It was late when Fenton arrived home. Laura heard his car pull into the drive and turned off the alarm then went to greet him. "Ezra called," she told him as he entered the house. "He said McFadden is out on bail."
"Not for long," Fenton assured her with a hug and a quick kiss on her lips. "Some of McFadden's men have turned state's evidence. After the trial, he'll never be free again."
"But what about now?" Laura asked. "What if he goes after Joe for revenge?"
"Another positive side to Joe's being in boarding school," Fenton pointed out. "McFadden won't be able to find him." He looked around the living room as he headed toward the kitchen. "Where's Frank?" he asked.
"Chet, Phil, Tony and Biff came by a little while ago and took him out," Laura informed him. "They knew he was depressed with Joe gone."
"They're good friends," Fenton said.
"So is Vanessa," Laura put in as Fenton sat down at the kitchen table. As she set about fixing Fenton a late supper she explained. "Apparently, Joe broke up with her because he didn't want her to miss out on the prom and everything but she told me she wasn't accepting the break-up. She wanted his address so she could write to him."
"You didn't give it to her, did you?" asked Fenton quickly.
"Of course not," Laura denied with a frown. What kind of an idiot did he take her for? "I told her she could write the letter and we would see that he gets it. I told her we had to keep his whereabouts a secret until after the trial," she added. "I didn't want to hurt her anymore than she already has been."
"I did do the right thing?" Fenton asked, looking at her with sad eyes.
"Yes," she stated firmly, her eyes not wavering from his. "We discussed this," she reminded him. "He has to go there. His life, and Frank's, may depend on it."
"I'm sorry," apologized Frank. "I'm just not in the mood for this."
"We know," Chet said. "That's why we brought you."
"We're trying to get you in the mood," Phil explained.
"I know," Frank said with a wan smile. "And I appreciate it, but it's just not the same without Joe."
"How long are your folks going to stay mad at him?" asked Biff.
"They aren't mad at him," Frank defended his parents. "They just think a few months in a more disciplined environment will do him some good."
"How long?" Chet demanded, his eyes widening.
"He gets to come home for Easter Break in about three weeks," Frank said.
"But he has to go back?" Biff asked. Frank nodded. "I don't get it," Biff continued. "What did he do that was so terrible that they had to send him away?"
"He nearly got himself, and you guys, killed," Frank gave the answer he had been given.
"Whoa!" Phil; snapped angrily. "Hold it right there. What we did, we did on our own."
"He's right," agreed Biff. "Joe had me get you out and that was it. I wasn't supposed to go back at all."
"And we didn't even get there until after Joe had already been taken prisoner," Tony reminded him. "It wasn't Joe's fault."
"I wish we could tell Dad that but I get the feeling it wouldn't help any," said Frank, looking miserable.
"It's worth a try," Tony suggested.
A man with close-cropped brown hair and green eyes got up from the booth next to the one Frank and his friends were in and went to the bathroom. He waited until the other occupant exited then locked himself inside and pulled out a cell phone.
"Boss, you ain't gonna believe this," Hartley told McFadden when he answered. "Hardy took his kid away because he was punishing him; not to protect him."
"So getting him once we know where he is at should be easy," McFadden responded, his pleasure coming through in his tone. He had already been planning on how he was going to kill the brat. "Excellent. Now we only need to find out where he is."
"Boarding school, maybe?" Hartley suggested. "Frank said he'll be home for Easter Break and my Jeffery comes home for the holidays."
"Possible," McFadden acknowledged. "Come on back," he ordered Hartley. "I'll have some of the boys break in and see if they can find a trace of where he has gone. The Hardy's are bound to have an address where they can write to him."
"Their friends seem to know where he's gone," Hartley said. "Want me to work one over until he gives it up?"
"Let's see what we can turn up at the Hardys first," McFadden declined the suggestion.
"Whatever you say," Hartley agreed. "I'm on my way back," he ended. He put up his cell phone, used one of the urinals then unlocked the door and left the restaurant.
