"Fine," Joe said after taking a deep breath to calm down. Why was this happening to him? "Frank and Dad will get me out of here," he said. He looked into Frank's eyes. "Don't take too long, huh?"
Frank shook his head, unsure of what to say. "You'll keep him away from..." Fenton began.
"He'll be kept in a separate cell," Ezra promised the Hardys. "But..." he began, then broke off.
"But?" Fenton demanded, his voice harsh. What now?
"He's going to be prosecuted as an adult," Ezra informed the group. "Because, more than others his age, he knows how bad a crime of this magnitude can be, it has been decided that he should be tried as an adult and not a minor."
***
"We need to find the necklace," Frank said once Joe had been taken to a cell and they exited the station.
"Call your friends and search the park," Fenton ordered. "I am going to take a look at Billings' car and then go and talk to him."
"Good luck. To both of you," Felix said, leaving the two and going back to his car.
Fenton dropped Frank off at home and left for the police garage. Frank brought his mom up to date on the situation and then went to call his friends, telling them what he needed them to do. Forty minutes later, he, Chet, Tony, Phil, Biff and Callie met at the entrance to the park.
"We need to cover every inch of this place," Frank told them. "Joe said he threw the necklace when he was near the first bench."
The guys spread out and began searching the ground, each holding a flashlight on the ground in case the light caught the silver and caused it to shine. "Frank," Callie said softly before she moved off to start searching. "Karen called me. She said she really wanted to help but one of the force's detectives was at her house. He wanted to talk to her about Joe."
"It's begun then," Frank said, frowning. "They are going to be questioning everyone about what Joe said last night."
"What...what should we say?" she asked a bit fearfully.
"The truth," Frank told her. "Joe didn't do it," he said, although without as much force as he would have if he truly believed it. "Lying won't help Joe but it could put you in trouble for interfering with an investigation or they could even accuse you of being an accessory."
"We'll find that necklace," Callie said, squeezing his arm before moving off and starting her search.
It was almost dinner time when Frank entered the Hardy home. He set his flashlight down on the table in the foyer and rubbed the back of his neck wearily as he went into the living room. He found his dad sitting on the sofa staring at the television screen. Unnerving, because it was off. "Did you find it?" Fenton asked as he heard Frank enter the room.
Frank shook his head and sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "We searched every inch of the park. We started at the first bench then worked our way clear down to the end of the park. Then we went back to the bench and searched in the opposite direction," he said. "We found coins, a ring, a bracelet and three necklaces but not the one we were looking for. What about you?"
"Ezra was right," Fenton told him. "The brakes were tampered with."
"Anyone could have done it," Frank said defensively.
"Not this time," Fenton said. "The brake line wasn't just cut, it was punctured in an area so that it would not begin leaking until the first time the brakes were used."
"At the end of the Bender's long drive where he would have to turn," Frank said, frowning.
"A mile from the cliff," Fenton continued. "And Joe knows exactly how long it would take before hitting the cliffs and he knows the hydraulic system well enough to be able to puncture the line at the right point so that an appropriate amount would drip out by the time it was reached."
Frank shook his head, unsure of what to say. "You'll keep him away from..." Fenton began.
"He'll be kept in a separate cell," Ezra promised the Hardys. "But..." he began, then broke off.
"But?" Fenton demanded, his voice harsh. What now?
"He's going to be prosecuted as an adult," Ezra informed the group. "Because, more than others his age, he knows how bad a crime of this magnitude can be, it has been decided that he should be tried as an adult and not a minor."
***
"We need to find the necklace," Frank said once Joe had been taken to a cell and they exited the station.
"Call your friends and search the park," Fenton ordered. "I am going to take a look at Billings' car and then go and talk to him."
"Good luck. To both of you," Felix said, leaving the two and going back to his car.
Fenton dropped Frank off at home and left for the police garage. Frank brought his mom up to date on the situation and then went to call his friends, telling them what he needed them to do. Forty minutes later, he, Chet, Tony, Phil, Biff and Callie met at the entrance to the park.
"We need to cover every inch of this place," Frank told them. "Joe said he threw the necklace when he was near the first bench."
The guys spread out and began searching the ground, each holding a flashlight on the ground in case the light caught the silver and caused it to shine. "Frank," Callie said softly before she moved off to start searching. "Karen called me. She said she really wanted to help but one of the force's detectives was at her house. He wanted to talk to her about Joe."
"It's begun then," Frank said, frowning. "They are going to be questioning everyone about what Joe said last night."
"What...what should we say?" she asked a bit fearfully.
"The truth," Frank told her. "Joe didn't do it," he said, although without as much force as he would have if he truly believed it. "Lying won't help Joe but it could put you in trouble for interfering with an investigation or they could even accuse you of being an accessory."
"We'll find that necklace," Callie said, squeezing his arm before moving off and starting her search.
It was almost dinner time when Frank entered the Hardy home. He set his flashlight down on the table in the foyer and rubbed the back of his neck wearily as he went into the living room. He found his dad sitting on the sofa staring at the television screen. Unnerving, because it was off. "Did you find it?" Fenton asked as he heard Frank enter the room.
Frank shook his head and sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "We searched every inch of the park. We started at the first bench then worked our way clear down to the end of the park. Then we went back to the bench and searched in the opposite direction," he said. "We found coins, a ring, a bracelet and three necklaces but not the one we were looking for. What about you?"
"Ezra was right," Fenton told him. "The brakes were tampered with."
"Anyone could have done it," Frank said defensively.
"Not this time," Fenton said. "The brake line wasn't just cut, it was punctured in an area so that it would not begin leaking until the first time the brakes were used."
"At the end of the Bender's long drive where he would have to turn," Frank said, frowning.
"A mile from the cliff," Fenton continued. "And Joe knows exactly how long it would take before hitting the cliffs and he knows the hydraulic system well enough to be able to puncture the line at the right point so that an appropriate amount would drip out by the time it was reached."