Author's Note: I had a few minutes in between classes and could squeeze this update in. I hope you enjoy.
It was going to be a long day until noon. Frank was glad that he and Joe had lunch together. He was starting to get to like Joe. While he hoped his father was still alive, he wanted to still be able to keep in touch with Joe if they moved back to where they were previously.
Frank glanced at his lunch money, not used to getting school food. Gertrude had always packed lunch for him. He navigated through the line, grabbed his tray and sat down. He didn't really know how he felt about his aunt. His father had been gone a lot and she'd been there, but had she really? She had spent most of her time watching soap operas.
At least when his father was home, they'd made the best of it. Frank could tell multiple stories about his father coming home in the middle of the night and waking Frank up because he only had a few hours and wanted to spend them with Frank. Frank loved those times; even if he was tired the next day for school.
He shook himself out of his thoughts as he saw Joe, who flagged him down. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," Joe said back. "You remember Nancy from yesterday."
"Yes," Frank nodded, "I do. Hi. Who else is here?" He added, looking at the rest of the group and remembering Iola. He remembered her because she still wore the promise ring that matched Joe's.
"Callie, Biff, Chet," Joe said, naming them off. "Anyway, Nancy, Frank's got a question for you."
Frank sat down, and glanced wearily at the bread. "Is it supposed to be this green?" he asked, holding it up.
Joe grinned. "Nope. I'd recommend eating the lunch meat only." He gestured at his own plate, where he had discarded his own bread.
"Anyway," Frank said, pushing the sandwich to the side all together, "My Dad isn't registered in the death databases yet, and it's not on the news or anything… I mean, he wasn't that famous, but I thought it'd have at least made local news or something. And there's nothing in the obituaries or anything. It just doesn't feel right to me," he said.
Nancy frowned. "That is weird. Joe, I'm assuming you checked the database I showed you?" She asked.
"Yeah," Joe nodded. "Nothing."
"Let me know if the lunch lady is coming," Nancy said, opening up her pencil case and grabbing her phone out of it. While they were technically allowed to use their phones at lunch, the current lunch lady enjoyed trying to confiscate them.
"Is it against the rules to use your phone?" Frank questioned, looking at her. He didn't have one - he'd never needed one - but he figured knowing the rules wouldn't hurt.
"No, but the current lady is weird," Joe responded. "Fenton Hardy, by the way, Nancy."
Callie spoke up. "Could it have been his choice not to be registered in the death database? Was there a funeral - I'm assuming not?"
"No," Frank responded, "They said that his wishes were to be scattered over the Niagara Falls. He's only been like once and while it's cool I don't understand why he'd want that as his thing, you know?" he questioned.
Callie frowned. "You're thinking he's not actually dead," she said.
Iola spoke up then. "Why would he fake his own death?"
"Or," Chet said, "Playing devil's advocate, why would someone else fake his own death for him?"
A blonde girl came and sat down at their table, someone Frank didn't know. "Bess," Joe nodded to Frank.
"What's up?" Nancy asked, sliding her phone in her bag as she looked at Nancy.
"They wrote me up for using my phone in class, so I was late," Bess said, shrugging. "Anyway, what were you using your phone for?"
"Searching. There was nothing Frank. Do you want to talk after school when it's less noisy?"
"Sure, if we have time. Joe, did Laura ever tell you about the caseworker thing-"
"Another one is coming over tonight," Joe said.
"Oh, good."
"His last one was an asshole," Joe added.
"Joe!" Iola said, punching him in the rib lightly.
"What? She was! And besides that, she was Richard's sister or something. Total conflict of interest or something right?"
"Or something," Iola muttered before the bell rang to dismiss them back to class.
After school they gathered at the door. Laura had texted Joe, saying she was running late and she'd be a few extra minutes, which actually worked in their favor. "So since he's not on the death list," Nancy said, "It's possible he's alive, but it begs the question of why they'd put you in foster care if they aren't 100% sure he's dead. Or, if they are sure he's dead-"
"Well," Frank frowned, remembering, "The ashes thing doesn't make sense either, suddenly. They said the car had a problem and it fell into a river, and he wasn't found and neither was his body - so if there was no body to get ashes from, how does that even work and why tell me they were scattering his ashes across the Niagara Falls?"
"This whole thing is just weird," Nancy muttered, pulling up another Google search on her phone. "Maybe they just figured they were going to do it when it came up or something. Either way, that's fishy. They should be more upfront with you," she muttered. "Hey, I wonder if…" she let her voice trail off.
"What?"
"If you and Laura are getting the same stories."
"Well, we'd have to get the same stories, right? Shouldn't I be entitled to the same information?" Frank asked, frowning.