"Look. I appreciate what you boys are trying to do," Fenton told his sons' friends that evening when they brought Frank home and told him they took full responsibility for their actions the previous afternoon. "But it really doesn't affect my decision."
"But that's not fair!" Biff protested loudly. "He didn't do anything to jeopardize anyone but himself and some lowlifes."
"And it was their fault to begin with," Phil pointed out. "Joe didn't ask Morrison to get him involved."
"No. Joe got involved on his own," Fenton interrupted him.
"He was trying to help someone he thought was his friend," Chet defended his pal. "That's what makes Joe...Joe. He likes to help people."
"And he nearly gets himself killed in the process," Fenton pointed out stubbornly. "I will not let Joe die because he doesn't know when he shouldn't interfere."
"Would you rather he didn't care at all?" Frank demanded, not believing how lame his father's argument seemed in light of what was being said. "Would you rather he turn his back on someone who needed him?"
"No, of course not!" Fenton denied. "All I want if for Joe to stop and think about what the outcome will be. I admit, his involvement with Leland and Morrison was not his doing but he did know what he was doing when he went to see McFadden."
"You're right," agreed Biff. "That's why he made me wait in the van while he went inside. If he didn't come back out I was supposed to call the police."
"You were?" asked Fenton in surprise.
"And he knew it was dangerous when we were at Morrison's," Biff continued. "He was only keeping watch but when Frank and I were nearly caught then he created a diversion. He did it so Frank and I could get away."
"But I was on the way," Fenton said wearily. "He should have waited for me."
"If he had, I would be dead," Frank stated, watching his father's face closely. "There's more to your sending Joe away than you've let on," he accused his father. "And it's time you told me."
It was obvious from the blush that crept up Fenton's face that Frank was correct in his assumption. "We'll be off now," Phil said, aware the two Hardys were about to have a very heated discussion. The other boys followed Phil outside. Biff wore a big smirk and Phil, Chet and Tony couldn't help but smile as well. They knew the Hardy with the biggest temper wasn't Joe; it was Frank! And since the argument was about Joe, they also knew without a doubt that Frank would win.
"Not for long," Fenton assured her with a hug and a quick kiss on her lips. "Some of McFadden's men have turned state's evidence. After the trial, he'll never be free again."
"But what about now?" Laura asked. "What if he goes after Joe for revenge?"
"Another positive side to Joe's being in boarding school," Fenton pointed out. "McFadden won't be able to find him." He looked around the living room as he headed toward the kitchen. "Where's Frank?" he asked.
"Chet, Phil, Tony and Biff came by a little while ago and took him out," Laura informed him. "They knew he was depressed with Joe gone."
"They're good friends," Fenton said.
"So is Vanessa," Laura put in as Fenton sat down at the kitchen table. As she set about fixing Fenton a late supper she explained. "Apparently, Joe broke up with her because he didn't want her to miss out on the prom and everything but she told me she wasn't accepting the break-up. She wanted his address so she could write to him."
"You didn't give it to her, did you?" asked Fenton quickly.
"Of course not," Laura denied with a frown. What kind of an idiot did he take her for? "I told her she could write the letter and we would see that he gets it. I told her we had to keep his whereabouts a secret until after the trial," she added. "I didn't want to hurt her anymore than she already has been."
"I did do the right thing?" Fenton asked, looking at her with sad eyes.
"Yes," she stated firmly, her eyes not wavering from his. "We discussed this," she reminded him. "He has to go there. His life, and Frank's, may depend on it."
"I'm sorry," apologized Frank. "I'm just not in the mood for this."
"We know," Chet said. "That's why we brought you."
"We're trying to get you in the mood," Phil explained.
"I know," Frank said with a wan smile. "And I appreciate it, but it's just not the same without Joe."
"How long are your folks going to stay mad at him?" asked Biff.
"They aren't mad at him," Frank defended his parents. "They just think a few months in a more disciplined environment will do him some good."
"How long?" Chet demanded, his eyes widening.
