CHAPTER 3
Frank, accompanied by Joe, went back to his apartment to collect more of his clothes, or at least something more appropriate to wear for an afternoon out on the town.
Earlier, Joe had offered Frank the choice of anything in his closet, but Frank had laughed at the notion. They shared different tastes in clothes and Joe took a larger size due to his muscle mass. Frank's build, in comparison, bordered on lean athleticism though martial arts, running and swimming, rather than through pulling weights and reps.
Frank took the opportunity to drop in on Bob and his wife to thank the old man for his intervention the night before. In the midst of the conversation, Bob's teeth shot out into his hand and, quick as a flash, were shoved back in.
Barely containing his hysteria, Joe immediately left Bob's apartment with streaming eyes, mumbling something about hay fever and having left his phone next door - a weak excuse as his cell had been in his hand the entire time.
Bob and his wife ignored Joe's retreat and assured Frank of their good health, but felt sad Frank might be moving on. They exchanged telephone numbers, and Frank left to find Joe, so they could return to the houseboat.
Once home, the brother's changed clothes, grabbed some food, and got back on the road in a cab.
After minutes of extended silence sat in the car, Joe leaned in closer and said, "Dude, shut the hell up would you, I can't get a word in edgewise."
"Funny guy."
"Seriously, what are you thinking?"
"I'm confused. Why would someone want to go to all the trouble to override my alarm system in order to jump me in my hallway? Far easier to attack someone in the street…more escape points."
"You've thought about it a lot, huh?"
"Only where you're with me."
Joe nudged him. "You probably weren't that wide of the mark with your first theory - you interrupted something, just not a burglary. Them taking your alarm pad apart and then wiping it clean?" Joe shook his head. "More than odd."
Frank shifted his legs into a more comfortable position. "The only explanation I can think of is someone we put away in the past is out of jail and back to exact revenge." Their driver hit his turn signal and coasted toward the center of Bayport. "If that's the case, then both of us could be targets, heck, dad could be a target too."
"Dad gets notifications from Ezra Collig of perps released we've dealt with. He would've warned us if we need to watch our backs." Joe pointed past the driver's head. "Dude, can you drop us off here?" The driver pulled over at the first opportunity.
Frank alighted and handed the driver some cash, but waved the change off when offered. Joe joined him on the sidewalk and Frank continued their conversation, "Surely Ezra would've told James of any cons released who could prove a danger to us? Especially after last night,"
"I agree. And don't call me Shirley."
Frank socked his brother in the arm.
"We can ask James later." Joe glanced at his cell phone. "Oops, we're late." They picked up pace and headed for their rendezvous.
Soon, they pushed through doors and into the Broken Oak Pub. Thankfully, it proved quieter than the usual places they favored, with only a jukebox pumping out a continuous and random choice of music, even if none of the patrons fed the machine. It suited their needs on this occasion because they wanted to talk but not be overheard.
The brothers weaved between the tables and scanned the room for Vanessa, Joe's tall, ash-blonde girlfriend, and James Anderson. They will have arrived together. A logical arrangement as Con Riley and Vanessa's mother, Andrea Bender, were in a committed and serious relationship. Recently Con had moved into Andrea's house and put his own up for sale, which meant James and Vanessa were now permanent housemates.
Frank spotted James waving from the far corner of the bar area, where he and Vanessa had claimed a table with four seats. He nudged Joe and led him through to where their friends sat.
"Hey handsome!" Vanessa said and beamed up at them.
"Thanks," Joe said and treated her to one of his special smiles.
"I didn't mean you, I meant The Frankster."
The special smile dropped as James mocked loudly, "Ha haaa..burned!" and pointed at him. Several people turned to look at Joe.
Frank dropped down into the seat next to James. He leaned across the table to peck Vanessa on the cheek. "Why thank you kindly, beautiful lady."
Joe snaked his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Back off, she's spoken for. Find your own."
James pushed two beers in their direction.
Joe picked up his drink and took a long swig.
"James?" Frank pulled his friend's attention away from his conspiratorial grinning at Vanessa. "Has The Chief said anything to you about any bad guys being released from prison who we've had dealings with in the past?"
Vanessa frowned. "What do you want to know that for?"
Joe leaned in so he could hear James' answer.
"No, nothing." James turned to Vanessa. "Frank got jumped in his apartment last night. Keep it to yourself, but Collig's asked me to keep my eyes on Frank. He doesn't put much weight on the 'random attack' or 'burglary' theory."
"You got attacked?" she spluttered to Frank, and laid her hand on top of his. "Frank!"
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I've moved in with Joe for a while to consider my options. I'm not sure I want to go back to the apartment. It doesn't feel right anymore."
"I can't say I blame you, the place holds a lot of negativity. At least then you can move on from the nasty stuff and get some distance between you and Nancy."
