Callie wanted to find out more about Joe but once they were on the road Joe began telling her about what she could expect when they went on location. She did discover one thing about Joe that she didn't have to be told: Joe put as much of himself into his project as he used to in solving mysteries.
It was going on six before the two of them left the motel and headed back to the office. Callie was exhausted and her feet hurt but Joe looked ready for more. "Aren't you in the least bit tired?" she demanded in disbelief.
Joe glanced over at her and his smile of accomplishment dimmed to one of sympathy. "Sorry, Gillian," he apologized. "I tend to get carried away when I'm shooting. I love photography," he confessed. "It's something I always wanted to do and now that I am doing it...it's exhilarating."
"But I thought you wanted to be a detective," Callie said, realizing too late she shouldn't have.
Joe laughed. "Recognized me or my name, huh?" he asked.
"Yes," Callie replied, grateful Joe hadn't gotten suspicious.
"I was a detective, true," he admitted. "But I never really wanted to be one."
"Then why were you?" Callie asked.
"Because I wanted my father to be proud of me," Joe answered truthfully. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure he loved me but I was a disappointment to him. And my mother. See, my brother is a genius. Well, almost," he amended. "He has a photographic memory and all he has to do is see or read something once and he retains most, if not all, of the material. Me? I studied and studied and studied and I still couldn't make the same grades Frank did so I quit trying. I studied some and I managed to pull in B's and C's but it was never as good as Frank."
"You sound jealous," observed Callie.
"I'm not, though," Joe denied. "I loved my brother. I still do," he confessed and Callie fought to control her tongue when he admitted it. "See, I became a detective not only so Dad would be proud of me but also so I could spend more time with Frank. I always thought that since he was so much smarter than I was, as well as older, that he wouldn't want me hanging around him. So, I became his partner so we could hang out together but I was wrong," he continued sadly. "At his girlfriend's birthday party I heard him wish he were an only child. Maybe now he will be happy."
"You can't believe that," Callie insisted. "You two were so close."
"I thought so," acknowledged Joe. "But I guess not. If he really loved me as much as I thought he did then he would never have gotten mom and dad to side with him," he explained. "See, our folks always let us work out our own problems. They never interfered, no matter how bad our fights were but this time, they not only got their feet wet, they went SCUBA-diving."
Callie didn't know what to say. It was obvious Joe still loved his family very much but it was equally apparent that he had been hurt very deeply.
"I'm sorry," Joe said, giving her a wan smile. "I talk too much. Another fault of mine. Anyway," he continued, changing the subject. "I'm afraid going to these motels, even though they are within a four hour drive, is going to lead to overtime. I'll alternate taking, you, Pat and Lani," he said. "I hope that will be okay?"
"Sure," agreed Callie. "It's no problem."
"I'll feed you next time," Joe promised, grinning. "And not bagged junk food like this time."
"Sounds good," Callie replied as Joe pulled the car into the lot behind the office building. "You aren't going to work all evening developing those, are you?" she asked. "I can stay and help."
"No," Joe answered shaking his head. "Rick would never allow me to work that late."
"Allow you?" Callie inquired, quirking an eyebrow. "I know you live with him but you don't let him run your life, do you?"
"I owe Rick everything," Joe answered. "If it weren't for him, I would probably still be sleeping on the streets or in the abandoned factory I crashed at sometimes."
"But still," argued Callie. "You can't let him control you."
"He doesn't," Joe assured her, touched that she seemed to care. "He just wants to take care of me. You know, I always thought my brother was the most protective person in the world but he's got nothing on Rick. He created this job for me; arranged my education; gave me a place to live with no strings attached and encourages me to do what I want even if it isn't what he or anyone else wants."
"Sounds like he's in love with you," Callie joked.
"He is," Joe replied, shocking her into silence. "And I think I love him too."
It was going on six before the two of them left the motel and headed back to the office. Callie was exhausted and her feet hurt but Joe looked ready for more. "Aren't you in the least bit tired?" she demanded in disbelief.
Joe glanced over at her and his smile of accomplishment dimmed to one of sympathy. "Sorry, Gillian," he apologized. "I tend to get carried away when I'm shooting. I love photography," he confessed. "It's something I always wanted to do and now that I am doing it...it's exhilarating."
"But I thought you wanted to be a detective," Callie said, realizing too late she shouldn't have.
Joe laughed. "Recognized me or my name, huh?" he asked.
"Yes," Callie replied, grateful Joe hadn't gotten suspicious.
"I was a detective, true," he admitted. "But I never really wanted to be one."
"Then why were you?" Callie asked.
"Because I wanted my father to be proud of me," Joe answered truthfully. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure he loved me but I was a disappointment to him. And my mother. See, my brother is a genius. Well, almost," he amended. "He has a photographic memory and all he has to do is see or read something once and he retains most, if not all, of the material. Me? I studied and studied and studied and I still couldn't make the same grades Frank did so I quit trying. I studied some and I managed to pull in B's and C's but it was never as good as Frank."
"You sound jealous," observed Callie.
"I'm not, though," Joe denied. "I loved my brother. I still do," he confessed and Callie fought to control her tongue when he admitted it. "See, I became a detective not only so Dad would be proud of me but also so I could spend more time with Frank. I always thought that since he was so much smarter than I was, as well as older, that he wouldn't want me hanging around him. So, I became his partner so we could hang out together but I was wrong," he continued sadly. "At his girlfriend's birthday party I heard him wish he were an only child. Maybe now he will be happy."
"You can't believe that," Callie insisted. "You two were so close."
"I thought so," acknowledged Joe. "But I guess not. If he really loved me as much as I thought he did then he would never have gotten mom and dad to side with him," he explained. "See, our folks always let us work out our own problems. They never interfered, no matter how bad our fights were but this time, they not only got their feet wet, they went SCUBA-diving."
Callie didn't know what to say. It was obvious Joe still loved his family very much but it was equally apparent that he had been hurt very deeply.
"I'm sorry," Joe said, giving her a wan smile. "I talk too much. Another fault of mine. Anyway," he continued, changing the subject. "I'm afraid going to these motels, even though they are within a four hour drive, is going to lead to overtime. I'll alternate taking, you, Pat and Lani," he said. "I hope that will be okay?"
"Sure," agreed Callie. "It's no problem."
"I'll feed you next time," Joe promised, grinning. "And not bagged junk food like this time."
"Sounds good," Callie replied as Joe pulled the car into the lot behind the office building. "You aren't going to work all evening developing those, are you?" she asked. "I can stay and help."
"No," Joe answered shaking his head. "Rick would never allow me to work that late."
"Allow you?" Callie inquired, quirking an eyebrow. "I know you live with him but you don't let him run your life, do you?"
"I owe Rick everything," Joe answered. "If it weren't for him, I would probably still be sleeping on the streets or in the abandoned factory I crashed at sometimes."
"But still," argued Callie. "You can't let him control you."
"He doesn't," Joe assured her, touched that she seemed to care. "He just wants to take care of me. You know, I always thought my brother was the most protective person in the world but he's got nothing on Rick. He created this job for me; arranged my education; gave me a place to live with no strings attached and encourages me to do what I want even if it isn't what he or anyone else wants."
"Sounds like he's in love with you," Callie joked.
"He is," Joe replied, shocking her into silence. "And I think I love him too."