"He gets to come home for Easter Break in about three weeks," Frank said.
"But he has to go back?" Biff asked. Frank nodded. "I don't get it," Biff continued. "What did he do that was so terrible that they had to send him away?"
"He nearly got himself, and you guys, killed," Frank gave the answer he had been given.
"Whoa!" Phil; snapped angrily. "Hold it right there. What we did, we did on our own."
"He's right," agreed Biff. "Joe had me get you out and that was it. I wasn't supposed to go back at all."
"And we didn't even get there until after Joe had already been taken prisoner," Tony reminded him. "It wasn't Joe's fault."
"I wish we could tell Dad that but I get the feeling it wouldn't help any," said Frank, looking miserable.
"It's worth a try," Tony suggested.
A man with close-cropped brown hair and green eyes got up from the booth next to the one Frank and his friends were in and went to the bathroom. He waited until the other occupant exited then locked himself inside and pulled out a cell phone.
"Boss, you ain't gonna believe this," Hartley told McFadden when he answered. "Hardy took his kid away because he was punishing him; not to protect him."
"So getting him once we know where he is at should be easy," McFadden responded, his pleasure coming through in his tone. He had already been planning on how he was going to kill the brat. "Excellent. Now we only need to find out where he is."
"Boarding school, maybe?" Hartley suggested. "Frank said he'll be home for Easter Break and my Jeffery comes home for the holidays."
"Possible," McFadden acknowledged. "Come on back," he ordered Hartley. "I'll have some of the boys break in and see if they can find a trace of where he has gone. The Hardy's are bound to have an address where they can write to him."
"Their friends seem to know where he's gone," Hartley said. "Want me to work one over until he gives it up?"
"Let's see what we can turn up at the Hardys first," McFadden declined the suggestion.
"Whatever you say," Hartley agreed. "I'm on my way back," he ended. He put up his cell phone, used one of the urinals then unlocked the door and left the restaurant.
"Look. I appreciate what you boys are trying to do," Fenton told his sons' friends that evening when they brought Frank home and told him they took full responsibility for their actions the previous afternoon. "But it really doesn't affect my decision."
"But that's not fair!" Biff protested loudly. "He didn't do anything to jeopardize anyone but himself and some lowlifes."
"And it was their fault to begin with," Phil pointed out. "Joe didn't ask Morrison to get him involved."
"No. Joe got involved on his own," Fenton interrupted him.
"He was trying to help someone he thought was his friend," Chet defended his pal. "That's what makes Joe...Joe. He likes to help people."
"And he nearly gets himself killed in the process," Fenton pointed out stubbornly. "I will not let Joe die because he doesn't know when he shouldn't interfere."
"Would you rather he didn't care at all?" Frank demanded, not believing how lame his father's argument seemed in light of what was being said. "Would you rather he turn his back on someone who needed him?"
"No, of course not!" Fenton denied. "All I want if for Joe to stop and think about what the outcome will be. I admit, his involvement with Leland and Morrison was not his doing but he did know what he was doing when he went to see McFadden."
"You're right," agreed Biff. "That's why he made me wait in the van while he went inside. If he didn't come back out I was supposed to call the police."
"You were?" asked Fenton in surprise.
"And he knew it was dangerous when we were at Morrison's," Biff continued. "He was only keeping watch but when Frank and I were nearly caught then he created a diversion. He did it so Frank and I could get away."
"But I was on the way," Fenton said wearily. "He should have waited for me."
"If he had, I would be dead," Frank stated, watching his father's face closely. "There's more to your sending Joe away than you've let on," he accused his father. "And it's time you told me."
It was obvious from the blush that crept up Fenton's face that Frank was correct in his assumption. "We'll be off now," Phil said, aware the two Hardys were about to have a very heated discussion. The other boys followed Phil outside. Biff wore a big smirk and Phil, Chet and Tony couldn't help but smile as well. They knew the Hardy with the biggest temper wasn't Joe; it was Frank! And since the argument was about Joe, they also knew without a doubt that Frank would win.