Frank broke eye contact, picked up his drink, and downed a good mouthful. "Not an issue. Nancy Drew and me? We both knew it'd never work. The long distance thing's too hard to navigate."
"Who you trying to kid?" Joe asked. "You said you'd found 'the one'."
Vanessa joined in, "Correct! And she's perfect for you, and you're perfect for her. Two halves of one whole. Or at least it's what you used to think of Nancy."
"Sentimentality," Frank countered. "Look, guys, I know you're disappointed because you liked Nancy—"
"LIKE!" they three chorused as one.
"Whatever! 'Like' rather than 'liked' then. It's the way things happen sometimes. Just know Nancy Drew and I feel exactly the same. We're fine with the way things turned out."
Vanessa rested her chin on her hand and stirred her pink drink with her straw. "But it happened so suddenly, so fast, with no warning. We went out clubbing with Mr H, and then the next day, POOF, you'd finished and Nancy flew home with hardly an 'au revoir'."
"I can't help the timing of it, it just happened." Frank grew irritated by being forced to bat questions away about his private life. "Look, it wasn't just my decision, we came to it jointly…can we change the subject? It's ancient history."
"If ancient history's four months ago!" Joe muttered sarcastically.
Frank sighed and sat back away. "Please, everyone, quit it."
"If you're not interested, can I ask her out on a date?" James cut in with a smirk.
Frank watched Joe take the last gulp of his drink. "Don't push your luck, buddy!" He sensed from Vanessa's body language she wasn't about to drop the matter, so he decided to take the opportunity to leave the table. "I'll get another round in." He stood up. "Same again? What's that concoction, Vanessa?"
"A Pink Elephant. It's nice, want to try?"
"Not for me, thanks."
"Same again."
The room had grown busy, the noise having mounted as people raised their voices above the music and din. Frank dodged through patrons in order to get to the bar but managed to not tread on anyone or get trampled. He reached the service area and waited in line.
He became acutely aware someone had positioned themselves close to him, which wasn't abnormal given their situation in front of a public bar, but their hips were touching which wasn't natural. He glanced down and met a pretty face smiling up - a woman, not much older than himself, with coal black eyes and impossibly neat, dark, bobbed hair. "Hi," she said. "I'm not being a queue jumper, honestly."
"You're welcome to if you'd like?"
"I'm happy here."
Frank nodded and looked at his brother's table. He, James and Vanessa were pointing at the girl and making encouraging, but inappropriate gestures. Frank's mouth lifted on one side and he shook his head. He wished the girl would go away.
"Do you come here often?" she asked.
"Does that line ever work?"
Her mouth dropped. "Worth a try."
Frank smiled ruefully, and he attempted to exclude her from his non-physical space by ordering his round of drinks. He turned slightly. She tensed, disappointed at his lack of interest. He didn't want to get into anything with anyone. To give her any encouragement would be a mistake and unfair.
The bartender dropped a tray down in front of him and Frank began to load the drinks onto it. As he reached for the last beer, a small hand snaked in. "Let me help you," said the girl, but she badly misjudged her grab. Too enthusiastic, she caught the glass with her manicured nails and sent it, at a slide, off the bar and into the work area beyond. She made a swiping snatch, but it disappeared from view and landed with an ear splitting smash. Beer and glass sprayed in all directions, causing the bar staff to jump clear of the danger zone. The patrons clapped and cheered, and the bar tenders glared as one at Frank and the girl. Frank raised his hands in protest.
"My fault, totally my fault!" the woman shouted, crimson faced. "I'm so sorry."
"You really know how to impress a guy don't you?" Frank said, and waved Joe and James off. They'd heard the commotion and had risen from their seats. From their vantage point, they weren't able to see what happened. At Frank's wave, they dropped back down.
One of the bar staff started to sweep up the broken glass carefully, while Frank's bartender stepped cautiously nearer. "Don't worry; let me get you a replacement."
The girl touched Frank's arm. "You go to your friends. This one's on me, I insist. I apologize," she said to the bartender again.
"No problem."
Frank hesitated for a moment, unsure, still not wanting to encourage her. But then he shrugged his agreement and lifted the tray. "Thanks."
He reached the table and found the other three eyeing him curiously. "Pretty girl," James observed.
"I guess. I'm not interested though." He unloaded the drinks, particularly juggling with the curly straws and slices of fruit in and around Vanessa's glass of pink liquid. It looked like a cleansing solution to Frank.
"I swear you're doomed to a life of solitude and being eaten by cats," Joe muttered.
"Huh. Thanks Bro for your vote of confidence. Much like James then?"
"Don't involve me!"
Joe slid out from the table and headed for the rest room taking the tray with him.
Frank took the beer he'd allocated for Joe and sipped it. Presently, the pretty girl appeared at his shoulder, so he put his drink down and accepted the replacement glass she handed him. He set it down in front of Joe's place and thanked her.
