tell us the rest. What did you find that you're afraid to tell me?" Mark asked, sensing the reluctance of his friend to tell him.

Glancing at Hardcastle, and seeing his nod, Frank said, "I traced Watson back as far as I could and I found out that he was in Jersey fifteen years ago." Seeing the young man's reaction, the officer knew the information had shocked him. He paused for a moment to allow the young man to take that in.

The ex-con sat silently for several minutes as the news sank in. After a few moments, he looked at Harper and asked, "Do you think he's the same man that killed Jimmy?"

The judge watched as the ex-con's face had lost all its color. He could tell by his expression that he was shaken up by the information.

The lieutenant sighed heavily before continuing. "I don't know, Mark, and I wouldn't have thought twice about it except for what Milt told me yesterday. That, and there is a notation in his file from when he was in Jersey stating that he had been accused by a youth of murdering a street kid. The police found no evidence to prove any wrongdoing." Frank stopped, as he considered how much to say. There was more but he wasn't sure if he should tell the young man. The officer knew the information would upset the ex-con but decided the kid deserved to know what the report said. "The file also says that the investigation into Watson didn't continue because the man had never been in trouble before and the police found the boy making the claim to be an unreliable source. Since the police couldn't find any other leads, the murder remained unsolved."

Hardcastle had been watching McCormick's face and knew what he was thinking. He could see the anger simmering in his young friend's eyes. They noted your complaint and then brushed you and it aside. You have every right to be angry, the older man thought as he watched McCormick struggle with the information.

Mark was quiet for a few minutes and then said, "Does the report say why the police found the source unreliable?" He didn't want to hear how unimportant the police thought he was but he needed to know why they didn't listen to me.

Harper did not want to hurt the young man any more, but understood why he wanted to know. "It says that the boy had been in trouble in all his foster homes and was sent back by them to the custody of the state. Since he had been in trouble so much, the police felt he was just upset over his friend's death and was lashing out at someone."

God, it's my fault Jimmy's killer didn't get caught. If I hadn't been such a bad kid, the police would have listened to me. How many more kids have been hurt or killed because I didn't make a good witness, the young man thought as he tried to absorb the information he had been told.

The jurist had watched the ex-con's face and didn't like what he saw. He knew the kid was blaming himself again and the judge didn't know how to help him.

Before anyone could think of anything to say, Mark spoke up. "We've got to stop him," he said quietly.

"We will, kiddo. Listen, what happened is not your fault," Hardcastle replied, wanting to see the hurt and anger gone from his young friend's face.

"Isn't it? You heard what Frank said. If I had been a better kid, the police would have listened to me," McCormick said, his self-loathing evident in his voice and on his face.

"Listen to me, no matter what type of kid you were, the police should have listened," the jurist said, angry that the younger man had been hurt so much.

"Milt's right, Mark. The police are partially to blame in the murderer not being punished. No matter how unreliable a witness seems, all complaints should be taken seriously," the lieutenant offered, also angry over the young man's misery. Harper then went on to say, "The department should have checked other sources to see if anyone could back up your story. But no matter what, you and your accusation deserved better than that."

The ex-con thought about what his friends had told him and he could feel their belief in him. He looked at both the men and then smiling slightly, said, "Thanks, Frank. Thanks, Judge. Maybe this time I can do something to stop him."

"Now yer cookin'," the judge replied as he also smiled, relieved to see his friend relaxing.

00000

The jurist and McCormick returned to Gulls-Way in time for lunch. They ate their meal and Hardcastle noticed that the ex-con was still a little subdued but didn't know what to do to help the young man.

Sarah noticed that the ex-con was quieter than usual and also was barely touching his lunch. She decided not to say anything yet.

As everyone finished, the judge said, "I'm going to go over my notes so we'll be ready this evening."

"Okay, Judge," McCormick answered as he rose from his chair.

"Mark, would you help me with the dishes?" Sarah asked, and waited for an answer.

"Sure," he said, and started getting the dishes ready.

The jurist knew Sarah was going to talk to the ex-con about what had him upset and hoped she would have better luck than he had.

She watched the young man as he filled the sink with water. His whole body betrayed his grief. His shoulders were slumped and he wore a sad look on his face. Walking up to the ex-con, she placed a hand on his arm. "Mark, are you still upset over what we were talking about yesterday?" she asked.

McCormick didn't answer at first; he just shrugged his shoulders. Then he said, "Yeah, I guess so. This Watson guy we started investigating, he might be the same guy that killed Jimmy."

"Oh, Mark, I'm sorry," she said, as she continued to watch his face.

"Yeah, but the real kicker is if I had been a good kid, the police might have listened to me then, and this boy wouldn't be in trouble now," the young man replied.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, not sure she understood what he meant.

"I got sent back from my foster homes a lot and because I was a troublemaker, the police didn't take me seriously when I said he had killed Jimmy," the ex-con replied, his head dropping as he was once again consumed by guilt.

