Part of the Family
Chapter Twenty-One
by hbwgonnabe
"What are you doing here?" Joe asked as Piers entered the room followed by Maxwell.
"Rescuing you," Piers replied. "The police and your old man are off to Langley's place so we came here."
"How did you know Benson was involved?" Joe demanded.
"Benson approached Cooper and suggested he might find the Renoir available on the black market," Piers said. "But the boss wants the painting on the up and up."
Maxwell took the painting from the crate then closed the crate back up. He looked at Piers and gave a curt nod. "Let's go," Piers said.
"To the police station," Joe said hopefully.
Piers shook his head. "To the boss. You and the painting are going there."
"But you said..." Joe began.
"He'll probably let you return it," Piers tried to reassure Joe. "But my life is at stake here. After last night, you have to stay in one piece until I get other orders and with someone trying to kill you and Benson kidnapping you...well," Piers ended with a shake of his head. "You stay with me."
Joe was escorted to the Sorrel estate where Marie, again, met him at the door. "Are you all right?" she demanded, seeing the bandage on his forehead.
"He may need a doctor," Piers told Sorrel as he entered the foyer. "There's dry blood on the back of his head."
"I'm all right," Joe insisted. "But I need to call my family."
"Of course," Marie agreed at once. She took his hand and led him to the phone then left him alone as her father called her over.
"Mom," Joe said when she answered.
"Joseph! Thank God! I've been so worried. Where are you? Are you all right?" Laura fired off the questions.
"I'm fine," Joe replied. "I was ambushed on my way to Marie's but I'm here now. Is Frank or dad there? I need to talk to them."
"No," she answered. "The police were searching Langley's but your father and Fenton went to the museum."
"Okay, thanks. I'll be home later," he promised, not giving her time to object, and hanging up. Then he called the museum and asked to speak to Mr. Benson. Upon being informed of his early departure, he hung up, and looked at Sorrel.
"I have to call the police," he said.
"Out of the question," Sorrel replied, not watching his words because he had sent Marie on an errand.
"Then I have to go back to Benson's," Joe said, his mouth set in a stubborn line that all who knew him recognized as pointless to argue with.
"It's too dangerous for you," Sorrel stated, with a firm shake of his head.
"It doesn't matter," Joe said, his voice firm and head held high as he locked gazes with Sorrel. "My father and brother are there. I won't stand by and let them get killed."
"You can't expect us to help you," Piers objected, scowling.
"I never asked you to," Joe retorted.
"You are going to go, even if it means taking us on, aren't you?" Sorrel asked, looking at Joe with respect.
"They're my family," Joe replied simply.
Joe, Sorrel, Piers and Maxwell arrived at Benson's home in record time. Sorrel held Joe back while his men scouted the area. "Benson and another man are on the second floor," Piers told Joe and Sorrel when he returned. "They are holding your father and brother at gunpoint."
"Let's move in," Sorrel ordered.
The four made their way inside. Joe watched in horror as Langley aimed the gun between his father's eyes. He could see Langley tighten his grip as he spoke.
When the gunshot rang out, Joe was sure his father was dead. It took only seconds to realize Maxwell had shot Langley in the arm.
Langley screamed and clutched his arm as blood began to pour. Benson leapt to his feet and ran for the door leading to the bathroom but froze in abject terror when he saw Sorrel standing there.
"A little bird told me I was a suspect for a crime you committed," Sorrel said his voice soft and filled with menace.
"D...don't kill me," begged Benson, falling to his knees.
"Oh, it's your lucky day," Sorrel told him. "You're going to give the police a full confession instead."
"But...but I'll go to prison," Benson declared, his eyes widening. Surely Sorrel understood!
"Either prison or a grave," Sorrel retorted, then looked over to where Joe was having a happy reunion with his father and brother. "Well, Hardy, think you can handle things from here?" Sorrel asked Fenton with a smile then spoke to Joe without waiting for an answer. "I think perhaps you shouldn't see my Marie anymore," he told Joe. "Taking care of you is no problem. Rescuing your father, now that's something that's hard to live down."
