Little Boy Lost

Chapter 8

Frank was confused. What did Dad mean that Joey never made it to school? Where else would he go?

He opened his mouth to voice that exact sentiment when a police car – lights flashing and siren blaring – pulled into the driveway and parked behind his father's car.

The little boy's mouth dropped open. Wow! Cool!

"Laura," the guilt-laced tone in his father's voice made the child look up at the man; his attention was now divided between his parents and the two police officers getting out of their patrol car and approaching the house. "I'm sorry…"

Sorry? Why was his father apologizing again? Frank realized he must have missed something. "Daddy?" he frowned and repeated, "Where's Joey?" Maybe he stayed at Biff's to play…

His father's eyes shone brightly and Frank could see the lump on the man's throat wobble before he admitted. "I don't know, Frank—"

"Mr. Hardy?" one of the police officers, an older man with light brown hair, addressed Frank's father as he stepped onto the porch and out of the heavy rain, "I'm Officer Ezra Collig with the Bayport Police." He gave the little boy a quizzical glance, "You reported your son missing?"

His mom made an odd noise and pulled Frank close to her, her touch possessive and unusually rough. Missing? I'm not missing—

"Not Frank," Fenton immediately corrected. He cleared his throat and faced the officer, "my younger son, Joey… he was supposed to meet up with his friend a block away so they could walk to school together—" the man roughly wiped at his eyes, "but he never showed."

"Fenton?" his mother's grip unconsciously tightened on Frank but he didn't pull away. He was no longer even remotely interested in the police officers anymore. "Didn't you walk him to Biff's?" Her voice was soft and quivered slightly at the end.

Frank looked at his father expectantly. Of course he did. His dad wouldn't let a little kid like Joey walk by himself. Now if it were Frank—

"I was going to," the man said quietly, "but then the phone rang. It was the Congressman," he added as if that somehow made this better. Whatever this was, Frank still wasn't completely sure. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that his father didn't know where his brother was – his Dad was a superhero…

Superheroes didn't lose little boys.

Another crack of thunder made Frank shiver.

"The phone rang?" his mother's voice rang with a horrified disbelief. "Please Fenton…tell me that you didn't let him go by himself. Please!"

Tears welled up in Frank's eyes at the desperate pleading and he sniffled hard. They were scaring him—

All he wanted was Joe.

"Laura," the word was choked but the police officer interrupted before Frank's dad could say anything else.

"Excuse me. I hate to interrupt," he actually did sound apologetic, "but we need a recent picture and complete description of what the child – Joey?" All three Hardys nodded, "What Joey was wearing, and the route he would have taken so we can start looking for him."

An incomprehensible looked passed between Frank's parents and then Fenton focused on the officer. "Of course…I'm sorry, Officer Collig wasn't it? Please come inside."

Frank was gently pulled out of the doorway and then his mother crouched down in front of him, and he was shocked by the look on her face. Her normally vivid blue eyes were suspiciously bright and her smile strained. The child reached out a hand to touch her pale cheek; something stirred deep in his belly and he needed to take that look off her face….It wasn't right for his mother to look so scared. "Don't worry, Mommy," he assured her, "Everything'll be okay."

A single tear slipped down Laura's face and she closed her eyes and swallowed hard for a second before grabbing and pulling him tightly against her.

"Oh, baby," she murmured, a sob.

The seven year old pulled away, "Daddy'll find him – you just wait and see. I know he will."

"Frank…" Laura started and then stopped. She looked at him and he nodded resolutely:

"He will."

The sound of the phone ringing had his mother on her feet. She gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head. "Go play in your room, sweetie…" She reached for the living room phone and then paused as she lifted it to her ear. "Thank you," she mouthed and then turned away.

Frank listened for a few moments, his hope soaring that it was Joe calling to tell them a big exciting story about why he didn't go to school today. And then sighed loudly when he realized it was just Biff's mom, and from his mother's dropped shoulders and dejected look on her face, he knew she didn't know where Joe was either…

Good thing, he decided as he slowly went up the stairs, that Daddy's gonna find Joey… he paused outside his brother's room door as he walked down the hallway… 'cause I want him home.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Officer Ezra Collig felt horrible for the young family standing in front of him. He could see that the mother, a pretty, petite blond, was barely keeping it together as she tried to remember what her son had been wearing when he left the house, while the father, a tall and dignified-looking man, paced behind them, frantically thumbing through his digital phone for a good picture of the missing child.

There was something familiar about the man but Ezra couldn't put his finger on it yet.

"Blue jeans, light blue sweater—" the woman stalled, panic crossing her face. "I can't – I can't remember…" She looked at her husband, her eyes wide as she wrung her hands. "Fenton. I can't remember!"

"Laura," the husband's voice was achingly gentle. "He dressed himself…you were with Frank. Our older son was stomach sick last night," the man explained needlessly and then it clicked for the cop – he'd seen the guy around the station from time to time. If memory served him correctly, he was a P.I. or something. The man continued to speak, "We couldn't find Joey's coat so he left wearing his brother's. It's dark blue with rolled-up sleeves—" Fenton's face took on a pained look and he glanced away for a moment before speaking again. His voice was quiet. "I rolled them up so he wouldn't trip over them."

"What about shoes?" Ezra pressed, trying to balance compassion with urgency. "What was he wearing on his feet?"

"White sneakers with Batman on the side," Laura spoke up and then gave him a sad smile, "they're his favorites."

"Aha," Fenton blurted out, his attention once again on the camera, "I've got the perfect picture – I'll be right back," and left the room to make copies.

The other officer who had arrived with Collig finally came into the house. He'd run a quick check to see if any 'persons of interest' had been spotted in the area and gave a curt shake of his head when Ezra caught his gaze. His search had come up empty.

That was both good and bad.

Ezra moved to excuse himself so he could fill his partner in when Laura reached out and touched his arm, stopping him.

"Please," she asked, "find him – he doesn't like storms."

Behind them, Fenton came back into the kitchen and handed Collig the pictures.

"Thank you," the cop said and then looked intently at Laura, "We'll do everything we can to find your little boy." He gave her what he hoped was an assuring smile, "I promise."

Her appreciation was palpable. And without another word, the two police officers left the kitchen. They had a little boy to find.

As he walked towards the front door, Officer Collig looked down at the smiling face of an angelic little blond-haired boy in the picture and memorized his face. He hoped the child beat the odds but deep down, he just wasn't so sure. Most kids who vanished stayed gone.

"Hold up," the father's voice stopped him on the top of the porch. The rain had finally started to lighten up but it was still a miserable night.

Ezra turned to see the detective putting on his coat as he crossed the distance between them. "I need to help. I have to find him."

The cop opened his mouth to protest and give the standard line about staying home and sticking close to the phone, but one look at the determined man's face, and the knowledge that Fenton was a trained investigator, waived his protest. "Fine," he stated, "But if you interfere in any way—"

"Don't worry about me," Fenton vowed and then stopped and turned back to the house. Laura had followed him to the door and was standing there. "Laura…" he started but his wife cut him off:

"Fenton. Go. Just…just bring my baby home." And then she stepped back inside and closed the door.

Fenton stared at the closed door as the rain quickly soaked –or rather re-soaked – him, and Ezra felt bad for the guilt-ridden father. However there was no time for feeling bad right now. They had a child to find.

"C'mon," he barked gruffly, eager to get back into the dry car. "Let's go find your son."