"Stop acting like a spoiled brat!" snapped Fenton. The words were out before he could stop them. He saw Joe's face harden as he felt a hand grab his upper arm. Before he could apologize he was turned sideways and a fist crashed into his jaw.
As Fenton lay among a pile of broken chairs he saw the two people Joe had been sitting with lead him from the dining area.
Fenton got to his feet slowly; the absence of personnel rushing to his assistance noticeable. Mere seconds after he was standing, two security guards arrived.
"Come with us, please," one said to Fenton.
"I don't wish to lodge a complaint," Fenton declined, thinking it was an offer and not wanting to get Joe into any trouble.
"Just as well," the second guard commented with a quirk of his lips. "We've been instructed to escort you off the premises."
Fenton's mouth fell open. He had been the one assaulted but it was he who was unwelcome here? "But I was the one who was hit!" he objected.
"Mmm-hmm," acknowledged the first guard. "By someone from the corporate office."
"So you're the one who gets booted," the second guard chimed in. "Sorry, Mister," he added as they approached the exit. "You're not allowed back in here."
"Ever," added the first guard.
When Joe, Lani and Sally arrived back at the office word had already reached Rick of the altercation. "Hi," Pat greeted Joe, Lani and Sally who had stopped off before going to her office with the info she had gathered for Doug. "The boss wants to see you and Sally in his office," she told Lani. "Joe, he said to tell you he needs those photos ASAP. After you get them developed, call the mailroom and have them expressed."
"Will do," acknowledged Joe. "See you later," he said to Sally and Lani.
Joe headed to the darkroom and Sally and Lani left the room. "I guess they called the boss," Sally said nervously as the two made their way to the elevator.
"Relax," Lani told her. "I'm the one who hit him so if anyone gets canned for the mess it will be me."
"Go right in," Rick's secretary instructed when they reached her desk.
Inside Rick's office, Lani and Sally recounted the events at the resort. Rick's face remained expressionless as he listened to how Joe had been accosted and insulted by his father.
"I realize I shouldn't have hit him," Lani concluded. "But given the circumstances, I would probably do it again," he added honestly.
"I see," stated Rick. "Thank you for clarifying the matter for me."
"You can't fire him," Sally said defensively. "That man was horrid to Joe."
"I'm not firing anyone," Rick assured Sally with a mile. "I advocate a family atmosphere here and I am not about to fire someone for standing up for another member of our family."
"Thank you, Sir," Lani said.
"Thank you," returned Rick. "Okay, that's it," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Just about time for you two to go home."
"I will," Lani replied. "After I help Joe finish up."
Rick waited until the two had departed before picking up his phone and dialing the extension for the personnel department. After ordering a pay raise for Lani he hung up and called the company's lawyer once more.
"You didn't tell me Joe was a bigwig at the company," Fenton accused Frank, arriving back at the hotel room they were once again sharing. Frank had left the apartment building less than thirty minutes after Joe had been moved out.
"Sorry," Frank replied with a shrug. "I thought you knew since you found out where he was working. That looks nasty," he added, seeing the bruise growing on his father's jaw.
"One of Joe's co-workers decked me," Fenton informed him. "He really hates us," he added wearily.
"I know," acknowledged Frank. "But I'm not giving up."
"I'd better call your mother," Fenton said, sitting down on his bed near the nightstand that held the phone. "She's probably heard about us finishing our case this morning on the news and wondering why we haven't called or returned."
Frank remained sitting as his dad picked up the receiver and keyed the appropriate number for an outside line then put in the number for their home. He couldn't help feeling better than he had only days before. Now that he knew his brother was alive and well he knew they would all be together celebrating, if not Thanksgiving, at least Christmas.
"Hi, honey," Fenton greeted Laura when she answered.
"Don't hi honey me!" snarled Laura into her handset. "Why didn't you tell me you found Joe? What have you done to him now?"
"What?" gasped Fenton in surprise. How did she know?
"Chief Collig just stopped by," Laura snapped. "He gave me three restraining orders. One for each of us. We aren't allowed anywhere near Joe!"
"Laura, calm down," Fenton tried to soothe her. "Restraining orders don't last long," he reminded her. "Ten days to a month at the most,"
"These do," she told him. "Ezra said the officer at the court in Grand Rapids had informed him he should be prepared to make this a frequent chore because Tyrell Enterprises has set up the restraining orders to be renewed automatically with all costs charged to the company!"
