"What about a polygraph test?" Frank asked his father the next morning over breakfast.
"That wouldn't help Joe at all," Fenton said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Laura demanded. "All they would have to do is ask him if he did it and when he says no then they would have to believe him."
"It's not that simple," Fenton explained. "To begin with, the results aren't allowed in court so no matter what he says, it wouldn't come up. Second, there are ways to alter the results and we all know Joe knows what they are."
"Yeah, Joe even once teased about sticking some tacks in his shoes and taking a polygraph test to trick Vanessa into believing he believed in Santa Claus," Frank smiled at the memory. "But she already knew the trick and when he mentioned the lie detector test to prove he believed, she offered him two tacks."
"Plus," Fenton started, then stopped.
"Plus what?" Laura demanded.
"Plus if, by some wild chance, Joe did go anywhere near Roger or Vanessa after he left the restaurant, for any reason, then the results could be very harmful," Fenton ended softly.
"I'm going to go see Joe this morning," Laura said. "He must be terrified."
"Tell him we're working on it and will visit him tomorrow," Fenton said. "They have already started interrogating Joe's friends. I talked to Ezra and he has agreed to let me listen in at the station where he decided to continue the questioning although I won't be allowed in the room. Frank, I want you to talk to your friends. Find out what they remember about the night before last. Maybe it won't be bad as we think it is," he said hopefully.
***
Laura sat down in the chair and waited for Joe to come in. A few minutes later, Joe entered the booth on the other side of the glass and sat down. He hunched down so he could speak through the section at the bottom of the glass to allow him to talk. "Hi, mom," Joe said, his voice subdued.
"Baby, are you alright?" Laura asked, her eyes suspiciously bright.
"I'm fine, mom," Joe assured her. "Where are Dad and Frank?" he asked.
"They've been working on getting you out of here," she told him, smiling encouragingly. "They will be here tomorrow. I think Chief Collig is going to let them see you with Felix so you won't be stuck behind this horrid glass," Laura told him.
"That's great," Joe said, smiling. "Don't look so worried," Joe told her. "I'm not. If anyone can get me out of this mess, it's dad and Frank."
They chatted until their allotted time was up and Joe was taken back to his cell. The next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Joe was led to the interrogation room.
"Hey, Baby Brother," Frank said as Joe entered the room, his wrists in cuffs in front of him. Frank gave him a quick hug before Joe sat down.
"Did you find the necklace?" Joe asked, looking from his father to his brother.
"No," Frank admitted. "We spent hours searching the park. It wasn't there."
"Someone found it and used it to frame me," Joe said, frowning. "What have you come up with?"
Frank looked at his father who looked at Felix. "Joe," Felix said, sitting down beside Joe. "They haven't been able to come up with anything to help you."
"What have you found?" Joe asked, looking up at his father, his blue eyes showing fear for the first time.
Fenton told Joe about the car and how it was timed perfectly. Then he told him about the interrogations. "Joe, everything we have come up with only serves to incriminate you more."
"Damn it, Joe!" Frank erupted. "Plead temporary insanity. Everyone knows how emotional you are. You've been through more than anyone should have to go through. It won't be hard to convince a jury that Vanessa dropping you like that pushed you too far."
"How much?" Joe demanded in a whisper, standing up. His blue eyes stared icily into Frank's sympathetic brown ones. "How much effort have you put into finding who tried to kill Billings?"
"Joseph, we've been trying to clear you. We've done everything we could. But your necklace being found on the underside of Billings car, your disappearing after you left the restaurant and your conversation and mood at Mr. Pizza are all against you."
"You tried to clear me?" Joe asked, his voice hurt. "You didn't try to find someone else who might have done it?"
"Joe, you aren't making any sense," Frank told him. "We just told you, we tried.."
"You told me you tried everything to clear me but," he paused and turned to stare his father in the eyes. "But you always taught us the only way to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone was innocent was to find the real guilty party. And since you didn't," his voice lowered to the point that no one could hear him, "you believe I did try and kill him."