For an instant, a strange look crossed her face before she tightly smiled. "I think I'm batting above my average with you. Nice a nice evening," she said quickly and left.
"Awkward," James muttered and his phone beeped. He picked it up off the table to read a message. "I've gotta phone work, one of my buddy's needs to talk to me." He left his seat and headed for the outside door. He passed Joe staring at the girl as she exited.
Joe slid back into his seat. "You scared her off good, Dude." he said and re-wrapped his arm around Vanessa's shoulders and she snuggled in. He picked up his glass and took a long drink.
"Didn't you see her as good as throw my beer at the bartender?"
"That's what happened? A clumsy move in anyone's book," Vanessa's gaze settled over Frank's shoulder toward the doors. She frowned and her lips turned up at the corners with amusement.
Frank turned to see an ambulance idling in the road with its red emergency lights flashing. The girl, who'd chatted up Frank, had her face turned up with her hands rested on the door as she talked to one of the paramedics. The medic leant out of the window.
Vanessa mouth dropped open slight and she laughed. "The worst move I've ever seen! She's got gumption, I'll give her that," She shook her head at Frank in disbelief.
The EMT opened his door and helped the woman climb aboard. The ambulance's blinkers flashed, and it edged into the traffic and left.
"Smooth. Keeping it classy!"
Joe turned to Vanessa. "You don't need to make an effort, Babes, you're hot as. The guys flock to you. Takes all my energy to fight them off." Joe took his arm from around her shoulders and slumped forward with his arms on the table and rested his chin on his fist.
James re-entered the bar through the door with a grim expression on this face.
"Did you see that?" Vanessa asked him loudly.
"Huh?" James, distracted, looked behind him. "What?"
"James the observant Cop strikes again—" Frank wound down at the sight of James' deep frown. "What's up, Jimmy?"
Someone walked too close to James and jostled him. "Hey man, watch it!" The guy who bumped James turned and looked him up and down. They started an aggressive eye balling competition.
Bemused by this unexpected chain of events, Frank jumped up. "It's all cool," he said to the man, and pulled James away by the upper arm. "For pity's sake, sit down, what's up with you?"
James sat and took a long slug of his drink. "You know my mate, Bach?"
"Of course we do," Vanessa said. "Nice guy."
"They found him in his wrecked car out on Shore Road. Trapped in it since last night. Had to cut him out of it."
Vanessa's hands rushed to her mouth, "Oh no!"
"He's critical, they don't know if he'll pull through. Had to air ambulance him to the hospital."
"What happened?"
"Looks like someone ran him off the road just short of the cliff drop. Lucky not to have gone over, if you can call what happened lucky. His car ended up out of sight of the road on the cliff edge, which is why he wasn't seen earlier."
"Shit!" Frank uttered, his fingers in his hair.
"Yeah. They think he'd tried to stop someone. He'd thrown a stinger strip across the road."
"No. I mean…shit…I saw Officer Bach last night on Shore Road."
"You saw his wrecked car?"
"Of course not, what do you take me for? Before…as I headed to Joe's place...Bach pulled me over, but a speeding car nearly ran him down, driving like a maniac. He took off after it."
"What?" James narrowed his eyes, processed what Frank told him. "No…doesn't make sense. If that's the case, then—" James stopped, his eyes settled on Joe.
Frank's attention similarly snapped around to his kid brother as Joe made a violent and unnatural twitching movement. "Bro?"
Joe went to speak, looked confused at both of them, then fell face first across the table.
Frank shot out of his seat, and James pushed himself backward. He nearly upended his chair to avoid Joe's empty beer glass rolling off the table.
"JOE!" Vanessa squealed and put her arms around him to give him a shake. She had no way of getting out from behind the table. Joe's position had her trapped against the wall.
Frank's hand thrust straight to Joes' neck and felt for a pulse. He found it almost immediately.
Vanessa put her head closer to her boyfriend's, "Joe?" She got no response. "Frank, what's happening?"
Frank came around to their side of the table and also shook Joe, but with a firmer shake than Vanessa could or wanted to muster. "Joe…JOE?"
Joe's arm slid off the table and flopped into Vanessa's lap.
Frank pushed himself upright "I'm guessing something's been slipped in his drink. I knew something smelled 'off' about that girl. Help me get him to the floor."
They did that and put Joe into the recovery position as a curious group began to gather.
Frank retained a protective hand on Joe's shoulder and pulled his cell phone from his pocket with the other. "I'll call for an ambulance."
"I'm not sure this is what Joe had in mind when he decided to organise an afternoon's fun," Vanessa said from her crouched position on the other side.
James glanced at the gathering, curious faces starting to swarm them. "I'll crowd control," he said. "You guys are amazing! Socializing with you is never a drag."