Thanks go out to Brooke and Patty for beta reading this part for me. I hope
you all enjoy. Char :-)
BROTHERS Part 2:
The detective looked past Jason to Dick. "May we come in?"
Jason looked from the men at the door to Dick and back again. "Uhmm. Yeah ... sure. Dick?"
Dick nodded. "Yeah, what's this about?"
The three men entered the room. Dick couldn't help but notice the way the two detectives were carefully scanning the room. Detective Jordan held a photograph up. "Have either of you seen this girl?"
Jason's mouth dropped. "That's Amy."
Detective Jordan focused on Jason, "You know Amy Miller?"
"Yeah, we met her. Last night at the club. Why you askin'?" Jason replied as he looked up at the Detective.
The detective pointed to Mr. Miller. "This is her father. Amy didn't go back to her room last night. We were hoping you might have some answers."
Detective Lester moved further into the room as he looked around. "She wouldn't happen to be here, would she?"
Dick's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "No. She's not. We saw her in the club. Talked to her, danced a bit. That was about it."
Jason moved back to the bed. He picked up the remote control and turned off the TV. "She ... she didn't come back to the hotel? She was going skiing today."
Detective Jordan moved closer to the younger boy. "No she didn't. Some people at the club described you two as leaving with her. Did you?"
"Yeah, we walked out with her -- " Jason answered, somewhat dazed.
Dick turned to face Amy's father. He could easily read the man's worry and fear that washed across his face. "I'm sorry, sir. She left with us. We had been talking, having fun, dancing. We were going to walk her back to her room ... but ... she decided once we were in the parking lot that she wanted to go back in. So we just came back to the room." "We ... we should've gone back in with her," Jason said quietly as he looked down at the beige carpet in the room. His stomach was in knots. He felt like he was going to be sick. Where could she be?
Dick continued, "Mr. Miller, do you have any idea why she wouldn't have gone back to her room? She told us she was going to."
The older man shook his head. His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "No. She doesn't know anyone here. We just came for vacation, with her school group, and they were all in their rooms. But you saw her. She had to say something ... anything." The man's eyes plead with Dick to give him some news.
Dick sighed. He couldn't give the man the news he wanted. Slowly he just shook his head.
The worried father pressed on. "Are you sure you didn't see her or she didn't come back here?"
"Yes sir. The last time we saw Amy was in the parking lot of the club. I'm sorry, I wish we knew something more to tell you."
"She's a good girl. Please, please tell me where she is ... she's only sixteen."
Dick turned from the man. He looked at Jason. Their eyes met. He knew they shared the same thought. IF only they had walked her back in. "Mr. Miller, I ... we ... know she's a good girl. We don't know where she is."
Jason shook his head, "We left her in the parking lot. I wish I could tell you more. I dunno either. Maybe ... maybe she just got busy and forgot to call or," realizing how lame that sounded, his voice died out, "something." He looked back down at the carpet. It was easier than the pain in Amy's father's eyes.
Detective Lester grabbed his radio as he heard a call coming in. He walked out of the hotel room into the hall, partially shutting the door behind him. Anxiously, Dick watched him, before Mr. Miller grabbed his attention again.
"Did she talk to somebody? Did you see somebody with her? Maybe more friends of yours?" the man asked as he grabbed Dick's arm. "Please. Anything."
Dick shook his head. "We only got in yesterday. We're on vacation too and don't know anyone here. We met her in the club. She was talking with some other people when we got there. She told us they were friends, in the group she's here with. I don't know who she talked to once she went back in to the club."
"She NEVER got back in! You're the LAST ones to see her that we can find!"
Dick and Jason's eyes met. Amy never went back in the club? Dick was the one to find his voice, "I ... I don't know."
Mr. Miller continued. "Look, just let me know where she is and that'll be the end of it. I won't be mad. I won't say anything to her. Just let me know that she's okay.....PLEASE!"
Dick ran his hand through his hair as a dozen scenarios ran through his mind. "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry. Really I am. I don't know where she is. We don't know where she is. We'd tell you if we could."
Jason looked up at the worried father, "We wanna help, but we don't know anything." He looked down at his hands and then back up at Mr. Miller and the officers. "Is there something else we could do, maybe ... maybe help search or something?"
Comfortingly, Dick placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Yeah, we'll get dressed and help."
Detective Jordan watched the two young men. "Did you see anyone else in the parking lot?"
"Nah," Jay said. Why hadn't they insisted on going back with her?
"Are you sure? You saw no cars pull out? No one walking? Nothing?" the detective pressed.
Detective Lester entered the room again. Dick studied the look on his face. Biting his bottom lip, he looked back at Detective Jordan. "No sir, I didn't see anyone. We just walked back here to our room."
"Yeah, it was late and we wanted to hit the slopes early tomorrow ... I mean today." Jason said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Dick was still studying Detective Lester's face. He didn't like the look, he'd seen it before. "Is something wrong sir?"
Jordan turned toward his partner. He read the man's face. Jordan's jaw flinched. Jason looked up at Detective Lester as well, just in time to see Lester shaking his head at his partner. Jason had also seen that look before. His face paled as he dropped to the edge of the bed.
Detective Lester broke the uncomfortable silence. "Mr. Miller, could I speak to you outside?"
"What?" Mr. Miller asked in a panicked voice.
"I think it would be best if we spoke outside," Detective Lester began.
"What is it? Did you find her? Is ... is she okay? Just tell me, is she okay???"
Moving over to the bed, Dick sat beside of Jason. He placed his hand on the younger boy's arm as they heard Detective Lester speak. "Mr. Miller, your daughter was found."
"Please ... please tell me she's okay ... Please," the man pled with them.
"I'm sorry sir," Lester replied softly. "She's dead."
Miller cried, "NOOOO! You're wrong. She's got to be okay ... she's ... she's my little girl."
Jason looked down at the floor trying to study the pattern on the carpet. Anything to keep from concentrating on the man's cries. Dick noticed Jason was breathing heavily, so he placed his arm around his brother's shoulder. He watched Detective Lester trying to move Mr. Miller out of the room. Then he turned to watch Detective Jordan cross the room, pick up the phone and dial a number. Dick was pretty sure he was calling his dispatcher for details. He turned his attention back to Jason and gave the boy a squeeze. "You okay?" he whispered.
Jay shrugged. "It's all our fault."
Jordan turned toward the two boys as he waited to be patched through to the officers on the scene. "Yes, this is Jordan ... you found her where? -- Yes ... I see ... and ... " he stared at the two young men sitting on the bed. "She was ... I see ... yes, I have a few ideas."
Miller broke away from Detective Jacobs and whirled around to face the two teens. "You HAVE to know something. You should have done something to help, You HAVE to help now. You ... What did you two do? What did you do to her?" he accused.
Dick looked up at Mr. Miller. "Do?" he asked confused. "We didn't do anything."
Jay scuffed his foot on the floor at that statement. No they didn't do anything. They walked away and let her die. They could've stopped it if they had just stayed with her. But they couldn't even DO that.
Mr. Miller continued his accusations. "You did. You had to. People saw her with you and then no one saw her again. You did something to her. Why? Did she say no! Is that it? That's what happened isn't it? She said no, but the two of you wouldn't take that for an answer. So you hurt her. You killed her!!"
