Joe closed his eyes. "I guess you're going to hate me now," he said, wishing he hadn't told Jeff anything.
"Not if you don't hate me," Jeff replied with a firm shake of his head. "I told you, I don't want to be involved in my dad's business."
"But I do want to be involved in my dad's," Joe pointed out.
"That doesn't have to cause any strife," Jeff insisted. "You don't talk about your dad and I won't talk about mine."
"Deal," Joe agreed smiling. "But if our dads find out, we're toast."
"They won't," Jeff assured him. "My dad never comes around. He just sends me a ticket when the holidays arrive."
"Cool," Joe commented, seeing nothing wrong with the arrangement. He liked Jeff and the fact that his father, who wasn't even around, was a known criminal shouldn't affect their friendship. After all, it wasn't his fault he had McFadden's right-hand's son for a roommate.
When Frank arrived home from school that afternoon, he was surprised to find his mother there. "Let me take that," she said, taking his backpack from him as he opened the door.
"Thanks," said Frank relinquishing his pack. A horn tooted from behind him and he turned and waved at Callie as she drove away.
"Why didn't Callie come in?" Laura asked as she followed Frank into the living room.
"She's meeting her dad downtown," Frank explained. "What are you doing home so early?" he asked. "I thought you weren't coming back until your cousin got out of her cast."
"Joe called me last night," Laura said.
"And you agreed with Dad," Frank said looking at her reproachfully.
"Frank, please try to understand?" she begged. "If something doesn't change, Joe is going to get himself killed."
"I won't let him," Frank insisted. "I watch out for him."
"But you didn't yesterday," Laura said, crying.
"I..." Frank tried to protest but his mother put two fingers to his lips to silence him.
"Things happen," she told him. "You won't always be there for him. If he doesn't start facing the consequences of his actions he will never learn that there are times when it's not okay to act on his own. He will keep doing whatever he thinks he should at that moment without considering the outcome. Frank, if he keeps on the way he's been going, he will get himself killed," she reiterated. "And none of us, not even you, will be able to prevent it."
"Do you really think sending him away will change that?" asked Frank.
"We have to try," Laura said.
"What if it changes him?" asked Frank. "He thinks you don't want him anymore."
"That's not true!" Laura snapped. "Your father and I love Joe, and you, very much. We would do anything for either of you. Believe it or not, this is more painful for us than him."
"Did you get back in time to say goodbye?" asked Frank, feeling a bit contrite.
"No," answered Laura. "I don't think it mattered to Joe, though. Fenton called right before you pulled up outside. He was on his way back to the airport after leaving him. He said Joe hadn't spoken to him since yesterday."
"I can't say that I blame him," Frank replied as the phone rang.
Laura picked up the receiver. "Hardy residence," she answered. "No, Ezra, he took Joe to the academy and won't be back until later." She was quiet for a moment as Ezra spoke. "Of course. Here he is," she said and handed Frank the phone.
"Hello, Chief," said Frank.
"McFadden is out," Collig informed Frank. "You had better keep your guard up."
"We will," promised Frank. "I'll turn on the alarm now."
"I guess it's a good thing Joe is gone," Collig said. "He should be safe at school."
"I hope so," Frank said with a worried frown on his face.
"What do you mean I don't have a case?" demanded McFadden glaring at his lawyer. "That kid tricked me into going there. That's entrapment."
"He's a kid; not a cop," Sven Borg explained calmly. He hated it when his clients threw tantrums. "Plus, there were no officers present when you got to Morrison's. They all arrived while you were outside with the kid."
"So?" demanded McFadden.
"So, you were tricked by a kid not the cops," Hartley told his boss. "It's not entrapment."
"I wish I could get my hands on that brat," snarled McFadden with an evil gleam in his eyes.
"We pretty much have too," Hartley told him.
"Why?"
"Because he's a key witness for the prosecution," Borg stated.
"Why?" McFadden repeated. "They have evidence," he sneered.
"They must not have enough," Borg replied.
"Because the kid is gone," Hartley informed McFadden before he got really pissed off. "Hardy took him somewhere this morning."
"Then find him," McFadden ordered. "I want him alive."
"Alive?" Hartley asked in shock.