Sarah's heart was breaking for the young man in front of her. His misery was so deep and he had carried it so long. "Mark, listen, the police should have listened," she started to say and then paused.

"That's what Frank and the judge told me, but I can't help thinking and wondering how many more kids has he hurt or killed because I wasn't a reliable source," McCormick responded.

"Now you listen to me, young man. First, you were just a kid and the only one who has done wrong is the man who killed your friend. The police should have listened to what you told them and investigated him. And you should have had someone to tell you that you were not responsible in any way for what happened to your friend. And I'm telling you now that you are not responsible for any other children this man has hurt," Sarah told him. Watching the young man's face, she could see the lines of tension relaxing.

The ex-con turned to her and hugged her as he said, "Sarah, thank you. I'm grateful that you care enough about me to want to know why I was upset. It feels kinda nice knowing someone cares."

"Well get used to it, because I'm not going to stop and neither is Judge Hardcastle," she replied.

"I know, and I care a lot for him and you also," the young man said smiling. He then turned back to the sink and they finished the dishes.

00000

Four o'clock that evening found Hardcastle and McCormick sitting at the same table at the café waiting for Kenny to enter the shop. The pair had not seen the shop owner, just people coming and going. At 4:30, Kenny came walking up the walk. He went in the shop and came out a few minutes later with a package.

The jurist and ex-con followed him as he went up the street. When they saw him cross the street, they dropped back a little to put more distance between themselves and the boy.

Kenny entered an art gallery and after a few moments so did Mark and the judge. The pair stopped and looked at a painting, while they watched Kenny speaking to the curator and handing him the package. The gallery manager then gave the lad a slip of paper and envelop and Kenny left the gallery. McCormick followed him back to the shop to be sure he wasn't going on another delivery while Hardcastle acted as a potential buyer to obtain the curator's name.

The judge went back to the café and found McCormick watching the shop door. When he heard the jurist approaching, the ex-con stood and said, "Kenny went home. I was just seeing if I could catch a glimpse of Watson, so I could see if I recognized him. But he didn't come out."

"Well, let's go home. Sarah probably has dinner waiting," the judge said as they left.

00000

Late Saturday morning, as the judge was going over the information they had and Mark was cleaning the pool when Frank came to the house.

Seeing the lieutenant arrive, McCormick walked over and met him. "Morning, Frank," he said.

"Morning, Mark. Is Milt inside?" Harper asked.

"Yeah, he's in the den," the ex-con said, leading the way. As he entered the hall, he yelled, "Hardcase! Frank's here!"

"McCormick! Do you have to yell!" the jurist said gruffly, trying to hide his smile.

"I just wanted to be sure you heard me. You are getting old you know," the young man shot back.

"Yeah, well, I can still take you any day," the older man retorted and then added, Why don't you go see if Sarah has something cold to drink?"

"Sure, Judge," Marks said as he quickly left the room.

"He seems to be in a better mood, today," the lieutenant said.

"Yeah, he is doing better. It is still on his mind, but he's not feeling so guilty anymore," Hardcastle answered.

"I'm glad to hear that," the lieutenant said.

Mark returned to the den with their drinks. "Frank, Sarah wanted me to tell you that she would have lunch ready in a few minutes and you're welcome to stay," the ex-con said as he sat down the tray of glasses and tea pitcher. He poured glasses for everyone and flopped into his chair.

"I came by because I thought I would save the two of you a trip to the station today. Did you find the second place the Parks boy delivers to?" the lieutenant asked.

"Yes, here," Hardcastle said as he handed Harper the card with the gallery information.

"I'll check him out later today. I didn't find much on the first one. There were a few traffic tickets and a small possession charge for marijuana a few years back. Since then, it looks like he's stayed clean," Frank said.

"Or just not gotten caught," Mark responded.

"Yeah, or not gotten caught," the lieutenant repeated, agreeing with the young man.

"Well, he's going to get caught this time," the judge said.

"Yeah, but so far all he's guilty of is getting a package from a gift shop," the ex-con replied, feeling discouraged.

"I know, kiddo, but once we know the last location Kenny delivers to, we'll start getting evidence on what's in the package. It takes time, McCormick," the jurist replied, understanding his friend's impatience.

"I know. I really want to get this guy," Mark said, meeting the judge's gaze.

"So do I. We're gonna take it slow and be sure to do it right so Watson doesn't get away this time," Hardcastle replied. He then turned to Frank, and said, "McCormick and I will follow Kenny this afternoon to see if he goes to the third drop off point. Since he's went to the other two the past two evenings, it makes sense that he'll go to the last one today. If he does we'll come by the station and give you the information. Then Monday, we'll start following Watson to try and catch him with the goods."

"Sounds like a good plan, but you two keep me informed of what you're doing and be careful," the lieutenant said.

Sarah announced that lunch was ready and the three men went to the dining room and enjoyed the meal. Once they were done, Frank left to go to the station. Hardcastle and McCormick discussed their plans for the afternoon and evening.

00000

At two-thirty, Mark and the judge drove to the café and waited for Kenny to show.