Jason's head jerked up. His eyes darted from Mr. Miller to Dick to the Detectives. "You're accusing us? We didn't! We just talked to her!" Dick stood up straight making direct eye contact with the distraught father. In a calm voice he stated, "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry about Amy, about your loss. My brother and I are very sorry. But we didn't do anything."
Detective Lester took Mr. Miller by the arm leading him from the room. Detective Jordan hung up the phone and walked back around to the front of the room. Opening his notepad, he glanced down. "Mr. Grayson, do you remember anything else from last night?"
Shaking his head, Dick replied, "No."
The detective looked at Jason. "You. Mr.," he hesitated as he looked back at his notepad, "Todd? You remember anything?"
"No. I told you everything. I don't know anything else. I wish I did. I ... I wish we had stayed, we should've stayed ... we ... oh God, if we stayed she'd be alive." He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head in his hands as they heard Mr. Miller's cries coming from the hall.
Dick had started pacing around the room, his guilt was weighing at him. Jason was right. If they had only stayed with her. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
Detective Jacobs walked closer to Dick as he continued his questioning. "Mr. Grayson -- you and Mr. Todd are brothers? Care to explain since you have different last names?"
Dick nodded. "Yes. We ... we have the same adoptive father," Dick replied. Well, so Bruce wasn't TECHNICALLY his father. He'd raised him since he was eight years old. He was his father in every way that mattered -- except legally. Dick sighed again.
Jordan wrote in his notepad as he dryly stated, "I see." As he glanced back up at the two young men, an idea germinated in his mind. "Have either of you showered since last night?"
"Huh?" Jason asked as he looked up. "Uh ... no. Not yet."
"Why?" Dick asked in a low voice as his eyes narrowed on the detective.
Jordan's eyes met Dick's. "You said you and your brother want to help out. I believe I know something you two could do."
"What?" Jason asked as he stood up from the bed.
"Voluntarily come to the station with me -- answer some questions, let us collect some samples -- "
"Samples?" Dick asked as he felt his stomach drop. "What kind of samples?" Jordan looked at Dick. "Just some routine samples -- hair, fiber, seman."
Jason's face went ashen. Amy wasn't just killed. No, that hadn't been good enough for her killers. Jason felt a rage build deep within him as he turned away from his brother and the detective. Quickly, he moved toward the back wall -- his fist crashing into it. Detective Jordan watched him as Dick moved to place his hand on Jason's arm, stopping him from punching the wall again.
The detective continued, "Of course, if the two of you don't want to cooperate with us ... well, that would seem suspicious. I suppose I would have to take you into the station for suspicion of murder. We can hold you ninety-six hours without charging you. That'd be enough time to get a warrant and collect the same samples."
Dick's ice blue eyes glared at the detective. There was a fire behind that ice. "We never said we wouldn't cooperate," he hissed. "You haven't been listening to us when we said we didn't do anything. We don't have anything to hide."
"So, that means you'll come voluntarily?"
Jason shook his head. How dense was this guy? They were so looking in the wrong place. Bruce said that if a murder wasn't solved in the first fourty- eight hours it usually was never solved. This guy was going to blow this case focusing on them. That was too wrong. He sighed loudly as he turned from the wall and started toward the middle of the room. Going to the dresser, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. Looking at the detective he asked, "Do you mind? Or do you plan on watching us dress?"
"Just making sure we don't lose any evidence," Jordan replied.
Dick glared at the man before slipping a sweater over his bare chest. At least he had his jeans on before they came. Dick managed to keep himself between Jason and Jordan's line of sight. He watched his younger brother. Yes, this was his brother -- not in blood, but in soul. They were Bat. That made all the difference. They would endure what they had too and then they would get to the bottom of this. "Ready?" he asked Jason softly as he placed his hand on the boys arm.
"Yeah, let's just go get this crap over with," Jason growled out as he turned around and stormed toward the door, grabbing his jacket on his way out the door. He looked back at the detective. "You comin' or what?"
Dick grabbed his jacket at the door and made a swooping 'after-you' motion with his arm at the detective. His eyes met Jason's, telling the younger boy to hold it together. His temper, while justified, wouldn't help them in this situation. Following the detective in to the hall, he closed the door behind him. They'd go -- for now. _______________________________________________________________________
The door to their room swung open, hitting the wall as Jason stormed in followed by Dick. "Don't leave. Don't LEAVE! I can't believe they told us that. Why do those guys always assume the worst?"
"Because usually the worst is right," Dick added as he shut the door.
"Yeah, well, they are really wrong this time. Geez, I knew it was going to be bad, but man I had no idea they were gonna," Jason dropped his jacket on the bed as he headed toward the bathroom. "I need a shower. Now!" he almost shouted as he slammed the bathroom door.
Dick sighed as he took his jacket off and threw it beside Jason's. The phone started ringing. Dick stared at the phone a moment debating answering it, yet the ringing didn't stop. Moving around the bed he picked the receiver off of the base. "Hello?"
"What's going on Dick?" the familiar deep voice demanded.
"We're on vacation. What do you think is going on?" Dick shot back sarcastically.
"You and Jason have been fingerprinted. The police have pulled your records. It's obvious you have allowed this 'vacation' to get out of control. Now tell me what's going on there."
Dick sighed as he flopped down on the bed. "Cops just needed us to give them all the samples they need for rape kit since we seem to be the ONLY suspects in a murder/rape investigation. I don't see what you think's so out of control about that."
"Don't get flippant with me. You're both suspects?"
"Yes, we're BOTH suspects."
Bruce sighed as Dick could hear the rustling of papers. "I can be there in ... four hours. Don't say ANYTHING else to the police until I get there."
Dick rolled his eyes. "Look, we can handle this. We do NOT need you running up here to take charge of everything. We've got it covered."
"Covered? You're being investigated for rape and murder. I do not consider that having it covered. Besides, my son is not ready for something like this."
"Your son?" Dick asked as he felt his chest tighten. It hurt, hurt a lot. He felt like he had been suckered punched. Bruce was worried about his son ... and that wasn't him. It wasn't him and it should be him. Dick felt his anger rising to cover his hurt. "Jason and I are both ready for this. We've trained for this. You trained us. You should have a little more confidence in us than you do. But you've never had any confidence in me, have you Bruce?" Dick spat. "Dick, I didn't say that. I ... Slow down. What happened to the girl? And the police think what exactly?" Bruce asked trying to change the subject. He knew he had misspoken as soon as he called Jason his son. They were both his sons. Didn't Dick know that? Does he have to have a piece of paper to prove what they've known for years? Why couldn't he bring himself to explain it to the boy? Dick was so important to him ... so much his son. His first, his eldest, Dick was irreplaceable. He should know that, he shouldn't have to be told.
Dick sighed as he tried to control his rampaging emotions. The day had been hard enough already, he didn't need this added pressure. He had to pull himself together. He was a professional. He could deal with Bruce and Bruce's rejection. He just couldn't deal with Batman coming here, taking over and dismissing him again because he wasn't good enough to do the job. He was Nightwing, leader of the Titans, and he WAS good enough to solve this case. So why did his voice crack just a bit when he started explaining this to Bruce? "It's just that ... well ... last night we were at a club and we met this girl and we kinda left with her."