As Fenton lay among a pile of broken chairs he saw the two people Joe had been sitting with lead him from the dining area.
Fenton got to his feet slowly; the absence of personnel rushing to his assistance noticeable. Mere seconds after he was standing, two security guards arrived.
"Come with us, please," one said to Fenton.
"I don't wish to lodge a complaint," Fenton declined, thinking it was an offer and not wanting to get Joe into any trouble.
"Just as well," the second guard commented with a quirk of his lips. "We've been instructed to escort you off the premises."
Fenton's mouth fell open. He had been the one assaulted but it was he who was unwelcome here? "But I was the one who was hit!" he objected.
"Mmm-hmm," acknowledged the first guard. "By someone from the corporate office."
"So you're the one who gets booted," the second guard chimed in. "Sorry, Mister," he added as they approached the exit. "You're not allowed back in here."
"Ever," added the first guard.
When Joe, Lani and Sally arrived back at the office word had already reached Rick of the altercation. "Hi," Pat greeted Joe, Lani and Sally who had stopped off before going to her office with the info she had gathered for Doug. "The boss wants to see you and Sally in his office," she told Lani. "Joe, he said to tell you he needs those photos ASAP. After you get them developed, call the mailroom and have them expressed."
"Will do," acknowledged Joe. "See you later," he said to Sally and Lani.
Joe headed to the darkroom and Sally and Lani left the room. "I guess they called the boss," Sally said nervously as the two made their way to the elevator.
"Relax," Lani told her. "I'm the one who hit him so if anyone gets canned for the mess it will be me."
"Go right in," Rick's secretary instructed when they reached her desk.
Inside Rick's office, Lani and Sally recounted the events at the resort. Rick's face remained expressionless as he listened to how Joe had been accosted and insulted by his father.
"I realize I shouldn't have hit him," Lani concluded. "But given the circumstances, I would probably do it again," he added honestly.
"I see," stated Rick. "Thank you for clarifying the matter for me."
"You can't fire him," Sally said defensively. "That man was horrid to Joe."
"I'm not firing anyone," Rick assured Sally with a mile. "I advocate a family atmosphere here and I am not about to fire someone for standing up for another member of our family."
"Thank you, Sir," Lani said.
"Thank you," returned Rick. "Okay, that's it," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Just about time for you two to go home."
"I will," Lani replied. "After I help Joe finish up."
Rick waited until the two had departed before picking up his phone and dialing the extension for the personnel department. After ordering a pay raise for Lani he hung up and called the company's lawyer once more.
"You didn't tell me Joe was a bigwig at the company," Fenton accused Frank, arriving back at the hotel room they were once again sharing. Frank had left the apartment building less than thirty minutes after Joe had been moved out.
"Sorry," Frank replied with a shrug. "I thought you knew since you found out where he was working. That looks nasty," he added, seeing the bruise growing on his father's jaw.
"One of Joe's co-workers decked me," Fenton informed him. "He really hates us," he added wearily.
"I know," acknowledged Frank. "But I'm not giving up."
"I'd better call your mother," Fenton said, sitting down on his bed near the nightstand that held the phone. "She's probably heard about us finishing our case this morning on the news and wondering why we haven't called or returned."
Frank remained sitting as his dad picked up the receiver and keyed the appropriate number for an outside line then put in the number for their home. He couldn't help feeling better than he had only days before. Now that he knew his brother was alive and well he knew they would all be together celebrating, if not Thanksgiving, at least Christmas.
"Hi, honey," Fenton greeted Laura when she answered.
"Don't hi honey me!" snarled Laura into her handset. "Why didn't you tell me you found Joe? What have you done to him now?"
"What?" gasped Fenton in surprise. How did she know?
"Chief Collig just stopped by," Laura snapped. "He gave me three restraining orders. One for each of us. We aren't allowed anywhere near Joe!"
"Laura, calm down," Fenton tried to soothe her. "Restraining orders don't last long," he reminded her. "Ten days to a month at the most,"
"These do," she told him. "Ezra said the officer at the court in Grand Rapids had informed him he should be prepared to make this a frequent chore because Tyrell Enterprises has set up the restraining orders to be renewed automatically with all costs charged to the company!"