A little after three, the pair saw the boy enter the gift shop. A few minutes later, he exited and turned to the left.

The jurist and ex-con followed Kenny just as they had the previous two days. The boy entered a Chinese restaurant. The two men entered after the lad and walked to the counter acting as customers. While McCormick asked about take-out orders, the judge watched Kenny to see who he talked to, which ended up being the manager.

After the boy left the restaurant, the ex-con crossed and walked back to the café, while Hardcastle walked up the street to the gift shop to get the shop's operating hours. Having gotten the needed information, the jurist met with his young assistant and the two headed to police headquarters.

00000

Arriving at the station, Hardcastle and McCormick walked into Harper's office and took a seat.

The lieutenant looked up as they entered and said, "Afternoon, Milt, Mark. Did things go as planned this afternoon?"

"Yes, here's the information on the last drop off location," The judge said, as he handed the cop the menu with the manager's name written on it.

"It's a restaurant about a block from Watson's shop," Mark replied.

"I've heard of it. It hasn't been in business very long," Frank said and then pulled a file out of his drawer. "Here's what I found on the gallery and the curator," Harper said, handing the file to Hardcastle.

The jurist flipped through the file and the information included and then said, "Seems he's a very busy boy." He then handed the file to the ex-con.

McCormick looked at the file and said, "If this guy has been involved in all these things, then how can he be doing what he is now without getting caught?"

"Because he's careful not to draw attention to himself. If you hadn't been checking out Kenny and his job, we wouldn't have looked at him now. He hasn't even had a traffic ticket in the last six months," the lieutenant said.

The judge, Mark and the officer talked for a while over the case and then the jurist and ex-con left to return to Gulls-Way

00000

Sunday afternoon, the judge was relaxing by the pool when he heard a car arrive. He waited a few minutes, and Sarah came down the drive leading Frank to the patio.

The lieutenant took a seat and asked, "How are you today, Milt?"

"I'm fine, Frank. Just relaxing while the kid's on the beach," Hardcastle replied.

"How's he doing?" Harper asked.

"He's doing okay. He's anxious to get this one finished. At least he isn't blaming himself for his friend's death so much anymore," the judge replied.

The two had been sitting for a few minutes when McCormick walked around the house and onto the patio. "Hi, Frank, thought I heard you pull in," the young man said taking a seat.

"Hi, Mark," the lieutenant replied and then continued, "I came by to tell you what we found on the Chinese Restaurant manager. He hasn't done anything for a while, but about six years ago, he was caught with a large quantity of heroin. He pled to possession in exchange for the supplier."

"So if we need to play that angle, and we lean on him a little, he'd probably roll over and give Watson up," the jurist said.

"Maybe," Harper said.

"Yeah, but it would be better to catch Watson with his hands dirty," the ex-con stated.

"That's why we're gonna try and catch him with the merchandise. But if we can't, at least we have a backup plan," Hardcastle responded.

Frank cleared his throat and then said, "I got some responses from different departments to my request for information on increased drug activity for time periods when Watson was in their jurisdictions. Some were from areas that have always had a large drug problem and they could not really determine one way or the other. But some, now that they look at the information, said that there was an increase during the time he was present and the problem decreased once he had left. They didn't connect him to it then because people were always coming and going, and they had no reason to be looking in his direction. We wouldn't either if it weren't for Judge Miller's concern for his neighbor's son and your knowledge of how this type of operation works, Mark."

"But all that tells us is, he may have kept busy since he left Jersey. We can't go on that, it's just circumstantial," the judge replied. Seeing the look on his young associate's face, he said, "Don't worry, kiddo, he's not getting away this time. And before you start saying it again, it was not your fault he's been free all this time."

After discussing their plans for the next day, and rising from his seat, the lieutenant said, "Well, let me know if you find anything tomorrow and don't take any chances. This guy hasn't stayed free by being stupid."

Hardcastle nodded to the lieutenant and watched as the officer left. He turned to the ex-con and said, "How about we go watch the game on TV?"

"I thought you wanted me to trim the hedges once I got back from the beach," McCormick said.

"I did, but I think we should just relax and take it easy today. The next few days are going to be busy and we'll need to be ready for them," the judge said, rising from his seat.

Mark rose and followed the older man into the house and then the den. He settled in his chair while the judge found the right channel.

00000

Monday morning, Hardcastle and McCormick were waiting outside Watson's apartment when their quarry exited the building. He got into his car and they followed in the truck.

The man drove to a warehouse and entered. Mark pulled the truck over to the side of the building and parked.

The judge opened his door and exited, saying, "Come on. We've got to get a closer look."

"Judge, this seems awful easy," the ex-con said, as he exited the truck. "If it is this simple to find where he has the stuff, how come he's never messed up before?"

"Maybe he's been able to fool the cops for so long that he's just gotten overconfident," the jurist answered, starting toward the building.

McCormick reached out and placed a restraining hand on the older man's arm. "No, we should go in down there," the younger man replied, pointing to a door in the back side of the building.

