Blond-headed, seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy laughed out loud as he made a left turn onto the road leading down to the zoo, his blue eyes sparkling. He and his brown-headed, brown-eyed, year older brother, Frank, and their two girlfriends had decided to spend the day at the zoo.
Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Bender, Joe's blond-headed, brown-eyed girlfriend, sat in the back of the van beside Callie Shaw, Frank's seventeen-year-old girlfriend. Callie had brought the society column for the New York Times and was reading aloud some of the more outrageous items.
"Oh, here is something interesting," Callie said, pushing her blond hair out of her brown eyes and getting serious. "One of America's richest couples have just had an heir. The child has been named Paul Aaron."
"Who are the parents?" Vanessa asked, peering over Callie's shoulder.
"Austin and Ami Moody," Callie read, then dropped the paper and immediately grabbed onto the back of Frank's seat as Joe swerved.
"Watch it!" Frank shouted, reaching over and helping Joe regain control of the wheel. Joe pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the van. He ran behind it and was throwing up as Frank came rushing around to see what was wrong.
"Joe? Frank?" Vanessa asked, getting out of the van followed by Callie.
"It's okay," Frank told the girls, motioning for them to stay back. "Joe?" he asked, a bit softer.
Joe finished and stood back up. "I'm okay," Joe said. "I just got sick."
"I think we should get you home," Frank said, going over and leading Joe to the front seat.
"Why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well?" Vanessa demanded, reaching out to push Joe's hair back in concern, but stopping as he flinched away from the movement.
"I'm sorry," Joe said, not looking at anyone. "Do you mind if I skip today?" he asked. "I'll get a cab home and you can keep the van."
"No way!" all three shouted at once.
"Drop us off at my place and I will take Vanessa home," Callie said. "We wouldn't have any fun without you," she added to Joe.
"Thanks," Joe said, giving in without a fight. He had to get home and talk to his father and the sooner, the better.
Less than thirty minutes later, Frank pulled the van into the Hardy driveway. Joe got out and ran upstairs to freshen up. Frank went inside and found his dad in the bedroom he had converted into an office when he had moved to Bayport to start his own investigative agency after resigning from the New York City Police Department.
"What are you doing back?" Mr. Hardy asked with a hint of concern.
"Joe got sick," Frank said. "He seems okay now. Quiet though."
"Maybe I should call Dr. Bates," Mr. Hardy said.
"If he gets sick again," Frank agreed. "I'll see you later," he said, leaving the room. Frank went down the hall and into his bedroom. He could hear Joe in the bathroom which connected his room to Joe's.
He heard Joe turn off the water and expected Joe to go into his room, but instead, he heard Joe's footsteps recede down the hallway toward his dad's office. Frank left his room and followed. Frank started to enter the office but stopped in the doorway and listened as he watched his pale brother speak.
"You have to investigate Austin and Ami Moody," Joe told his father, his voice barely a whisper. "He is into all kinds of illegal stuff."
Mr. Hardy swallowed and looked at Joe, his face etched with concern and, Frank would swear, pity. "I can't do that, Son."
"Why not?" Joe demanded. "You're not going to let the fact that they are rich stop you. Are you?" Joe asked in a hurt and disillusioned voice.
"Of course not," Mr. Hardy quickly assured his distraught son.
"Then why won't you go after them?" Joe demanded.
Mr. Hardy stood up and came around to Joe. He put a hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe stiffened for a fraction as memories assaulted him but he released the tension and looked at his father questioningly. "Laura told me," he said softly, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "She told me about the Moodys and she told me that if they ever get investigated for any reason, your adoption becomes null and void. You would have to go back."
Neither saw Frank's face go a deathly white or heard his sharp intake of breath.
"I know," Joe rasped. "But I'm big and I can fight back now," he added unconvincingly.
"No," Mr. Hardy asserted. "I will not let those people near you again."
"You have too," Joe said, tears streaming down his face. "They had another baby. My brother."
Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Bender, Joe's blond-headed, brown-eyed girlfriend, sat in the back of the van beside Callie Shaw, Frank's seventeen-year-old girlfriend. Callie had brought the society column for the New York Times and was reading aloud some of the more outrageous items.
"Oh, here is something interesting," Callie said, pushing her blond hair out of her brown eyes and getting serious. "One of America's richest couples have just had an heir. The child has been named Paul Aaron."
"Who are the parents?" Vanessa asked, peering over Callie's shoulder.
"Austin and Ami Moody," Callie read, then dropped the paper and immediately grabbed onto the back of Frank's seat as Joe swerved.
"Watch it!" Frank shouted, reaching over and helping Joe regain control of the wheel. Joe pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the van. He ran behind it and was throwing up as Frank came rushing around to see what was wrong.
"Joe? Frank?" Vanessa asked, getting out of the van followed by Callie.
"It's okay," Frank told the girls, motioning for them to stay back. "Joe?" he asked, a bit softer.
Joe finished and stood back up. "I'm okay," Joe said. "I just got sick."
"I think we should get you home," Frank said, going over and leading Joe to the front seat.
"Why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well?" Vanessa demanded, reaching out to push Joe's hair back in concern, but stopping as he flinched away from the movement.
"I'm sorry," Joe said, not looking at anyone. "Do you mind if I skip today?" he asked. "I'll get a cab home and you can keep the van."
"No way!" all three shouted at once.
"Drop us off at my place and I will take Vanessa home," Callie said. "We wouldn't have any fun without you," she added to Joe.
"Thanks," Joe said, giving in without a fight. He had to get home and talk to his father and the sooner, the better.
Less than thirty minutes later, Frank pulled the van into the Hardy driveway. Joe got out and ran upstairs to freshen up. Frank went inside and found his dad in the bedroom he had converted into an office when he had moved to Bayport to start his own investigative agency after resigning from the New York City Police Department.
"What are you doing back?" Mr. Hardy asked with a hint of concern.
"Joe got sick," Frank said. "He seems okay now. Quiet though."
"Maybe I should call Dr. Bates," Mr. Hardy said.
"If he gets sick again," Frank agreed. "I'll see you later," he said, leaving the room. Frank went down the hall and into his bedroom. He could hear Joe in the bathroom which connected his room to Joe's.
He heard Joe turn off the water and expected Joe to go into his room, but instead, he heard Joe's footsteps recede down the hallway toward his dad's office. Frank left his room and followed. Frank started to enter the office but stopped in the doorway and listened as he watched his pale brother speak.
"You have to investigate Austin and Ami Moody," Joe told his father, his voice barely a whisper. "He is into all kinds of illegal stuff."
Mr. Hardy swallowed and looked at Joe, his face etched with concern and, Frank would swear, pity. "I can't do that, Son."
"Why not?" Joe demanded. "You're not going to let the fact that they are rich stop you. Are you?" Joe asked in a hurt and disillusioned voice.
"Of course not," Mr. Hardy quickly assured his distraught son.
"Then why won't you go after them?" Joe demanded.
Mr. Hardy stood up and came around to Joe. He put a hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe stiffened for a fraction as memories assaulted him but he released the tension and looked at his father questioningly. "Laura told me," he said softly, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "She told me about the Moodys and she told me that if they ever get investigated for any reason, your adoption becomes null and void. You would have to go back."
Neither saw Frank's face go a deathly white or heard his sharp intake of breath.
"I know," Joe rasped. "But I'm big and I can fight back now," he added unconvincingly.
"No," Mr. Hardy asserted. "I will not let those people near you again."
"You have too," Joe said, tears streaming down his face. "They had another baby. My brother."