"And?"
"And we didn't exactly leave with her because she went back in and ... well except that she didn't go back in. We just didn't know she didn't go back in. We came back to our room because we didn't think anything was going on and ... she uh ... she was murdered ... and raped," Dick sighed again as he finished.
"So as far as the police know, you and Jason were the last people to see this girl alive?"
"Yes," Dick said as he ran his hand through his thick black hair. "Her father was here in our room when he found out she was dead. God that was so hard. Then he ... he accused us."
"Are you alright?" Bruce asked, concern in his voice.
Dick nodded then remembered his silent answer couldn't be heard over the telephone. "Yeah, yeah I'm ok. Jay's ok too. It's just ... the detective threatened to take us in and hold us for ninety-six hours if we didn't voluntarily cooperate with them and give them the samples they wanted. We did. We didn't have anything to hide, it's just ... it was so ... "
"I'll clear the schedule and be there in four hours," Bruce replied. "Do not speak to the police again until I arrive."
"No!" Dick almost shouted as he stood up from where he had sat on the bed. "I can handle this. We can handle this. It's a simple murder case ... no Joker or Two-Face or anything like that. We don't need you to come down here and bail us out of this. We don't need you running to the rescue. We can handle this!"
"Dick, this isn't a confidence building exercise. This is about handling this situation. A situation that has already spiraled out of control. They have taken DNA samples from you and Jason."
"Look, I know that. We didn't have a choice. It was either agree or be locked up for ninety-six hours while they decided on whether to charge us with something we didn't do."
"You should have called me. Immediately. I would have retained an attorney there to be with you and to instruct you." Dick dropped back down on the bed. "We don't need lawyers. We need time and freedom to solve this case. We NEED to solve this case Bruce. Don't you understand? If we had went with her back into the club ... if we hadn't left her ... "
"Son," Bruce started tentatively, "this is not your fault. You and Jason are not to blame. You don't need to feel guilty about this. You can't save the world, you can't be everywhere. I know ... I've tried."
"Bruce," Dick started with a plea in his voice as Jason opened the door and stepped from the bathroom towel drying his hair. Dick's eyes met his. Jason's eyes were wide with terror at hearing who Dick was speaking with.
"Very well, you can handle this. I will check back in. If you don't make progress, I'll expect it to be turned over to me within seventy-two hours."
Dick smiled at Jason as he gave him the "okay" signal with his other hand. His smile widened as he watched Jay's theatrics of mock fainting on the bed. "Yes sir. Deal."
"Good," Bruce said. There was a long pause as he struggled for the words he wanted to say. Finally, he settled on, " I ... I ... Let me know if you need anything."
"I will. We will. I promise," Dick said softly.
Bruce looked at the photographs on his desk. Photographs of Dick and Jason and of last Christmas when they were all together, even Timmy. He studied the three boys in that photograph a moment before he spoke again. "I," he cleared his throat, "I know I have two sons ... I didn't ... I'm worried about both of you. Well, I'd better go and let you get busy."
Dick smiled slightly as he began, "I know ... I'm ... Bruce?" He turned to Jason. "He hung up on me," Dick said with exasperation as he held the phone out to his side. Sighing he hung the phone back on the receiver.
Jason sat up on the bed as drops of water fell from his still wet hair. "That's a good thing. So, how dead are we?" "He's giving us seventy-two hours to solve this case and not get arrested."
"Typical. I give us forty-eight and one very long soak in a hot tub."
Dick grinned at Jay and his resiliency. "Yep. I guess we're not going skiing today."
"Hurtling down a mountain on two thin slabs of wood is very over rated."
Dick chuckled. "Yeah. Hmm, I wonder?" Dick rose and walked to a window to look out at the mountainous terrain and the falling snow. Why didn't vacations in this family ever go as planned? "What?" Jay asked as he finished toweling off and started changing into some fresh clothes.
Dick rubbed his chin as he considered the situation."Maybe ... maybe this isn't a job for Nightwing and Robin. Having a Titan and a Gotham vigilante show at this ski resort when we're visiting may not be a good idea." He turned back to Jason who stopped midpull on his shirt.
"No ... especially when we're probably one of the few Gothamites in the area."
Dick nodded and smiled. "Exactly. We're gonna have to do this on our own."
"Sounds like a plan to me." ________________________________________________________________________
Dick and Jason walked into the resort's dining room and looked around for an empty table. Spying a table near a wall of windows, they started walking toward it. They couldn't help but notice the stares they were receiving as they walked to the table. Sitting down, the two teens looked around the room. The room had suddenly gotten very quiet and all eyes seemed to be on them.
Dick turned toward the wall, grabbed the menus and handed one across the table to Jason. "Here. Pick out what you want?"
"Uh ... Dick?" Jason said as he watched the people staring at them start whispering and pointing at them.
"Yeah?" Dick replied as he continued looking through the menu.
"I think people are staring at us."
"I know they are. Just ... just ignore it."
"I'm tryin' but ... it's really getting on my last nerve," Jason stated as he started drumming his fingers on the table.
"Yeah I know, but there's nothing we can do about it," Dick added as he looked up at the waitress who was sitting two glasses of water. They quickly gave her their orders. Dick watched her walk away as he leaned over on the table toward Jason. "We've got to find out more about what the cops know."
Jason slid down in his chair as he turned away from the staring eyes towards his brother. "Yeah we do. Any ideas how? I don't figure Detective Lester's going to share the evidence he plans to convict us with."
Dick chuckled at that despite the circumstances. "Don't worry about his plans, worry about how we're going to find the murderer before Bruce comes into town."
Jay smiled briefly before his eyes caught those of a middle-aged couple staring at him. "I wish these people would mind their own business."
"Don't worry about it," Dick said. He reached out for the waitress, pulling his hand back quickly as she jumped from his touch like she had been burned. "Uh ... sorry ... I just wanted to know if you could tell me how much longer before our food comes out?" he asked self-consciously.
The waitress, a young girl in her early twenties, looked at Dick through wide eyes. "Uhm ... it'll be out in a minute, the ... the kitchen's backed up." The girl hurried off away from their table.
Dick shrugged his shoulders. "She seemed a little nervous didn't she?"
"Ya' think," Jason responded sarcastically. "What'cha wanna bet she didn't put our order in?"
Sighing, Dick looked around the restaurant at the people staring at and whispering about them. "What is it with everyone in here?"
"They're gossipy busybodies," Jason countered.
"-- shouldn't be allowed ... decent people ..."
Hearing the loud whispering coming from the table behind him, Jason looked up at Dick. Dick was shaking his head, but Jason didn't heed his subtle advice and turned around staring back at the family. Leaning his chair back near the woman who sat at the table, he said, "You know if you take a picture it'll last longer."
Dick burst out laughing. "You're helping our bad boy image there bro." Jay leaned back to the table and rested his elbows defiantly on the white table cloth. "I hate people starin'. It makes me feel like I'm in a zoo." He saw their waitress come from the direction of the kitchen with food on a tray. His rumbling stomach was going to be happy. It was ... until he watched the waitress take the food past his table serving it to people who had come into the restaurant after he and Dick had. "Obviously there's a sign, 'don't feed the suspects'."