The pair walked to the door. Finding it locked, Mark quickly used his talents and opened it. They quietly entered and wove their way through the boxes until they could see Watson talking to a couple of men.

Mark saw Hardcastle motion that they needed to move closer and nodded in response. He had just risen and started to take a step forward when he felt a hand on his shoulder and something poke him in the back.

"Hold it right there," the man said loud enough to get the judge's attention.

The jurist turned and saw the man holding the ex-con. The thug moved his hand to allow the older man to see the gun and then put it back in the younger man's back. At that point another man approached and took Hardcastle's gun from him. The thug then patted down both men, removed Mark's picks from his pocket, and said, "They're clean. No other guns or wires, just this set of lock picks."

The two men then pushed the jurist and ex-con ahead of them and into the open.

Watson turned at their approach and said, "Well, so nice of you to join us. Judge Hardcastle, isn't it?" Not waiting for an answer, he approached and stood in front of the two men. "Lets all go in the back where we can talk."

As they entered the room, Mark and the judge were separated. Two men took the younger man to one side while the other two men took the jurist to the other. Watson walked over to the judge.

"I guess you're wondering how I knew you were following me. Let's just say my employees are very loyal," the shop owner said as he studied Hardcastle. Knowing the judge didn't know what he meant, he went on. "Yesterday afternoon, Kenny came in after his afternoon delivery. He wanted to thank me for the job and said that even if his neighbor had concerns about his job, he knew it was legit. I asked him a few questions and he explained how he knew his neighbor had talked to you and that you were checking me out. Once I knew that, it wasn't hard to out the pieces together, and knew you'd be following me next. So I set up this little meeting."

Hardcastle said, "What're you going to do? The police know what we were doing and will know we're missing."

"Yes, but they don't know you're missing yet and by the time they do, you will be dead and I'll be gone," Watson responded, as he punched the jurist in the stomach.

Concerned for the judge, and angered by the realization that this was indeed the same man who killed his friend, Mark lunged at the shopkeeper but was stopped by the two men beside him. "Leave him alone!" the ex-con yelled, his anger written all over his face.

The leader walked over to McCormick and patting him on the cheek, said, "Relax boy. I won't hurt him yet." He looked at the younger man and wondered. There's something about that kid. I feel like I've seen him before, but I can't remember when. Oh, well it doesn't matter.

Watson then went to stand in the middle of the room. He looked at both men and said, "Since neither of you will be around to tell anyone, I see no reason not to tell you how my operation works. Well, you know that the kid makes my deliveries. There are three places and he goes to each twice a week. The art gallery and the Chinese restaurant are my dealers. The upper crust goes to the gallery and purchases art with a small added bonus. The Chinese restaurant is for the common man. Order the teriyaki chicken with the special family sauce and you get a helping of cocaine on the side. That's where the investment office comes in."

"They launder your drug money for you," the jurist stated.

"Give the man a prize!" the leader replied sarcastically, as he walked over to the Hardcastle. Looking the older man in the eyes, the shop owner said, "I've been at this a long time and am very careful not to draw attention to myself. What made you suspicious?"

"Because I remember what you did before," Mark answered.

"So we have met before? I thought so," Watson said.

"Yes, we've met. You killed my friend Jimmy," McCormick answered.

Recognition dawned on the shopkeeper's face, and he walked over to stand in front of Mark. "You're that punk kid who accused me of murdering his friend in Jersey, aren't you?" the man asked.

"Yes, and I know you did it," the younger man replied.

Nodding to his henchmen, the leader said, "Yes, I remember now. You delivered a package for me and lost it. Your friend decided to quit and I couldn't let him go. Noone quits on me. I should have killed you just like I did your friend."

The two men at the ex-con's sides were ready when McCormick lunged at the shopkeeper. "You'll pay for what you did to Jimmy," he yelled as he tried to reach the boss.

Watson delivered a punch to McCormick's midsection that knocked the air out of him. "Things got a little hot after you went to the police. But I lucked out when your history was enough to convince them you were a troublemaker. That, and the fact I told them I fired you for stealing from me. Still, I decided it was time to leave for another location."

The shop owner walked to stand between the two. "I've already contacted my supplier, and will be leaving for my next base of operation. I'll take care of you permanently a little later. Right now, I think you should be taught to keep your noses out of other people's affairs," Watson said.

The shopkeeper approached the jurist and punched him. The two goons held him tightly while the other two held Mark, and kept him from moving. Watson continued to hit the judge, striking him on the face and midsection, until Hardcastle slumped in the arms of the two men holding him. "Let him go," the leader said, as he turned toward the younger man.

McCormick watched as his friend fell to the floor. He could see the older man moving and knew he was still conscious, but just barely. He felt his anger becoming a blinding rage. He waited until the shopkeeper was right in front of him and threw all his strength into his struggle.

Mark jerked away from the two men holding him, and grabbed Watson by the shirtfront. He hit the man once in the face and was going to follow it with another punch when the goons grabbed him again. The two men pulled him away from their boss.

