"Lost him," Frank said, catching up with his dad.
"He'll be back," Fenton stated. "He was heading for the apartment building so I went in and talked to the super while you were looking for him. Joe lives there." He paused for a second then continued. "I've gotten you a room across from his. I'll finish the case we're working on. It should be wrapped up by morning considering you discovered his passwords."
"The guy was an idiot," agreed Frank. "But won't Joe just take off again if he sees me there?"
"Not if you're in a very good disguise," Fenton pointed out. "We've got to find out how willing he is to talk to us."
"And if he isn't willing at all?" demanded Frank.
"Then we give him no choice," answered Fenton. "We've found him and we are not going to lose him again."
"You live here?" Joe asked in surprise as Sheldon pulled the limousine off the main road and onto a long private drive that led around a large two-story house.
"I do," Rick replied. "We're close enough to town so the commute isn't too bad but we have officially entered the township of Sparta."
Sheldon got out of the car and opened the rear door. After Rick got out he held out his hand to help Joe out. "Let me show you around," he said.
Joe accompanied Rick for a tour of the grounds that ended back where it began. "Wow!" Joe enthused. "This place is fantastic."
"You like it?" Rick asked, nuzzling Joe's neck.
"Yeah," acknowledged Joe, grinning because Rick's breath was tickling him. "Especially the sauna and the tennis courts."
"You play tennis?" Rick asked, pulling back to look at Joe in pleased surprise.
"Frank and I played doubles in the local tournaments," Joe admitted.
"Want to talk now?" Rick pushed gently.
"I already told you what happened," Joe replied.
"There's more to you than that," Rick said. "Tell me about your life. No more secrets?" he begged.
"No more secrets," agreed Joe. He owed Rick that. "But..."
"But?"
"But I'm afraid," Joe confessed. "I'm afraid you won't want me around once you find out."
"I told you before," Rick reminded him. "Never gonna happen." He took Joe's chin and pulled it up so Joe had to look him in the eyes. "I'm not your brother," he said. "I love you...Sh," he said, putting a finger to Joe's lips. "I know. It's too soon for you. But I fell in love with you that night in the alley. I can wait as long as it takes," he added. "But I will never, ever, not want you."
"Thank you Mrs...." Joe began but stopped when the kindly brunette cleared her throat meaningfully. "Maisey," Joe amended. "That was the best meal I have had in ages."
"Maisey is the best," agreed Rick, smiling fondly at the woman who had worked for him since he had been on his own.
"Then why are you leaving for Thanksgiving?" she demanded crossly, planting her hands on her hips.
"So we can visit my parents for the holidays," Sheldon answered from behind her, placing his hands over hers and kissing the side of her neck.
"Relax, Maisey," Rick said. "Perhaps you would honor me by remaining here for Christmas and preparing a feast?"
"I'll think about it," Maisey said, giving Rick a mock scowl.
"If you do, perhaps we could persuade Joe to join us?" Rick said, glancing suggestively at Joe.
"That would be acceptable," Maisey replied, smiling at Joe. Like her husband, she too liked the youth.
"I'd enjoy that," Joe accepted graciously.
"Come on, you can pick which room you would like," Rick said, standing up.
"Um, actually, would you mind terribly if I went back home tonight?" asked Joe looking a bit ashamed for asking.
"No," Rick answered although it was obvious he didn't like the idea. "I'll drive you. But do you have too?"
"I still have those essays to get done if we are leaving the day after tomorrow," Joe explained.
"You could do them here," Rick pointed out.
"Most of the information I need is back at my apartment," Joe said.
"Ahh," Rick said feeling better. He had been afraid Joe was just being anxious about staying with him. "Would you like to drive?"
"For real?" asked Joe, his spirits picking up. "I haven't driven for awhile now. Not since..."
"For real," Rick interrupted him. He knew full well when Joe had quit driving. "Would you like to drive the Laredo or the Porsche?"
"Doesn't matter," Joe answered as he accompanied Rick to the garage. "I just love to drive."
"Ever thought about doing it professionally?" Rick inquired, aware there was still so much about Joe he needed to know.
"Actually, I have driven professionally," Joe answered. He told Rick about the times he had driven in races while investigating cases with his brother.
"Wow," Rick replied in amazement after Joe had finished. "You really put yourself in a lot of danger. I do have a question though," he continued in a curious tone. "Why haven't you tried solving mysteries since you've been on your own?"
Joe gave a small shrug as he pulled the car to a stop in front of his apartment building. "I don't like solving mysteries," he answered truthfully. "I only did that because I thought it would make my Dad proud of me."
"I'm sure your father was proud of you," Rick said, his gaze never moving from Joe's face.
"I'm not," Joe stated flatly.
"Joe..." Rick felt his heart breaking. How could anyone not be proud of Joe? Surely, Joe was mistaken.
"It's okay," Joe said, giving him a wan smile. "It made it easier to leave." He put the car in park. "Thanks for feeding me. And for being there. It means a lot," he added looking gratefully into Rick's eyes.
"You're always welcome in my home," Rick replied, his smile faltering as he finally noticed where they were. "You live here?" he asked.
"Yes," acknowledged Joe. "It's not so bad."
"It's not bad," Rick concurred. "It's horrible!" he continued. "You can't stay here. Anything could happen to you. This is the worst part of town."
"Not quite," disagreed Joe. But close, he added silently. "Don't worry," he continued. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can but still..."
"It's all I can afford right now," Joe said. "It's fine, really. I'll see you tomorrow," he added, getting out of the car.
"I'll pick you up," Rick said. "No arguments," he added sternly when Joe opened his mouth to object.
"Okay," Joe gave in. "I'll meet you out here. You don't want to leave your car unattended in this neighborhood."
"I don't want to leave you unattended in this neighborhood," Rick growled protectively.