A small growl escaped Dick's lips before he spoke. "The sooner she gives us our food the sooner we'll actually leave. They need to think about that."
Jay sighed. "How 'bout we just eat in our room?"
"No. I'm not going to let them make me act guilty."
"So you'd rather act like a bug under a glass?"
"No, I'd rather enjoy our vacation, but I don't see that happening anytime soon," Dick retorted as he picked up his fork and started tapping it on the table.
"No," Jason said lowly as he started playing with the table salt. "I don't think it will. Amy certainly didn't get to."
The small young waitress hurried over to their table. Dropping their plates off, she left the table quickly without a word.
Jason rolled his eyes as he stuffed a French Fry in his mouth. "Finally. She's certainly working hard on her tip."
"What tip?" Dick asked seemingly absentmindedly as he slapped the bottom of the ketchup bottle.
"That's what I mean. Can you leave a negative tip?"
Dick had just started eating his hamburger when he looked up toward the door. His deep blue eyes went wide. "Maybe we ought to take our burgers and go to our room like you said."
"Why?" Jason asked as he turned to look at door. Seeing Mr. Miller standing in the doorway he responded. "Uh-oh. Maybe he won't see us.
"Maybe he hasn't seen us," Dick began as he took another quick bite of his cheeseburger. "Let's just eat up so we can go." As he took another bite of his food he realized that the whispering had stopped and that the room had become VERY silent.
Jason turned behind him and then ducked his head. "I think he's seen us. You don't think he'll cause a scene do you? Here?"
Staring across the table at the younger teen, Dick replied. "Oh let's see, the people he thinks killed his daughter are sitting and calmly eating in a restaurant. Nah ... I think he'll cause a BIG scene." Dick reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Dropping it on the table, Dick said, "Oh what the hell, we'll give her a tip. Ready to go?"
Jason took a huge gulp of his cheeseburger as he nodded his head vigorously. "Sooo ready. Let's get the hell outta dodge."
Before they could stand up, Mr. Miller had marched over to their table. In a very loud and angry voice he started shouting at them. "How dare you? How can you calmly sit in here and eat after what you did? She was my little girl and you killed her! Why? Did she say no? Is that why the two of you raped her and beat her to death? Did she plead with you? Did she ask to please let her go?"
Dick watched Jason as Mr. Miller was shouting at them. The boy was obviously upset. His face was flushed as he turned toward the window and away from the angry father. Taking a deep breath, Dick calmly looked up at the red-faced man and spoke. "Mr. Miller, we're very sorry about your loss. We did not hurt Amy. My brother and I feel for you and your family. But we didn't do anything. Now we're just getting ready to leave so ... "
Jason grabbed the arms of his chair and started to rise when the distraught father pushed him back down. "NO!" the man yelled.
Dick saw the anger flash through Jason's eyes, but Dick shook his head slightly to keep the boy from retaliating. It was already ugly enough, they couldn't let it get worse.
Mr. Miller was full of righteous anger and pain, and before the inquiring eyes of the restaurant patrons, he was taking it out on the two people he felt was responsible. "You two little bastards killed my baby ... you can't just walk around. The police may not want to do anything about you, but I know what you are. You two think that you've gotten away with this scott free ... but I know the truth. You're NOT going to get away with killing Amy! I'm not going to let you!"
Shaking his head, Dick started with a sigh. "Sir, we didn't ..."
Miller leaned forward, thrusting his finger into Dick's chest as he accented his words. "I think you were the one that started." Turning his thumb toward Jason he continued. "I think he's a punk that followed your lead," he added with a poke. "I think that she said no, and you drug her off into the bushes with his help," he continued poking Dick in the chest with each sentence. "I think that you think you've gotten away with it."
Dick grabbed Mr. Miller's hand before he could poke him again. Standing up he looked squarely in the man's face, his blue eyes narrowing. "We haven't gotten away with anything. We didn't do anything and I'm getting a little tired of everyone thinking we did. Now we understand your grief and we even understand what you're thinking. But you're wrong!"
Miller snatched his hand away from Dick's. "I'm here to tell you, you haven't gotten away with it. I'll see to it that you won't. You did it and you know you did. The police even believe it, Detective Lester told me so. Called me when you two were at the police station. Why the hell they didn't throw the two of you into a cell where you belong is beyond me!"
"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Jason asked as he stood up. This scene was getting too far out of hand. "There's no proof we did anything, because we didn't DO anything!"
Miller whirled towards Jason. "I have all the prove I need. Amy's friends saw you with her. The police took you in. You did it! You killed her!" he yelled as he pushed Jason back down in his chair.
"That's enough," Dick growled as he moved in between his brother and the grief-stricken father. "Come on Jay, let's go."
Jason stood up and tugged on his sweater. "Okay, I am SO ready to go." His eyes met Mr. Miller's. "We didn't do anything and I DO feel for you."
A Resort Manager ran over to their table. "What's going on here?"
Dick took Jason by the arm, pulling the boy behind him as he started to move away from the table. Looking at the manager, he replied, "Nothing, we're just trying to leave."
Miller turned toward the manager and stated loudly. "You shouldn't serve murderers in your dining room."
"Are you two causing trouble?" the manager said as he glared at Dick and Jason.
"We were eating and HE came over here!" Jason said indignantly.
"They killed my daughter! They should be in prison and not sitting with decent people!"
The resort manager tried to calm the angry man. "Mr. Miller, I apologize for this." Turning to Dick and Jason he said sternly. "We will not allow you two to cause anymore trouble while you're here. Perhaps it would be best if you ate in your room from now on or off the premises."
"What a crock of ... " Jason started. "That's it ... for the finally time. We. Did. Not. Do. IT." He sounded very much like his adoptive father as he spat out his words.
Dick also felt his anger boiling over. "Look, we haven't done anything. The police HAVEN'T arrested us. We aren't charged with anything. We aren't causing any trouble. We haven't caused any trouble. My brother and I aren't going to be forced to act like we did. By EITHER of you or anyone else. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving." Dick placed one hand on Jason's shoulder and gently pushed him in the direction of the resort's lobby.
Jason was only too happy to head in that direction and quickened his pace. "I hate friggin' resorts."
Miller yelled after them as the manager was trying to calm him. "You can't go anywhere. I'm gonna be watching you! You will not hurt anyone else's child!"
Sighing, Dick replied, "At the moment, Jay, so do I." He jabbed the elevator button and said a silent prayer as the door opened immediately to an empty car.
As the elevator doors closed behind them leaving them in blissful silence and solitude, Jason let out an audible sigh as he placed his hands on his knees and leaned over taking deep breaths. "That was ... grueling. God, I hated that!"
Dick placed a comforting hand on Jason's back as the younger boy straightened back up. Running his free hand through his thick black hair, Dick started. "We can't investigate this case as Dick and Jason. Too many people are going to be looking at us. We're too high profile now."
Jason looked at Dick, confusion on his face. "But you said earlier that we couldn't do this in the suits. If we can't investigate, then who's gonna solve this case? Bruce? We're not going to call Bruce in are we?"
"No, we're not," Dick said. Then added, "Youse just wait and youse'll find out kid. I gots a plan," he added with a wink.