Watson straightened his shirt and walked over to the ex-con. His first blow was a backhand to the face; hard enough to snap Mark's head back forcefully. The shopkeeper followed that blow with more to the midsection. "You should have stayed out of my affairs fifteen years ago and should have known better than to get involved in it now," the leader said as he continued hitting the young man. After a few blows he stepped back and motioned for one of the thugs standing over Hardcastle to take over.

The judge tried to rise to help his young friend, but the remaining goon held him down with a foot on his back. "Leave him alone!" Hardcastle called out.

Watson walked over and kicked him hard in the chest, which made breathing very difficult. "He should have just left things alone," the shop owner said as he turned his attention to the ex-con still being assaulted.

Soon the young man was unable to stand and was being completely supported by the goons holding him. Watson walked over and lifted McCormick's head by his hair to look into his face.

Mark opened his eyes as far as he could, and seeing the store owner in front of him, said, "Go to Hell!"

Watson slapped him across the face and then told the goons, "Seems our young friend still has something to learn." The thug approached the McCormick and resumed hitting him. After a while the two men holding Mark released him and he fell to the floor as well. The shopkeeper walked over and lifted the young man's head. Seeing that the ex-con had lost consciousness, he said, "Okay, boys, that's enough for now. You can finish them later, before we leave."

Watson and his goons left the two men alone. Hardcastle was sitting trying to determine how they could escape. As he sat, he thought, It was supposed to be a simple case. All we had to do was follow Watson and when we gathered enough information, call in the cops.

Moving over to McCormick, the judge asked, "Kiddo, can you hear me?" He gently turned Mark over onto his back and found the young man unconscious.

00000

Lieutenant Harper was sitting at his desk trying not to worry. Okay Milt, it's three o'clock. You were supposed to be here between 1:30 and 2:00. Where are you and Mark? I knew I should have never let you handle this without backup, he thought as he waited.

The officer sat for another fifteen minutes and decided to go to Gulls-Way. Maybe they forgot to come here first and went home. Maybe they were going to come by later. I hope that's all there is to it, he thought as he left his office.

00000

Sarah was fixing dinner when she heard the doorbell. Wiping her hands on her apron, she answered the door. "Lieutenant Harper, may I help you?" she asked.

"I was wondering if Milt and Mark are home?" Harper inquired, already suspecting the answer.

"No, they haven't returned since they left this morning," the housekeeper answered. Seeing the officer's reaction and sensing that there was something wrong, she asked, "Is something wrong, Lieutenant?"

"They were supposed to meet me earlier, and I thought they might have forgotten," Frank answered. Seeing the older woman's concern, he added, "Don't worry, Sarah, I'm sure nothing's wrong. They are probably just running late."

The housekeeper replied, "I hope so. I'll tell them to call you when they get home."

"Okay, I'll see you later, Sarah. Don't worry, I'm sure they're okay," the lieutenant answered, wanting to reassure the housekeeper.

00000

As Hardcastle sat watching his friend, he looked around the room they were locked in. It was about 10 x 12 feet and had no windows. The room was plain white and had a single light bulb in the high ceiling. The room was bare except for a solitary chair against the far wall. There was only the one door, a large steel one.

Mark awoke and released a moan as his body protested when he tried to move.

Hardcastle studied his young friend and said, "Kiddo, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," the ex-con replied as he started to rise.

The judge reached over and helped ease the young man into a sitting position. "Take it easy. They gave you quite a working over," the jurist said.

"Well, it doesn't look like they went so easy on you, either," McCormick retorted.

"Yes, but they didn't leave me unconscious on the floor," the older man responded.

"Maybe not, but not by much," the ex-con said. Then shifting his position, he winced when it caused pain in his ribs.

"Easy, kid," the judge said, placing a restraining hand on the ex-con's shoulders. Watching the younger man struggle to breathe without pain, the jurist asked, "Did you have to go and make him so mad?"

"I couldn't help it. He was bragging about how he killed Jimmy and got away with it, and I got angry," McCormick answered. After a few moments, he said, "Judge, we've got to figure a way out of here. If I'm gonna help, then I need to know how much help I can be.," The younger man then tried to push himself to his feet,

"Okay, but let's go slowly," the jurist said, as he gently helped the younger man to his feet. Once finished, he watched his friend and noticed that the kid was having difficulty staying upright.

Seeing Hardcastle's look, Mark said, "I'm okay." He didn't want to tell the judge that he was dizzy and that every breath hurt. "What about you?" the ex-con asked.

"I'm not in as rough shape as you are," the older man answered, not acknowledging his aches and pains.

"Hardcase, you didn't answer my question. I asked how bad you were hurt," McCormick said.

"And I answered. I said not as bad as you," Hardcastle responded.

"Well, let's try and find a way out of here," Mark said when he realized that was all the answer he was going to get. He turned and started toward the door.

Seeing the young man sway, the jurist quickly went to his side and helped support him as they walked to the door.