"He'll be back," Fenton stated. "He was heading for the apartment building so I went in and talked to the super while you were looking for him. Joe lives there." He paused for a second then continued. "I've gotten you a room across from his. I'll finish the case we're working on. It should be wrapped up by morning considering you discovered his passwords."
"The guy was an idiot," agreed Frank. "But won't Joe just take off again if he sees me there?"
"Not if you're in a very good disguise," Fenton pointed out. "We've got to find out how willing he is to talk to us."
"And if he isn't willing at all?" demanded Frank.
"Then we give him no choice," answered Fenton. "We've found him and we are not going to lose him again."
"You live here?" Joe asked in surprise as Sheldon pulled the limousine off the main road and onto a long private drive that led around a large two-story house.
"I do," Rick replied. "We're close enough to town so the commute isn't too bad but we have officially entered the township of Sparta."
Sheldon got out of the car and opened the rear door. After Rick got out he held out his hand to help Joe out. "Let me show you around," he said.
Joe accompanied Rick for a tour of the grounds that ended back where it began. "Wow!" Joe enthused. "This place is fantastic."
"You like it?" Rick asked, nuzzling Joe's neck.
"Yeah," acknowledged Joe, grinning because Rick's breath was tickling him. "Especially the sauna and the tennis courts."
"You play tennis?" Rick asked, pulling back to look at Joe in pleased surprise.
"Frank and I played doubles in the local tournaments," Joe admitted.
"Want to talk now?" Rick pushed gently.
"I already told you what happened," Joe replied.
"There's more to you than that," Rick said. "Tell me about your life. No more secrets?" he begged.
"No more secrets," agreed Joe. He owed Rick that. "But..."
"But?"
"But I'm afraid," Joe confessed. "I'm afraid you won't want me around once you find out."
"I told you before," Rick reminded him. "Never gonna happen." He took Joe's chin and pulled it up so Joe had to look him in the eyes. "I'm not your brother," he said. "I love you...Sh," he said, putting a finger to Joe's lips. "I know. It's too soon for you. But I fell in love with you that night in the alley. I can wait as long as it takes," he added. "But I will never, ever, not want you."
"Thank you Mrs...." Joe began but stopped when the kindly brunette cleared her throat meaningfully. "Maisey," Joe amended. "That was the best meal I have had in ages."
"Maisey is the best," agreed Rick, smiling fondly at the woman who had worked for him since he had been on his own.
"Then why are you leaving for Thanksgiving?" she demanded crossly, planting her hands on her hips.
"So we can visit my parents for the holidays," Sheldon answered from behind her, placing his hands over hers and kissing the side of her neck.
"Relax, Maisey," Rick said. "Perhaps you would honor me by remaining here for Christmas and preparing a feast?"
"I'll think about it," Maisey said, giving Rick a mock scowl.
"If you do, perhaps we could persuade Joe to join us?" Rick said, glancing suggestively at Joe.
"That would be acceptable," Maisey replied, smiling at Joe. Like her husband, she too liked the youth.
"I'd enjoy that," Joe accepted graciously.
"Come on, you can pick which room you would like," Rick said, standing up.
"Um, actually, would you mind terribly if I went back home tonight?" asked Joe looking a bit ashamed for asking.
"No," Rick answered although it was obvious he didn't like the idea. "I'll drive you. But do you have too?"
"I still have those essays to get done if we are leaving the day after tomorrow," Joe explained.
"You could do them here," Rick pointed out.
"Most of the information I need is back at my apartment," Joe said.
"Ahh," Rick said feeling better. He had been afraid Joe was just being anxious about staying with him. "Would you like to drive?"
"For real?" asked Joe, his spirits picking up. "I haven't driven for awhile now. Not since..."
"For real," Rick interrupted him. He knew full well when Joe had quit driving. "Would you like to drive the Laredo or the Porsche?"
"Doesn't matter," Joe answered as he accompanied Rick to the garage. "I just love to drive."
"Ever thought about doing it professionally?" Rick inquired, aware there was still so much about Joe he needed to know.
"Actually, I have driven professionally," Joe answered. He told Rick about the times he had driven in races while investigating cases with his brother.
"Wow," Rick replied in amazement after Joe had finished. "You really put yourself in a lot of danger. I do have a question though," he continued in a curious tone. "Why haven't you tried solving mysteries since you've been on your own?"
Joe gave a small shrug as he pulled the car to a stop in front of his apartment building. "I don't like solving mysteries," he answered truthfully. "I only did that because I thought it would make my Dad proud of me."
"I'm sure your father was proud of you," Rick said, his gaze never moving from Joe's face.
"I'm not," Joe stated flatly.
"Joe..." Rick felt his heart breaking. How could anyone not be proud of Joe? Surely, Joe was mistaken.
"It's okay," Joe said, giving him a wan smile. "It made it easier to leave." He put the car in park. "Thanks for feeding me. And for being there. It means a lot," he added looking gratefully into Rick's eyes.
"You're always welcome in my home," Rick replied, his smile faltering as he finally noticed where they were. "You live here?" he asked.
"Yes," acknowledged Joe. "It's not so bad."
"It's not bad," Rick concurred. "It's horrible!" he continued. "You can't stay here. Anything could happen to you. This is the worst part of town."
"Not quite," disagreed Joe. But close, he added silently. "Don't worry," he continued. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can but still..."
"It's all I can afford right now," Joe said. "It's fine, really. I'll see you tomorrow," he added, getting out of the car.
"I'll pick you up," Rick said. "No arguments," he added sternly when Joe opened his mouth to object.
"Okay," Joe gave in. "I'll meet you out here. You don't want to leave your car unattended in this neighborhood."
"I don't want to leave you unattended in this neighborhood," Rick growled protectively.