To be continued ...
BROTHERS Part 2:
The detective looked past Jason to Dick. "May we come in?"
Jason looked from the men at the door to Dick and back again. "Uhmm. Yeah ... sure. Dick?"
Dick nodded. "Yeah, what's this about?"
The three men entered the room. Dick couldn't help but notice the way the two detectives were carefully scanning the room. Detective Jordan held a photograph up. "Have either of you seen this girl?"
Jason's mouth dropped. "That's Amy."
Detective Jordan focused on Jason, "You know Amy Miller?"
"Yeah, we met her. Last night at the club. Why you askin'?" Jason replied as he looked up at the Detective.
The detective pointed to Mr. Miller. "This is her father. Amy didn't go back to her room last night. We were hoping you might have some answers."
Detective Lester moved further into the room as he looked around. "She wouldn't happen to be here, would she?"
Dick's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "No. She's not. We saw her in the club. Talked to her, danced a bit. That was about it."
Jason moved back to the bed. He picked up the remote control and turned off the TV. "She ... she didn't come back to the hotel? She was going skiing today."
Detective Jordan moved closer to the younger boy. "No she didn't. Some people at the club described you two as leaving with her. Did you?"
"Yeah, we walked out with her -- " Jason answered, somewhat dazed.
Dick turned to face Amy's father. He could easily read the man's worry and fear that washed across his face. "I'm sorry, sir. She left with us. We had been talking, having fun, dancing. We were going to walk her back to her room ... but ... she decided once we were in the parking lot that she wanted to go back in. So we just came back to the room." "We ... we should've gone back in with her," Jason said quietly as he looked down at the beige carpet in the room. His stomach was in knots. He felt like he was going to be sick. Where could she be?
Dick continued, "Mr. Miller, do you have any idea why she wouldn't have gone back to her room? She told us she was going to."
The older man shook his head. His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "No. She doesn't know anyone here. We just came for vacation, with her school group, and they were all in their rooms. But you saw her. She had to say something ... anything." The man's eyes plead with Dick to give him some news.
Dick sighed. He couldn't give the man the news he wanted. Slowly he just shook his head.
The worried father pressed on. "Are you sure you didn't see her or she didn't come back here?"
"Yes sir. The last time we saw Amy was in the parking lot of the club. I'm sorry, I wish we knew something more to tell you."
"She's a good girl. Please, please tell me where she is ... she's only sixteen."
Dick turned from the man. He looked at Jason. Their eyes met. He knew they shared the same thought. IF only they had walked her back in. "Mr. Miller, I ... we ... know she's a good girl. We don't know where she is."
Jason shook his head, "We left her in the parking lot. I wish I could tell you more. I dunno either. Maybe ... maybe she just got busy and forgot to call or," realizing how lame that sounded, his voice died out, "something." He looked back down at the carpet. It was easier than the pain in Amy's father's eyes.
Detective Lester grabbed his radio as he heard a call coming in. He walked out of the hotel room into the hall, partially shutting the door behind him. Anxiously, Dick watched him, before Mr. Miller grabbed his attention again.
"Did she talk to somebody? Did you see somebody with her? Maybe more friends of yours?" the man asked as he grabbed Dick's arm. "Please. Anything."
Dick shook his head. "We only got in yesterday. We're on vacation too and don't know anyone here. We met her in the club. She was talking with some other people when we got there. She told us they were friends, in the group she's here with. I don't know who she talked to once she went back in to the club."
"She NEVER got back in! You're the LAST ones to see her that we can find!"
Dick and Jason's eyes met. Amy never went back in the club? Dick was the one to find his voice, "I ... I don't know."
Mr. Miller continued. "Look, just let me know where she is and that'll be the end of it. I won't be mad. I won't say anything to her. Just let me know that she's okay.....PLEASE!"
Dick ran his hand through his hair as a dozen scenarios ran through his mind. "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry. Really I am. I don't know where she is. We don't know where she is. We'd tell you if we could."
Jason looked up at the worried father, "We wanna help, but we don't know anything." He looked down at his hands and then back up at Mr. Miller and the officers. "Is there something else we could do, maybe ... maybe help search or something?"
Comfortingly, Dick placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Yeah, we'll get dressed and help."
Detective Jordan watched the two young men. "Did you see anyone else in the parking lot?"
"Nah," Jay said. Why hadn't they insisted on going back with her?
"Are you sure? You saw no cars pull out? No one walking? Nothing?" the detective pressed.
Detective Lester entered the room again. Dick studied the look on his face. Biting his bottom lip, he looked back at Detective Jordan. "No sir, I didn't see anyone. We just walked back here to our room."
"Yeah, it was late and we wanted to hit the slopes early tomorrow ... I mean today." Jason said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Dick was still studying Detective Lester's face. He didn't like the look, he'd seen it before. "Is something wrong sir?"
Jordan turned toward his partner. He read the man's face. Jordan's jaw flinched. Jason looked up at Detective Lester as well, just in time to see Lester shaking his head at his partner. Jason had also seen that look before. His face paled as he dropped to the edge of the bed.
Detective Lester broke the uncomfortable silence. "Mr. Miller, could I speak to you outside?"
"What?" Mr. Miller asked in a panicked voice.
"I think it would be best if we spoke outside," Detective Lester began.
"What is it? Did you find her? Is ... is she okay? Just tell me, is she okay???"
Moving over to the bed, Dick sat beside of Jason. He placed his hand on the younger boy's arm as they heard Detective Lester speak. "Mr. Miller, your daughter was found."
"Please ... please tell me she's okay ... Please," the man pled with them.
"I'm sorry sir," Lester replied softly. "She's dead."
Miller cried, "NOOOO! You're wrong. She's got to be okay ... she's ... she's my little girl."
Jason looked down at the floor trying to study the pattern on the carpet. Anything to keep from concentrating on the man's cries. Dick noticed Jason was breathing heavily, so he placed his arm around his brother's shoulder. He watched Detective Lester trying to move Mr. Miller out of the room. Then he turned to watch Detective Jordan cross the room, pick up the phone and dial a number. Dick was pretty sure he was calling his dispatcher for details. He turned his attention back to Jason and gave the boy a squeeze. "You okay?" he whispered.
Jay shrugged. "It's all our fault."
Jordan turned toward the two boys as he waited to be patched through to the officers on the scene. "Yes, this is Jordan ... you found her where? -- Yes ... I see ... and ... " he stared at the two young men sitting on the bed. "She was ... I see ... yes, I have a few ideas."
Miller broke away from Detective Jacobs and whirled around to face the two teens. "You HAVE to know something. You should have done something to help, You HAVE to help now. You ... What did you two do? What did you do to her?" he accused.
Dick looked up at Mr. Miller. "Do?" he asked confused. "We didn't do anything."
Jay scuffed his foot on the floor at that statement. No they didn't do anything. They walked away and let her die. They could've stopped it if they had just stayed with her. But they couldn't even DO that.
Mr. Miller continued his accusations. "You did. You had to. People saw her with you and then no one saw her again. You did something to her. Why? Did she say no! Is that it? That's what happened isn't it? She said no, but the two of you wouldn't take that for an answer. So you hurt her. You killed her!!"