"That wouldn't help Joe at all," Fenton said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Laura demanded. "All they would have to do is ask him if he did it and when he says no then they would have to believe him."
"It's not that simple," Fenton explained. "To begin with, the results aren't allowed in court so no matter what he says, it wouldn't come up. Second, there are ways to alter the results and we all know Joe knows what they are."
"Yeah, Joe even once teased about sticking some tacks in his shoes and taking a polygraph test to trick Vanessa into believing he believed in Santa Claus," Frank smiled at the memory. "But she already knew the trick and when he mentioned the lie detector test to prove he believed, she offered him two tacks."
"Plus," Fenton started, then stopped.
"Plus what?" Laura demanded.
"Plus if, by some wild chance, Joe did go anywhere near Roger or Vanessa after he left the restaurant, for any reason, then the results could be very harmful," Fenton ended softly.
"I'm going to go see Joe this morning," Laura said. "He must be terrified."
"Tell him we're working on it and will visit him tomorrow," Fenton said. "They have already started interrogating Joe's friends. I talked to Ezra and he has agreed to let me listen in at the station where he decided to continue the questioning although I won't be allowed in the room. Frank, I want you to talk to your friends. Find out what they remember about the night before last. Maybe it won't be bad as we think it is," he said hopefully.
***
Laura sat down in the chair and waited for Joe to come in. A few minutes later, Joe entered the booth on the other side of the glass and sat down. He hunched down so he could speak through the section at the bottom of the glass to allow him to talk. "Hi, mom," Joe said, his voice subdued.
"Baby, are you alright?" Laura asked, her eyes suspiciously bright.
"I'm fine, mom," Joe assured her. "Where are Dad and Frank?" he asked.
"They've been working on getting you out of here," she told him, smiling encouragingly. "They will be here tomorrow. I think Chief Collig is going to let them see you with Felix so you won't be stuck behind this horrid glass," Laura told him.
"That's great," Joe said, smiling. "Don't look so worried," Joe told her. "I'm not. If anyone can get me out of this mess, it's dad and Frank."
They chatted until their allotted time was up and Joe was taken back to his cell. The next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Joe was led to the interrogation room.
"Hey, Baby Brother," Frank said as Joe entered the room, his wrists in cuffs in front of him. Frank gave him a quick hug before Joe sat down.
"Did you find the necklace?" Joe asked, looking from his father to his brother.
"No," Frank admitted. "We spent hours searching the park. It wasn't there."
"Someone found it and used it to frame me," Joe said, frowning. "What have you come up with?"
Frank looked at his father who looked at Felix. "Joe," Felix said, sitting down beside Joe. "They haven't been able to come up with anything to help you."
"What have you found?" Joe asked, looking up at his father, his blue eyes showing fear for the first time.
Fenton told Joe about the car and how it was timed perfectly. Then he told him about the interrogations. "Joe, everything we have come up with only serves to incriminate you more."
"Damn it, Joe!" Frank erupted. "Plead temporary insanity. Everyone knows how emotional you are. You've been through more than anyone should have to go through. It won't be hard to convince a jury that Vanessa dropping you like that pushed you too far."
"How much?" Joe demanded in a whisper, standing up. His blue eyes stared icily into Frank's sympathetic brown ones. "How much effort have you put into finding who tried to kill Billings?"
"Joseph, we've been trying to clear you. We've done everything we could. But your necklace being found on the underside of Billings car, your disappearing after you left the restaurant and your conversation and mood at Mr. Pizza are all against you."
"You tried to clear me?" Joe asked, his voice hurt. "You didn't try to find someone else who might have done it?"
"Joe, you aren't making any sense," Frank told him. "We just told you, we tried.."
"You told me you tried everything to clear me but," he paused and turned to stare his father in the eyes. "But you always taught us the only way to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone was innocent was to find the real guilty party. And since you didn't," his voice lowered to the point that no one could hear him, "you believe I did try and kill him."