End
Chapter Twenty-One
by hbwgonnabe
"What are you doing here?" Joe asked as Piers entered the room followed by Maxwell.
"Rescuing you," Piers replied. "The police and your old man are off to Langley's place so we came here."
"How did you know Benson was involved?" Joe demanded.
"Benson approached Cooper and suggested he might find the Renoir available on the black market," Piers said. "But the boss wants the painting on the up and up."
Maxwell took the painting from the crate then closed the crate back up. He looked at Piers and gave a curt nod. "Let's go," Piers said.
"To the police station," Joe said hopefully.
Piers shook his head. "To the boss. You and the painting are going there."
"But you said..." Joe began.
"He'll probably let you return it," Piers tried to reassure Joe. "But my life is at stake here. After last night, you have to stay in one piece until I get other orders and with someone trying to kill you and Benson kidnapping you...well," Piers ended with a shake of his head. "You stay with me."
Joe was escorted to the Sorrel estate where Marie, again, met him at the door. "Are you all right?" she demanded, seeing the bandage on his forehead.
"He may need a doctor," Piers told Sorrel as he entered the foyer. "There's dry blood on the back of his head."
"I'm all right," Joe insisted. "But I need to call my family."
"Of course," Marie agreed at once. She took his hand and led him to the phone then left him alone as her father called her over.
"Mom," Joe said when she answered.
"Joseph! Thank God! I've been so worried. Where are you? Are you all right?" Laura fired off the questions.
"I'm fine," Joe replied. "I was ambushed on my way to Marie's but I'm here now. Is Frank or dad there? I need to talk to them."
"No," she answered. "The police were searching Langley's but your father and Fenton went to the museum."
"Okay, thanks. I'll be home later," he promised, not giving her time to object, and hanging up. Then he called the museum and asked to speak to Mr. Benson. Upon being informed of his early departure, he hung up, and looked at Sorrel.
"I have to call the police," he said.
"Out of the question," Sorrel replied, not watching his words because he had sent Marie on an errand.
"Then I have to go back to Benson's," Joe said, his mouth set in a stubborn line that all who knew him recognized as pointless to argue with.
"It's too dangerous for you," Sorrel stated, with a firm shake of his head.
"It doesn't matter," Joe said, his voice firm and head held high as he locked gazes with Sorrel. "My father and brother are there. I won't stand by and let them get killed."
"You can't expect us to help you," Piers objected, scowling.
"I never asked you to," Joe retorted.
"You are going to go, even if it means taking us on, aren't you?" Sorrel asked, looking at Joe with respect.
"They're my family," Joe replied simply.
Joe, Sorrel, Piers and Maxwell arrived at Benson's home in record time. Sorrel held Joe back while his men scouted the area. "Benson and another man are on the second floor," Piers told Joe and Sorrel when he returned. "They are holding your father and brother at gunpoint."
"Let's move in," Sorrel ordered.
The four made their way inside. Joe watched in horror as Langley aimed the gun between his father's eyes. He could see Langley tighten his grip as he spoke.
When the gunshot rang out, Joe was sure his father was dead. It took only seconds to realize Maxwell had shot Langley in the arm.
Langley screamed and clutched his arm as blood began to pour. Benson leapt to his feet and ran for the door leading to the bathroom but froze in abject terror when he saw Sorrel standing there.
"A little bird told me I was a suspect for a crime you committed," Sorrel said his voice soft and filled with menace.
"D...don't kill me," begged Benson, falling to his knees.
"Oh, it's your lucky day," Sorrel told him. "You're going to give the police a full confession instead."
"But...but I'll go to prison," Benson declared, his eyes widening. Surely Sorrel understood!
"Either prison or a grave," Sorrel retorted, then looked over to where Joe was having a happy reunion with his father and brother. "Well, Hardy, think you can handle things from here?" Sorrel asked Fenton with a smile then spoke to Joe without waiting for an answer. "I think perhaps you shouldn't see my Marie anymore," he told Joe. "Taking care of you is no problem. Rescuing your father, now that's something that's hard to live down."
End