"Good question. You should ask her. And maybe ask to see your file."
"Yeah. I just hope this caseworker was better than the last," Frank muttered, feeling a knot starting to form in his stomach. "I really didn't like her."
"That bad?"
"She accused Laura of taking me in out of pity and sympathy, amongst other things. Seriously, who does that? Especially as old as I am, I'd be lucky to get another foster - where's Joe?" he asked, suddenly.
Nancy glanced up from her phone, sliding it in her pocket. "Wasn't he just here?"
"Yeah," Frank nodded, "Normally I wouldn't worry but that Richard guy doesn't seem like Joe's best friend, and Joe said he'd be put away, but…."
"GUYS!" Iola yelled, grabbing Frank's arm. "Come fast."
Frank followed her and Nancy, wondering what was going on. He groaned when he saw the dude from last night - Richard? Richardson? No. Richard? Yeah. - yelling with Joe.
"I don't have a restraining order against you!" Richard said, grabbing at Joe who skillfully maneuvered out of his way.
"Actually, you do," Joe said as he tried to get back towards the school, "Mom filed it on both of us, and why aren't you in jail for breaking your case or -"
"Got off," Richard said. "You're going to convince your mother, boy, that she still loves me-"
"Ahem," Frank said, clearing his throat when it became clear that Nancy was on the phone with someone else. Hopefully 911. He didn't know how violent Richard could get, but he really didn't want to know either. "Hey, Joe? Mom needs us now." OK, so it was a total lie, but Richard didn't know that.
"No, she really doesn't," Richard responded as he grabbed Joe back towards him.
"I suggest Joe be let go," Frank said, his voice more clear as he moved closer to Richard.
"I suggest not," Richard smirked as he grabbed Joe. It was then Frank saw the white van behind him and groaned. Stereotypical movie van, he thought, if I was an author, or if this was a story, I'd make it something cool. Like a - he didn't have time to finish his thought as Richard started to pull Joe back even further.
"Police are on there way, Richard," Nancy called, coming up. "You know that the restraining order says you can't have contact with either party."
"I am now, so what are you going to do about it?" Richard asked. Frank noticed that he had his hand around Joe's neck and decided that there was no more time to wait for the police. In two smooth moves, Frank maneuvered Joe safely away from Richard and pinned Richard to the ground.
"What are you really after?" Frank asked. "'Cus it sure ain't love."
"Get off of me! You're hurting me!"
"Go flag down the cops, Nancy, please," Joe said. "They always go to the front and we need to re-direct them this -" she was gone before Joe finished the sentence.
"So," Frank said, "What are you really after? Because it's not love - or, well, if it is, you're not smart enough to know that the way to Laura isn't by abusing her son."
Richard growled. "I want Fenton Hardy. Now get off me!"
Frank and Joe looked at each other before Frank turned back to the man. "Fenton Hardy is dead," he said, his voice cold despite the lump in his throat. "Joseph Hardy will do no good here." He made a mental note to apologize to Joe for that later.
"Dead?! Hah! He's in hiding. Too scared to come out like the chicken that he is!" Richard gloated. "And you're my bait to get to him."
"What beef do you have with him?" Frank asked, honestly curious now - maybe he could give him a clue as to what his father was involved in. Although he honestly suspected his father was higher up on the pole - even though he was undercover, most likely - than this idiot.
"What beef do I have with him? It's my mission to capture him to move up in the gang," the man said. "They're worried about him investigating us, but I guess if he's dead it doesn't matter."
"What gang?" Frank asked as he heard the sirens.
"You think I'd tell you that?"
"No," Frank said honestly, "But I bet your tattoos will." It was a total lie; Richard had one tattoo on his shoulder that Frank had no idea what it meant.
"Then take a picture," Richard snapped as the cop arrived, arresting him before starting to yell at the cop, "It's not my fault! I swear to God - get off of me! I didn't violate the restraining order! It's against Laura, you hear?! Not Joe!" With that he was shoved into the squad car while another cop took their statements.
"Are you okay?" Frank asked Joe, honestly worried.
"Yeah," Joe said, "I'm glad you came when you did, though. This does beg the question: If Richard is in the gang, and he wants to go after Dad…"
"Hmm," Frank said, frowning. "Then Dad's cover is working, for one, and for two the gang doesn't think he's dead. But what's his sister have to do with it? I don't think she'd blemish her record for her vendetta against Laura alone."
"Then that's something we need to look into," Joe said before hugging Iola and heading back to talk to Laura. Frank followed him, totally lost in thought.
And your question for today is: Just what is Fenton Hardy involved in? Any guesses? Thanks for the reviews.