After looking the door over carefully, McCormick said, "I can't open this. There's no knob and I don't have my picks anyway."

Knowing that being on his feet was exhausting the young man, the judge said, "Come on, let's go over here and sit down. We'll think of something." The jurist helped the ex-con sit down against the wall.

"Thanks, Judge," the young man said as he leaned his head against the wall.

The two men considered their situation and discussed possible courses of action.

00000

Harper drove to Watson's gift shop and found it closed. Not liking that, he decided it was time to go to the backup plan. He called to have a unit meet him at the Chinese restaurant.

The lieutenant entered the restaurant, and asked to see the manager.

"Mr. Johnson, I'm Lt. Harper with L.A.P.D. I need you to come downtown to answer some questions," the officer informed the man.

"What is this about?" the restaurateur asked, nervously.

"We'll discuss it downtown. You can come with us now or I'll come back with a warrant," Harper said, his tone conveying his intentions to follow up his words if need be.

"I'll go with you now," Johnson said.

"You can have your lawyer meet us there," Frank said as he led the way outside.

00000

Once Johnson's lawyer arrived, Harper entered the interrogation room where the suspect was waiting. He informed the man of his rights.

"Mr. Johnson we have evidence that you are receiving drugs and distributing them through your restaurant. You have been observed receiving a package from the store of Justin Watson. We know there were drugs in the package," the lieutenant informed the man.

The attorney asked, "Are you charging my client?"

"Not yet, but we will be. We are willing to consider making a deal for some information your client may be able to give us," Harper answered.

"What kind of deal?" the lawyer asked.

"I spoke with the D.A. and he agreed that if Mr. Johnson helps us, we'll charge him with possession and distribution of an illegal substance and we won't charge him with being an accessory to kidnapping, and murder," the officer responded.

"You said if he didn't help, he would be charged as an accessory to murder. He hasn't hurt anyone," the attorney said.

"There are two men who were helping with the investigation, and they are missing, and have probably been caught by Watson. Your client is associated with Justin Watson and if Watson kills them, your client is an accessory to murder," the officer informed them.

The attorney looked at his client and then said, "I'd like to confer with my client for a few minutes."

"Of course," the lieutenant said, and then exited the room. He waited fifteen minutes and then reentered the room.

"What do you want to know?" Johnson asked, when the cop came back in.

"We know you receive the drugs from Watson and we know that you know where he keeps his stash before he distributes it to you. We want you to tell us where he keeps his merchandise because that's where he would have the missing people," Harper said, hoping he wasn't wrong that the man would know the information he needed.

The attorney nodded to his client, and then Johnson said, "I was only there once, when he made his business proposition. He has a warehouse in the wharf district." The restaurant manager went on to give the lieutenant the information they needed.

"An officer will now take you to be booked. The charges will be filed as agreed," Harper said as he left the room.

00000

Harper arrived at the warehouse and exited his car. Frank spread the blueprints he had gotten on the hood of his car and addressed his men that had joined him there. "Johnson said Watson has four men working for him." Pointing to a group of officers and then a spot on the prints, he continued, "You four enter back here and the rest of us will go in the front. Maybe we can surprise them and get them to surrender without a fight. If that can't be avoided, be careful; Judge Hardcastle and Mark McCormick are in there. Okay, let's go."

The men dispersed as assigned. Harper waited until his man signaled that the officers had reached the back door. Then he and the others entered the front.

"Freeze! Police!" the lieutenant yelled, attracting the attention of the five men.

The men working for Watson ducked for cover and started to fire at the officers.

The officers also ducked for cover and returned the gunfire. The officers coming in the back got the drop on one man, but he decided to try and shoot it out anyway and was killed.

After a short gun battle, the three remaining henchmen had been apprehended.

Frank was looking for Watson when he saw the man running toward the back. The lieutenant quickly pursued the man, and caught up with the shopkeeper as he was trying to open a door.

"Freeze! Don't move!" Frank ordered.

The storeowner fired a shot at the officer, who returned fire, hitting Watson in the shoulder. Another officer approached, and the lieutenant passed the suspect off to the cop.

00000

Harper went to the door and turned the key Watson had left in it. He pushed the door open and saw Mark across the room.

McCormick looked up at the sound of the door opening and was surprised to see Frank there. The lieutenant stepped forward and the young man yelled, "Hardcase, wait! It's Frank!"

In that instant, the judge stepped from behind the door while lowering the chair leg in his hand. "Frank, did you get him?"

"Yeah, we got him and his men here, and we arrested the others earlier this afternoon," Harper said. "Are you two okay?" the cop asked, as he looked at his two friends.

"I'm okay," the jurist answered. Turning to the young man, he said, "Come on, kiddo, let's get you checked out." The three men started out of the building with the two older men aiding the younger man.

"I'm okay, Judge. I just want to go home," McCormick complained.

"You need to be checked out, and you're going!" Hardcastle said sternly.

"I'm not if you don't. They hurt you also," the ex-con responded, stubbornly.