Jason's head jerked up. His eyes darted from Mr. Miller to Dick to the Detectives. "You're accusing us? We didn't! We just talked to her!" Dick stood up straight making direct eye contact with the distraught father. In a calm voice he stated, "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry about Amy, about your loss. My brother and I are very sorry. But we didn't do anything."
Detective Lester took Mr. Miller by the arm leading him from the room. Detective Jordan hung up the phone and walked back around to the front of the room. Opening his notepad, he glanced down. "Mr. Grayson, do you remember anything else from last night?"
Shaking his head, Dick replied, "No."
The detective looked at Jason. "You. Mr.," he hesitated as he looked back at his notepad, "Todd? You remember anything?"
"No. I told you everything. I don't know anything else. I wish I did. I ... I wish we had stayed, we should've stayed ... we ... oh God, if we stayed she'd be alive." He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head in his hands as they heard Mr. Miller's cries coming from the hall.
Dick had started pacing around the room, his guilt was weighing at him. Jason was right. If they had only stayed with her. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
Detective Jacobs walked closer to Dick as he continued his questioning. "Mr. Grayson -- you and Mr. Todd are brothers? Care to explain since you have different last names?"
Dick nodded. "Yes. We ... we have the same adoptive father," Dick replied. Well, so Bruce wasn't TECHNICALLY his father. He'd raised him since he was eight years old. He was his father in every way that mattered -- except legally. Dick sighed again.
Jordan wrote in his notepad as he dryly stated, "I see." As he glanced back up at the two young men, an idea germinated in his mind. "Have either of you showered since last night?"
"Huh?" Jason asked as he looked up. "Uh ... no. Not yet."
"Why?" Dick asked in a low voice as his eyes narrowed on the detective.
Jordan's eyes met Dick's. "You said you and your brother want to help out. I believe I know something you two could do."
"What?" Jason asked as he stood up from the bed.
"Voluntarily come to the station with me -- answer some questions, let us collect some samples -- "
"Samples?" Dick asked as he felt his stomach drop. "What kind of samples?" Jordan looked at Dick. "Just some routine samples -- hair, fiber, seman."
Jason's face went ashen. Amy wasn't just killed. No, that hadn't been good enough for her killers. Jason felt a rage build deep within him as he turned away from his brother and the detective. Quickly, he moved toward the back wall -- his fist crashing into it. Detective Jordan watched him as Dick moved to place his hand on Jason's arm, stopping him from punching the wall again.
The detective continued, "Of course, if the two of you don't want to cooperate with us ... well, that would seem suspicious. I suppose I would have to take you into the station for suspicion of murder. We can hold you ninety-six hours without charging you. That'd be enough time to get a warrant and collect the same samples."
Dick's ice blue eyes glared at the detective. There was a fire behind that ice. "We never said we wouldn't cooperate," he hissed. "You haven't been listening to us when we said we didn't do anything. We don't have anything to hide."
"So, that means you'll come voluntarily?"
Jason shook his head. How dense was this guy? They were so looking in the wrong place. Bruce said that if a murder wasn't solved in the first fourty- eight hours it usually was never solved. This guy was going to blow this case focusing on them. That was too wrong. He sighed loudly as he turned from the wall and started toward the middle of the room. Going to the dresser, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. Looking at the detective he asked, "Do you mind? Or do you plan on watching us dress?"
"Just making sure we don't lose any evidence," Jordan replied.
Dick glared at the man before slipping a sweater over his bare chest. At least he had his jeans on before they came. Dick managed to keep himself between Jason and Jordan's line of sight. He watched his younger brother. Yes, this was his brother -- not in blood, but in soul. They were Bat. That made all the difference. They would endure what they had too and then they would get to the bottom of this. "Ready?" he asked Jason softly as he placed his hand on the boys arm.
"Yeah, let's just go get this crap over with," Jason growled out as he turned around and stormed toward the door, grabbing his jacket on his way out the door. He looked back at the detective. "You comin' or what?"
Dick grabbed his jacket at the door and made a swooping 'after-you' motion with his arm at the detective. His eyes met Jason's, telling the younger boy to hold it together. His temper, while justified, wouldn't help them in this situation. Following the detective in to the hall, he closed the door behind him. They'd go -- for now. _______________________________________________________________________
The door to their room swung open, hitting the wall as Jason stormed in followed by Dick. "Don't leave. Don't LEAVE! I can't believe they told us that. Why do those guys always assume the worst?"
"Because usually the worst is right," Dick added as he shut the door.
"Yeah, well, they are really wrong this time. Geez, I knew it was going to be bad, but man I had no idea they were gonna," Jason dropped his jacket on the bed as he headed toward the bathroom. "I need a shower. Now!" he almost shouted as he slammed the bathroom door.
Dick sighed as he took his jacket off and threw it beside Jason's. The phone started ringing. Dick stared at the phone a moment debating answering it, yet the ringing didn't stop. Moving around the bed he picked the receiver off of the base. "Hello?"
"What's going on Dick?" the familiar deep voice demanded.
"We're on vacation. What do you think is going on?" Dick shot back sarcastically.
"You and Jason have been fingerprinted. The police have pulled your records. It's obvious you have allowed this 'vacation' to get out of control. Now tell me what's going on there."
Dick sighed as he flopped down on the bed. "Cops just needed us to give them all the samples they need for rape kit since we seem to be the ONLY suspects in a murder/rape investigation. I don't see what you think's so out of control about that."
"Don't get flippant with me. You're both suspects?"
"Yes, we're BOTH suspects."
Bruce sighed as Dick could hear the rustling of papers. "I can be there in ... four hours. Don't say ANYTHING else to the police until I get there."
Dick rolled his eyes. "Look, we can handle this. We do NOT need you running up here to take charge of everything. We've got it covered."
"Covered? You're being investigated for rape and murder. I do not consider that having it covered. Besides, my son is not ready for something like this."
"Your son?" Dick asked as he felt his chest tighten. It hurt, hurt a lot. He felt like he had been suckered punched. Bruce was worried about his son ... and that wasn't him. It wasn't him and it should be him. Dick felt his anger rising to cover his hurt. "Jason and I are both ready for this. We've trained for this. You trained us. You should have a little more confidence in us than you do. But you've never had any confidence in me, have you Bruce?" Dick spat. "Dick, I didn't say that. I ... Slow down. What happened to the girl? And the police think what exactly?" Bruce asked trying to change the subject. He knew he had misspoken as soon as he called Jason his son. They were both his sons. Didn't Dick know that? Does he have to have a piece of paper to prove what they've known for years? Why couldn't he bring himself to explain it to the boy? Dick was so important to him ... so much his son. His first, his eldest, Dick was irreplaceable. He should know that, he shouldn't have to be told.
Dick sighed as he tried to control his rampaging emotions. The day had been hard enough already, he didn't need this added pressure. He had to pull himself together. He was a professional. He could deal with Bruce and Bruce's rejection. He just couldn't deal with Batman coming here, taking over and dismissing him again because he wasn't good enough to do the job. He was Nightwing, leader of the Titans, and he WAS good enough to solve this case. So why did his voice crack just a bit when he started explaining this to Bruce? "It's just that ... well ... last night we were at a club and we met this girl and we kinda left with her."
