"Hi, how are you feeling?" Fenton asked the imposter with feigned concern as he entered Joe's room.
"Sleepy," replied Joe, barely managing to smother a yawn.
"It's probably the antibiotics," Fenton said. "Why don't you get some rest? Frank, don't you have some homework to catch up on?" he asked, turning to his eldest son.
Frank, never slow on the uptake, stood up from the desk chair. "Yes," he admitted. "I just wanted to spend some time with Joe first."
"Your brother needs to sleep so hop to," Fenton instructed, leaving the room.
"Lucky dog," Frank told Joe. "Since tomorrow is Friday you won't have to go back to school until Monday. Night, Joe," he added, leaving Joe's room and closing the door behind him.
Frank went straight to his father's office and closed the door once he was inside. "So, is Joe on his way home or do we go and get him?" asked Frank.
"Sit down," instructed Fenton who was already busy at his computer.
Frank's brow furrowed but he did as he had been bidden and took a seat in front of his dad's desk. He sat silently; resisting the urge to tap his foot and drum his fingers for almost five minutes before he couldn't take it anymore. "Well?" he demanded impatiently.
Fenton looked at Frank as if he were surprised to find him there. "He wasn't there," Fenton finally informed him, turning his attention back to the monitor.
"Wasn't... WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WASN'T THERE?" Frank demanded angrily, his brown eyes flashing as he leapt to his feet and slammed his hands down on the desk.
"Calm down," ordered Fenton. "Give me a few more minutes and then I will tell you what I have planned," he promised.
Frank didn't want to wait but he knew venting his anger and frustration would only impede getting his brother back so ground his teeth and sat back down. A few minutes later, Fenton closed his documents and turned off the monitor.
"The men who took Joe away at the hospital were not working for the Madagascar authorities," Fenton began without preamble. "They were working for ours."
"What?" demanded Frank in shock.
"Before the piracy thing came up I was working on a case that implicated someone in Congress as being a traitor," Fenton explained. "Then I was asked to investigate the piracy because it was considered more of a threat and my previous case was put on a backburner.
"I believe the traitor orchestrated the piracy to divert my attention," Fenton continued. "Of course, once the ease was solved I would return to find out who the traitor was."
"And by having an imposter living here, the traitor would know what you were doing and even be able to steer you in the wrong direction," Frank picked up on what his dad was saying.
"Correct," acknowledged Fenton. "Making a convincing duplicate takes time and lots of preparation," he began.
"So they had picked Joe out before you sent him to boarding school," Frank stated, his eyes widening in realization.
"Exactly," agreed Fenton. "But the culprit would have to of known I was sending Joe there," he continued. "Because I did a re-check on Baldwin just now. He began working at the academy shortly before it was decided Joe could only participate in the mystery if he attended the academy for special training."
"Who was in on the decision?" demanded Frank.
"Only a few men," Fenton admitted. "But it was Priest's right hand man who suggested he was too inexperienced to help."
"Then he..." Frank broke off as Fenton shook his head.
"I think it is Priest," Fenton said. "He has the connections and the wealth to pull off something like this," explained Fenton. "Plus, after reviewing the information I had already collected on the case, Priest could very well be the traitor."
"And Joe?" asked Frank.
"May be here in the states," Fenton acknowledged. "But since the imposter is here and they think we believe he is really Joe..."
"They will kill Joe if they haven't already," Frank finished for his father.
"Sleepy," replied Joe, barely managing to smother a yawn.
"It's probably the antibiotics," Fenton said. "Why don't you get some rest? Frank, don't you have some homework to catch up on?" he asked, turning to his eldest son.
Frank, never slow on the uptake, stood up from the desk chair. "Yes," he admitted. "I just wanted to spend some time with Joe first."
"Your brother needs to sleep so hop to," Fenton instructed, leaving the room.
"Lucky dog," Frank told Joe. "Since tomorrow is Friday you won't have to go back to school until Monday. Night, Joe," he added, leaving Joe's room and closing the door behind him.
Frank went straight to his father's office and closed the door once he was inside. "So, is Joe on his way home or do we go and get him?" asked Frank.
"Sit down," instructed Fenton who was already busy at his computer.
Frank's brow furrowed but he did as he had been bidden and took a seat in front of his dad's desk. He sat silently; resisting the urge to tap his foot and drum his fingers for almost five minutes before he couldn't take it anymore. "Well?" he demanded impatiently.
Fenton looked at Frank as if he were surprised to find him there. "He wasn't there," Fenton finally informed him, turning his attention back to the monitor.
"Wasn't... WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WASN'T THERE?" Frank demanded angrily, his brown eyes flashing as he leapt to his feet and slammed his hands down on the desk.
"Calm down," ordered Fenton. "Give me a few more minutes and then I will tell you what I have planned," he promised.
Frank didn't want to wait but he knew venting his anger and frustration would only impede getting his brother back so ground his teeth and sat back down. A few minutes later, Fenton closed his documents and turned off the monitor.
"The men who took Joe away at the hospital were not working for the Madagascar authorities," Fenton began without preamble. "They were working for ours."
"What?" demanded Frank in shock.
"Before the piracy thing came up I was working on a case that implicated someone in Congress as being a traitor," Fenton explained. "Then I was asked to investigate the piracy because it was considered more of a threat and my previous case was put on a backburner.
"I believe the traitor orchestrated the piracy to divert my attention," Fenton continued. "Of course, once the ease was solved I would return to find out who the traitor was."
"And by having an imposter living here, the traitor would know what you were doing and even be able to steer you in the wrong direction," Frank picked up on what his dad was saying.
"Correct," acknowledged Fenton. "Making a convincing duplicate takes time and lots of preparation," he began.
"So they had picked Joe out before you sent him to boarding school," Frank stated, his eyes widening in realization.
"Exactly," agreed Fenton. "But the culprit would have to of known I was sending Joe there," he continued. "Because I did a re-check on Baldwin just now. He began working at the academy shortly before it was decided Joe could only participate in the mystery if he attended the academy for special training."
"Who was in on the decision?" demanded Frank.
"Only a few men," Fenton admitted. "But it was Priest's right hand man who suggested he was too inexperienced to help."
"Then he..." Frank broke off as Fenton shook his head.
"I think it is Priest," Fenton said. "He has the connections and the wealth to pull off something like this," explained Fenton. "Plus, after reviewing the information I had already collected on the case, Priest could very well be the traitor."
"And Joe?" asked Frank.
"May be here in the states," Fenton acknowledged. "But since the imposter is here and they think we believe he is really Joe..."
"They will kill Joe if they haven't already," Frank finished for his father.