The jurist didn't feel that he needed to see a doctor, but wanting the younger man to be checked out, relented. "Okay, I'll go too."

"But I'm not staying," Mark added.

"If the doctor says so, you will," Hardcastle answered back.

Harper shook his head, and said, "Come on. I'll drive you to the hospital and have an officer bring your truck there."

00000

Sarah heard the vehicle in the drive and rushed to the door, and hurried outside. She saw the judge get out of the truck.

As the housekeeper saw Hardcastle's face, she gasped and rushed to his side. "Your Honor, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Sarah. Don't worry, I'm a little bruised, but okay," the jurist answered, as he walked to the other side of the truck, where Mark had opened the door. "Just a minute, McCormick. Wait until I get there," the older man said.

"You heard the doctor. I'm fine, Judge," the young man replied as he stepped from the truck, wincing as the jolt of hitting the ground sent pain through his body.

"Yes, I heard the doctor, but apparently you did not. He said you were lucky. No broken bones, but you are very banged up and will be very sore. You are supposed to take it easy for a while, especially the next few days," Hardcastle replied, sternly.

"Okay," the ex-con said, as he leaned against the truck.

The judge took Mark's arm to add support as he walked. McCormick started toward the Gatehouse, but was stopped by the jurist. "Oh, no you don't. The doctor said you needed to go to bed and stay there for the next two days," the older man said.

The ex-con whined, "But, Juuudge, I can stay in bed in the Gatehouse."

The jurist responded, "No, the doctor said that you could go home only if you went to bed for the next two days. The only way I know to be sure you do that is for you to stay in the house."

Sarah hadn't gotten a look at Mark yet, since the judge blocked her line of view. When he shifted and she saw the young man's face for the first time, she came to him and said, "Now you listen to Judge Hardcastle, young man. If the doctor told you had to stay in bed, then you will."

"Okay, Sarah," Mark replied, not able to argue with the older woman.

The judge helped the young man into the house and up to the guest room and then returned downstairs. Sarah fussed over the ex-con, making sure he was comfortable and Mark soon fell asleep.

Sarah walked into the den and over to the jurist. "I'm so glad the two of you are safely back home," the housekeeper said as she laid her hand on Hardcastle's arm.

The older man placed his hand on hers and said, "It's over now. We got all the men involved in the case."

00000

The next two days passed quickly. Sarah fussed over Mark, bringing him his meals and keeping him company. The judge played cards with him to also help pass the time.

The third morning, McCormick was sitting up in bed when Hardcastle entered the room. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm getting up. The doctor said two days and I've stayed in bed just like he said," the ex-con retorted.

"That may be but you still have to take it easy for a while. You can get up but will need to be careful on the stairs," the jurist warned.

"Okay," Mark said as he carefully rose and started for the hall. The ex-con paused at the top of the stairs and then slowly started down, with the judge closely behind.

Once he reached the landing, McCormick said, "I want to go to the pool."

"Okay, I'll walk you out," Hardcastle responded.

"I can walk by myself," the young man replied.

"I know, but you may not be too steady on your feet yet, and I don't want you falling on your face," the jurist said.

As they passed through the kitchen, Sarah turned to them and said, " Mark, I'll have your breakfast ready in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to sit by the pool," the ex-con responded.

"All right," the housekeeper said as she turned back to the stove.

Mark sat in a large chair and was relaxing when Sarah brought his breakfast. She went back into the house and returned a few minutes later with a blanket. "Here, we don't want you to get too cold," the older woman said as she put it over his legs.

"Thanks, Sarah," McCormick said as he continued to eat.

"Sarah, you don't need to fuss over him, it's no wonder he's spoiled," the judge said gruffly.

"Well, we don't want him to get sick. Besides who was it that walked him all the way out here," Sarah said in response.

"I was just making sure the kid didn't fall flat on his face. The yard has needed mowing for the last two days. If he gets hurt, it'd be that much longer before he gets to it," the jurist answered, trying to cover for his concern.

"Uh huh," the housekeeper, said as she smiled at the older man knowingly. She noticed that Mark had finished eating, so she took his plate and then bending down, placed a kiss on his cheek. "You take it easy and if you get cold, come in the house," she said, and then turned and walked back to the kitchen.

00000

Hardcastle and McCormick had been sitting for a while when Frank came around the corner of the house and approached them. He took a seat at the table where he could see both men.

"Hello, Milt. Hello, Mark, how are you feeling?" the lieutenant asked the younger man.

"I'm okay," the ex-con replied. Hearing the judge's grunt and seeing the cop's smile, he said, "A little sore, but better than the other day.

Deciding to diffuse any sparring before it started, Harper said, "Well, it's good to see you up and about, Mark. I stopped by to tell you we had Watson and all his connections here. He won't give us his supplier, but we weren't expecting him to. Johnson is telling all he knows. The other two are keeping silent."

"Yes, but with what we found in the warehouse, what Watson told McCormick and me and what we found following Kenny, all of those guys are going away for a long time," Hardcastle replied.