"And?"
"And we didn't exactly leave with her because she went back in and ... well except that she didn't go back in. We just didn't know she didn't go back in. We came back to our room because we didn't think anything was going on and ... she uh ... she was murdered ... and raped," Dick sighed again as he finished.
"So as far as the police know, you and Jason were the last people to see this girl alive?"
"Yes," Dick said as he ran his hand through his thick black hair. "Her father was here in our room when he found out she was dead. God that was so hard. Then he ... he accused us."
"Are you alright?" Bruce asked, concern in his voice.
Dick nodded then remembered his silent answer couldn't be heard over the telephone. "Yeah, yeah I'm ok. Jay's ok too. It's just ... the detective threatened to take us in and hold us for ninety-six hours if we didn't voluntarily cooperate with them and give them the samples they wanted. We did. We didn't have anything to hide, it's just ... it was so ... "
"I'll clear the schedule and be there in four hours," Bruce replied. "Do not speak to the police again until I arrive."
"No!" Dick almost shouted as he stood up from where he had sat on the bed. "I can handle this. We can handle this. It's a simple murder case ... no Joker or Two-Face or anything like that. We don't need you to come down here and bail us out of this. We don't need you running to the rescue. We can handle this!"
"Dick, this isn't a confidence building exercise. This is about handling this situation. A situation that has already spiraled out of control. They have taken DNA samples from you and Jason."
"Look, I know that. We didn't have a choice. It was either agree or be locked up for ninety-six hours while they decided on whether to charge us with something we didn't do."
"You should have called me. Immediately. I would have retained an attorney there to be with you and to instruct you." Dick dropped back down on the bed. "We don't need lawyers. We need time and freedom to solve this case. We NEED to solve this case Bruce. Don't you understand? If we had went with her back into the club ... if we hadn't left her ... "
"Son," Bruce started tentatively, "this is not your fault. You and Jason are not to blame. You don't need to feel guilty about this. You can't save the world, you can't be everywhere. I know ... I've tried."
"Bruce," Dick started with a plea in his voice as Jason opened the door and stepped from the bathroom towel drying his hair. Dick's eyes met his. Jason's eyes were wide with terror at hearing who Dick was speaking with.
"Very well, you can handle this. I will check back in. If you don't make progress, I'll expect it to be turned over to me within seventy-two hours."
Dick smiled at Jason as he gave him the "okay" signal with his other hand. His smile widened as he watched Jay's theatrics of mock fainting on the bed. "Yes sir. Deal."
"Good," Bruce said. There was a long pause as he struggled for the words he wanted to say. Finally, he settled on, " I ... I ... Let me know if you need anything."
"I will. We will. I promise," Dick said softly.
Bruce looked at the photographs on his desk. Photographs of Dick and Jason and of last Christmas when they were all together, even Timmy. He studied the three boys in that photograph a moment before he spoke again. "I," he cleared his throat, "I know I have two sons ... I didn't ... I'm worried about both of you. Well, I'd better go and let you get busy."
Dick smiled slightly as he began, "I know ... I'm ... Bruce?" He turned to Jason. "He hung up on me," Dick said with exasperation as he held the phone out to his side. Sighing he hung the phone back on the receiver.
Jason sat up on the bed as drops of water fell from his still wet hair. "That's a good thing. So, how dead are we?" "He's giving us seventy-two hours to solve this case and not get arrested."
"Typical. I give us forty-eight and one very long soak in a hot tub."
Dick grinned at Jay and his resiliency. "Yep. I guess we're not going skiing today."
"Hurtling down a mountain on two thin slabs of wood is very over rated."
Dick chuckled. "Yeah. Hmm, I wonder?" Dick rose and walked to a window to look out at the mountainous terrain and the falling snow. Why didn't vacations in this family ever go as planned? "What?" Jay asked as he finished toweling off and started changing into some fresh clothes.
Dick rubbed his chin as he considered the situation."Maybe ... maybe this isn't a job for Nightwing and Robin. Having a Titan and a Gotham vigilante show at this ski resort when we're visiting may not be a good idea." He turned back to Jason who stopped midpull on his shirt.
"No ... especially when we're probably one of the few Gothamites in the area."
Dick nodded and smiled. "Exactly. We're gonna have to do this on our own."
"Sounds like a plan to me." ________________________________________________________________________
Dick and Jason walked into the resort's dining room and looked around for an empty table. Spying a table near a wall of windows, they started walking toward it. They couldn't help but notice the stares they were receiving as they walked to the table. Sitting down, the two teens looked around the room. The room had suddenly gotten very quiet and all eyes seemed to be on them.
Dick turned toward the wall, grabbed the menus and handed one across the table to Jason. "Here. Pick out what you want?"
"Uh ... Dick?" Jason said as he watched the people staring at them start whispering and pointing at them.
"Yeah?" Dick replied as he continued looking through the menu.
"I think people are staring at us."
"I know they are. Just ... just ignore it."
"I'm tryin' but ... it's really getting on my last nerve," Jason stated as he started drumming his fingers on the table.
"Yeah I know, but there's nothing we can do about it," Dick added as he looked up at the waitress who was sitting two glasses of water. They quickly gave her their orders. Dick watched her walk away as he leaned over on the table toward Jason. "We've got to find out more about what the cops know."
Jason slid down in his chair as he turned away from the staring eyes towards his brother. "Yeah we do. Any ideas how? I don't figure Detective Lester's going to share the evidence he plans to convict us with."
Dick chuckled at that despite the circumstances. "Don't worry about his plans, worry about how we're going to find the murderer before Bruce comes into town."
Jay smiled briefly before his eyes caught those of a middle-aged couple staring at him. "I wish these people would mind their own business."
"Don't worry about it," Dick said. He reached out for the waitress, pulling his hand back quickly as she jumped from his touch like she had been burned. "Uh ... sorry ... I just wanted to know if you could tell me how much longer before our food comes out?" he asked self-consciously.
The waitress, a young girl in her early twenties, looked at Dick through wide eyes. "Uhm ... it'll be out in a minute, the ... the kitchen's backed up." The girl hurried off away from their table.
Dick shrugged his shoulders. "She seemed a little nervous didn't she?"
"Ya' think," Jason responded sarcastically. "What'cha wanna bet she didn't put our order in?"
Sighing, Dick looked around the restaurant at the people staring at and whispering about them. "What is it with everyone in here?"
"They're gossipy busybodies," Jason countered.
"-- shouldn't be allowed ... decent people ..."
Hearing the loud whispering coming from the table behind him, Jason looked up at Dick. Dick was shaking his head, but Jason didn't heed his subtle advice and turned around staring back at the family. Leaning his chair back near the woman who sat at the table, he said, "You know if you take a picture it'll last longer."
Dick burst out laughing. "You're helping our bad boy image there bro." Jay leaned back to the table and rested his elbows defiantly on the white table cloth. "I hate people starin'. It makes me feel like I'm in a zoo." He saw their waitress come from the direction of the kitchen with food on a tray. His rumbling stomach was going to be happy. It was ... until he watched the waitress take the food past his table serving it to people who had come into the restaurant after he and Dick had. "Obviously there's a sign, 'don't feed the suspects'."