"Yeah," McFadden replied with a smile. "I want to be the one to kill him."
"Not if you don't hate me," Jeff replied with a firm shake of his head. "I told you, I don't want to be involved in my dad's business."
"But I do want to be involved in my dad's," Joe pointed out.
"That doesn't have to cause any strife," Jeff insisted. "You don't talk about your dad and I won't talk about mine."
"Deal," Joe agreed smiling. "But if our dads find out, we're toast."
"They won't," Jeff assured him. "My dad never comes around. He just sends me a ticket when the holidays arrive."
"Cool," Joe commented, seeing nothing wrong with the arrangement. He liked Jeff and the fact that his father, who wasn't even around, was a known criminal shouldn't affect their friendship. After all, it wasn't his fault he had McFadden's right-hand's son for a roommate.
When Frank arrived home from school that afternoon, he was surprised to find his mother there. "Let me take that," she said, taking his backpack from him as he opened the door.
"Thanks," said Frank relinquishing his pack. A horn tooted from behind him and he turned and waved at Callie as she drove away.
"Why didn't Callie come in?" Laura asked as she followed Frank into the living room.
"She's meeting her dad downtown," Frank explained. "What are you doing home so early?" he asked. "I thought you weren't coming back until your cousin got out of her cast."
"Joe called me last night," Laura said.
"And you agreed with Dad," Frank said looking at her reproachfully.
"Frank, please try to understand?" she begged. "If something doesn't change, Joe is going to get himself killed."
"I won't let him," Frank insisted. "I watch out for him."
"But you didn't yesterday," Laura said, crying.
"I..." Frank tried to protest but his mother put two fingers to his lips to silence him.
"Things happen," she told him. "You won't always be there for him. If he doesn't start facing the consequences of his actions he will never learn that there are times when it's not okay to act on his own. He will keep doing whatever he thinks he should at that moment without considering the outcome. Frank, if he keeps on the way he's been going, he will get himself killed," she reiterated. "And none of us, not even you, will be able to prevent it."
"Do you really think sending him away will change that?" asked Frank.
"We have to try," Laura said.
"What if it changes him?" asked Frank. "He thinks you don't want him anymore."
"That's not true!" Laura snapped. "Your father and I love Joe, and you, very much. We would do anything for either of you. Believe it or not, this is more painful for us than him."
"Did you get back in time to say goodbye?" asked Frank, feeling a bit contrite.
"No," answered Laura. "I don't think it mattered to Joe, though. Fenton called right before you pulled up outside. He was on his way back to the airport after leaving him. He said Joe hadn't spoken to him since yesterday."
"I can't say that I blame him," Frank replied as the phone rang.
Laura picked up the receiver. "Hardy residence," she answered. "No, Ezra, he took Joe to the academy and won't be back until later." She was quiet for a moment as Ezra spoke. "Of course. Here he is," she said and handed Frank the phone.
"Hello, Chief," said Frank.
"McFadden is out," Collig informed Frank. "You had better keep your guard up."
"We will," promised Frank. "I'll turn on the alarm now."
"I guess it's a good thing Joe is gone," Collig said. "He should be safe at school."
"I hope so," Frank said with a worried frown on his face.
"What do you mean I don't have a case?" demanded McFadden glaring at his lawyer. "That kid tricked me into going there. That's entrapment."
"He's a kid; not a cop," Sven Borg explained calmly. He hated it when his clients threw tantrums. "Plus, there were no officers present when you got to Morrison's. They all arrived while you were outside with the kid."
"So?" demanded McFadden.
"So, you were tricked by a kid not the cops," Hartley told his boss. "It's not entrapment."
"I wish I could get my hands on that brat," snarled McFadden with an evil gleam in his eyes.
"We pretty much have too," Hartley told him.
"Why?"
"Because he's a key witness for the prosecution," Borg stated.
"Why?" McFadden repeated. "They have evidence," he sneered.
"They must not have enough," Borg replied.
"Because the kid is gone," Hartley informed McFadden before he got really pissed off. "Hardy took him somewhere this morning."
"Then find him," McFadden ordered. "I want him alive."
"Alive?" Hartley asked in shock.
"Yeah," McFadden replied with a smile. "I want to be the one to kill him."