Frank said, "Yes, they will." He paused a few moments and then went on. "And then there's the matter of Jimmy's murder."

The ex-con's head jerked up, and he asked, "What about Jimmy's murder?"

"Yes, Mark. There's no statute of limitations on murder, and you can testify about what you know about his death," the lieutenant replied.

"Besides, kiddo, Watson admitted to it when he had us at the warehouse. You and I can testify to that as well," the judge replied.

"What about Kenny? He's be in any trouble, is he?" the young man asked.

The lieutenant smiled that his young friend would be concerned over the outcome for the boy. "No, he knew nothing about what was in the packages and truly believed his job was honest. The D.A. said he will probably have to testify, but that's about all," the lieutenant answered.

"That's good," the ex-con replied.

"Well, I've got to get back to the station. I just wanted to let you know what was going on," Harper said, as he stood.

"Thanks, Frank," Mark said.

"I'll walk you out," Hardcastle said.

00000

While the older man was gone, McCormick sat thinking about what had happened. Watson will finally be punished for what he did to Jimmy. The judge and Frank believed me, even knowing my past. And the D.A. is charging him with the murder. I was finally able to help Jimmy."

The jurist returned from the front of the house along with Judge Miller, who had arrived while Frank was preparing to leave. The two men noticed the far away look in the younger man's eyes, and Hardcastle knew he was probably thinking of his friend.

Mark heard the sounds of someone approaching and was brought out of his musings. He looked up to see the judge and his friend coming over.

"Hello, Mark," Carl said, and seeing the ex-con start to sit up, said, "Don't get up, just relax. Milt told me what you two had been through."

Mark relaxed back against his chair and waited for the man to speak.

Judge Miller then said, "I wanted to come by and thank you both for your help. I'm glad neither of you were hurt worse than you were."

"You're welcome, Carl. We were glad to help. Weren't we, kiddo?" Hardcastle responded.

"Yeah, it was no problem," the young man replied. Seeing the skeptical look from Carl, the ex-con responded, "I get beat up worse than this playing basketball with Hardcase."

That caused both older men to smile and Hardcastle to say, "I'll remember that next time we play."

Mark didn't respond to the retort. Instead, he turned his attention to Judge Miler and asked, "How is Kenny? Did he find another job?"

"He's okay, Mark. He was a little shocked to find out his employer was really dealing drugs and was using him to deliver them. But he is unhurt and that is the important thing. No, he hasn't gotten another job. His father went back to work and told Kenny he wants him to concentrate on school and getting ready for college," the jurist replied.

"I'm glad he's okay and that Watson didn't hurt him," the ex-con said.

Judge Miller rose and said, "I'm going to head out and let you two rest."

"Wait, I'll walk out with you," Hardcastle told his friend. Turning to Mark, he said, "Be back in a few minutes."

"Thanks again, Mark," Carl said as he shook the younger man's hand.

"You're welcome, Judge Miller. See you later," the ex-con responded.

00000

As Hardcastle walked Miller to his car, Carl said, "He's really come through for you hasn't he?"

The pair stopped near the car and the retired jurist said, "Yeah, the kid's done all right. This case was hard for him, but he did okay."

Miller replied, "You know, when you started this retirement project of yours, I thought you were crazy to take an ex-con as your partner. I just knew you had lost it. Then I met your choice of partners and knew he was going to disappoint you, if not worse. But I'm glad to say I was wrong and he was a wise choice. I don't think you could have done much better."

Hardcastle shifted nervously and then said, "I just gave the kid a chance. That's all he really needed in the first place.

Judge Miller shook his friend's hand and then got into his car and drove off.

00000

The judge walked back to the patio and found McCormick lying with his eyes closed. Thinking the young man was asleep, the older man approached quietly, trying not to disturb him.

"It's okay, Judge, I'm awake. I was thinking and resting my eyes," the ex-con said.

"Okay," the jurist said as he looked at his friend. The young man had a faraway look on his face. "Something on your mind, kiddo?"

"I was just thinking that it may have been too late to help Jimmy, but I was able to stop Jimmy's murderer from hurting any more kids," Mark replied.

"Yeah, not bad for a week's work. We stopped a murderer, a drug ring and a money laundering operation. We did all right," the judge responded.

"But most importantly, we saved Kenny from the same fate as Jimmy," McCormick said.

"Now yer cookin', that's what we were doing it all for, the rest was just a bonus. You did good, kid," Hardcastle replied.

"Thanks, Judge," Mark said.

The two men talked companionably for several minutes. A little later when the older man realized his young friend had been silent for a while, he looked over and saw the ex-con had fallen asleep. Yeah kid, this was a tough one, but not nearly as tough as living with all that guilt you were carrying around. It is good to see that you've finally let all that go. I'm proud of you, kiddo, the jurist thought as he tucked the blanket around his sleeping friend.

The judge settled back in his own chair and decided to enjoy the quiet while it lasted. Yes, life might be noisier now that you are here, but it's also better," the jurist thought, as he too drifted off to sleep.