A small growl escaped Dick's lips before he spoke. "The sooner she gives us our food the sooner we'll actually leave. They need to think about that."
Jay sighed. "How 'bout we just eat in our room?"
"No. I'm not going to let them make me act guilty."
"So you'd rather act like a bug under a glass?"
"No, I'd rather enjoy our vacation, but I don't see that happening anytime soon," Dick retorted as he picked up his fork and started tapping it on the table.
"No," Jason said lowly as he started playing with the table salt. "I don't think it will. Amy certainly didn't get to."
The small young waitress hurried over to their table. Dropping their plates off, she left the table quickly without a word.
Jason rolled his eyes as he stuffed a French Fry in his mouth. "Finally. She's certainly working hard on her tip."
"What tip?" Dick asked seemingly absentmindedly as he slapped the bottom of the ketchup bottle.
"That's what I mean. Can you leave a negative tip?"
Dick had just started eating his hamburger when he looked up toward the door. His deep blue eyes went wide. "Maybe we ought to take our burgers and go to our room like you said."
"Why?" Jason asked as he turned to look at door. Seeing Mr. Miller standing in the doorway he responded. "Uh-oh. Maybe he won't see us.
"Maybe he hasn't seen us," Dick began as he took another quick bite of his cheeseburger. "Let's just eat up so we can go." As he took another bite of his food he realized that the whispering had stopped and that the room had become VERY silent.
Jason turned behind him and then ducked his head. "I think he's seen us. You don't think he'll cause a scene do you? Here?"
Staring across the table at the younger teen, Dick replied. "Oh let's see, the people he thinks killed his daughter are sitting and calmly eating in a restaurant. Nah ... I think he'll cause a BIG scene." Dick reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Dropping it on the table, Dick said, "Oh what the hell, we'll give her a tip. Ready to go?"
Jason took a huge gulp of his cheeseburger as he nodded his head vigorously. "Sooo ready. Let's get the hell outta dodge."
Before they could stand up, Mr. Miller had marched over to their table. In a very loud and angry voice he started shouting at them. "How dare you? How can you calmly sit in here and eat after what you did? She was my little girl and you killed her! Why? Did she say no? Is that why the two of you raped her and beat her to death? Did she plead with you? Did she ask to please let her go?"
Dick watched Jason as Mr. Miller was shouting at them. The boy was obviously upset. His face was flushed as he turned toward the window and away from the angry father. Taking a deep breath, Dick calmly looked up at the red-faced man and spoke. "Mr. Miller, we're very sorry about your loss. We did not hurt Amy. My brother and I feel for you and your family. But we didn't do anything. Now we're just getting ready to leave so ... "
Jason grabbed the arms of his chair and started to rise when the distraught father pushed him back down. "NO!" the man yelled.
Dick saw the anger flash through Jason's eyes, but Dick shook his head slightly to keep the boy from retaliating. It was already ugly enough, they couldn't let it get worse.
Mr. Miller was full of righteous anger and pain, and before the inquiring eyes of the restaurant patrons, he was taking it out on the two people he felt was responsible. "You two little bastards killed my baby ... you can't just walk around. The police may not want to do anything about you, but I know what you are. You two think that you've gotten away with this scott free ... but I know the truth. You're NOT going to get away with killing Amy! I'm not going to let you!"
Shaking his head, Dick started with a sigh. "Sir, we didn't ..."
Miller leaned forward, thrusting his finger into Dick's chest as he accented his words. "I think you were the one that started." Turning his thumb toward Jason he continued. "I think he's a punk that followed your lead," he added with a poke. "I think that she said no, and you drug her off into the bushes with his help," he continued poking Dick in the chest with each sentence. "I think that you think you've gotten away with it."
Dick grabbed Mr. Miller's hand before he could poke him again. Standing up he looked squarely in the man's face, his blue eyes narrowing. "We haven't gotten away with anything. We didn't do anything and I'm getting a little tired of everyone thinking we did. Now we understand your grief and we even understand what you're thinking. But you're wrong!"
Miller snatched his hand away from Dick's. "I'm here to tell you, you haven't gotten away with it. I'll see to it that you won't. You did it and you know you did. The police even believe it, Detective Lester told me so. Called me when you two were at the police station. Why the hell they didn't throw the two of you into a cell where you belong is beyond me!"
"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Jason asked as he stood up. This scene was getting too far out of hand. "There's no proof we did anything, because we didn't DO anything!"
Miller whirled towards Jason. "I have all the prove I need. Amy's friends saw you with her. The police took you in. You did it! You killed her!" he yelled as he pushed Jason back down in his chair.
"That's enough," Dick growled as he moved in between his brother and the grief-stricken father. "Come on Jay, let's go."
Jason stood up and tugged on his sweater. "Okay, I am SO ready to go." His eyes met Mr. Miller's. "We didn't do anything and I DO feel for you."
A Resort Manager ran over to their table. "What's going on here?"
Dick took Jason by the arm, pulling the boy behind him as he started to move away from the table. Looking at the manager, he replied, "Nothing, we're just trying to leave."
Miller turned toward the manager and stated loudly. "You shouldn't serve murderers in your dining room."
"Are you two causing trouble?" the manager said as he glared at Dick and Jason.
"We were eating and HE came over here!" Jason said indignantly.
"They killed my daughter! They should be in prison and not sitting with decent people!"
The resort manager tried to calm the angry man. "Mr. Miller, I apologize for this." Turning to Dick and Jason he said sternly. "We will not allow you two to cause anymore trouble while you're here. Perhaps it would be best if you ate in your room from now on or off the premises."
"What a crock of ... " Jason started. "That's it ... for the finally time. We. Did. Not. Do. IT." He sounded very much like his adoptive father as he spat out his words.
Dick also felt his anger boiling over. "Look, we haven't done anything. The police HAVEN'T arrested us. We aren't charged with anything. We aren't causing any trouble. We haven't caused any trouble. My brother and I aren't going to be forced to act like we did. By EITHER of you or anyone else. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving." Dick placed one hand on Jason's shoulder and gently pushed him in the direction of the resort's lobby.
Jason was only too happy to head in that direction and quickened his pace. "I hate friggin' resorts."
Miller yelled after them as the manager was trying to calm him. "You can't go anywhere. I'm gonna be watching you! You will not hurt anyone else's child!"
Sighing, Dick replied, "At the moment, Jay, so do I." He jabbed the elevator button and said a silent prayer as the door opened immediately to an empty car.
As the elevator doors closed behind them leaving them in blissful silence and solitude, Jason let out an audible sigh as he placed his hands on his knees and leaned over taking deep breaths. "That was ... grueling. God, I hated that!"
Dick placed a comforting hand on Jason's back as the younger boy straightened back up. Running his free hand through his thick black hair, Dick started. "We can't investigate this case as Dick and Jason. Too many people are going to be looking at us. We're too high profile now."
Jason looked at Dick, confusion on his face. "But you said earlier that we couldn't do this in the suits. If we can't investigate, then who's gonna solve this case? Bruce? We're not going to call Bruce in are we?"
"No, we're not," Dick said. Then added, "Youse just wait and youse'll find out kid. I gots a plan," he added with a wink.
To be continued ...
