"We need to find the poison," Frank said.
"The only way you can do that is to get everyone out of the house," Fenton said. "But if you do find the poison, leave it alone," he continued. "Don't touch it. Just find where it is located and get back to me."
"Will do," Frank said. "I have copies of the contracts he fixed for Moody and a copy of all the information he has in his file on Ronnie Harrison," Frank informed his dad.
"Excellent," Fenton said. "Fax them to me at 888-5522," he said.
"Will do," Frank affirmed.
"And, Son," Fenton added before Frank could hang up. "Be careful."
Frank's eyes narrowed. "What is it?" he demanded.
"After Phil told us what Joe said about Moody probably killing his friend, I did some checking. There was a teenager, he was three years older than Joe. His name was Dan Sayer. He was killed in a hit and run. No description of the vehicle that hit him and no investigation by the police. The event was swept under the carpet so to speak," Fenton ended.
"So Moody did kill him," Frank murmured.
"And Joe was right. The only reason he could have had for killing him was because he was Joe's friend. Dan was the only son of Blaine Sayer, an alcoholic. Neither Dan nor his dad posed any kind of threat to anyone," Fenton added.
"I don't get it," Frank said. "Joe has never said anything. Why?"
"It was probably too painful," Fenton suggested. "I'm sure when he was ready, you would have been the one he talked to about it."
"What about mom?" Frank asked. "Didn't she know?"
"I asked her when she told me how she adopted Joe," Fenton admitted. "She said he wouldn't talk about what he had been through. He just wanted to forget."
"You can't just forget that kind of stuff," Frank said. "My God, he should have seen a psychiatrist or something."
"Maybe, after this is over, he will feel like talking," Fenton said hopefully, silently agreeing with his eldest son.
"We'll be careful," Frank promised. "And we will find where he has hidden the poison," he added, hanging up.
Frank faxed the copies to the number his dad had given him, locked the house up, and left. When he arrived at the rented mansion, Frank told the others about his conversation with Fenton.
"How are we going to get in there to find it?" Chet demanded.
"I have an idea," Frank said, picking up the phone and calling the Moodys. Disguising his voice, he told Moody that Sturgiss needed to meet with him and Ami. He was out of town but if they would meet him at Scarpillini's in Belview, they could discuss the problem there. When Frank hung up, he was smiling.
The group went to listen in and see if Frank's plan had worked. "Charles," Austin said, hanging up the phone. "Ami and I have to go to Belview for the evening. We are meeting Carl at Scarpillini's. I don't want to leave the car in that neighborhood unattended."
"Of course, I will drive you, Sir," Charles said.
"What about Joesph?" Ami asked, looking at her husband. "I don't want to leave him here alone. You know how messy children are."
"He is far from a child, my dear," Austin said, smiling at her. "But I'll lock him in the basement," he decided. "He can do no harm there."
His teeth hurting from gritting them so hard, it was all Frank could do to wait until the Moodys had departed before leaving with the other teens for the Moody mansion. Frank had insisted Laura remain and listen in case something went wrong. She would be able to call the FBI. Like Laura, Frank knew the local authorities were useless where Moody was concerned.
The teens arrived at the Moody mansion minutes after they had left. Frank picked the lock on the back door and entered the house. "Where's the basement?" Vanessa asked, anxious to see Joe.
"There," Frank replied, seeing the deadbolt in place on the door beside the one leading into the utility room. Frank slid the bolt back and opened the door. Seething when he found the room bathed in darkness, he reached over and flipped on the light switch. He rushed down the stairs followed by Vanessa and Biff while the others waited upstairs for them to return.
"Joe," Frank rasped, seeing his younger brother chained to the wall. Joe sat near the wall, letting his head rest against it while keeping his back out of contact.
Hearing Frank's voice, Joe opened his eyes and looked at him, fear showing. "You've got to get out of here," Joe hissed.
Frank shook his head as Vanessa stooped down beside Joe and kissed his forehead. "They are gone and won't be back for several hours," Frank said, doing his best not to let Joe see the hatred he felt. It was bad enough to lock Joe in a dark basement but chaining him had been overkill. All he wanted was a few minutes alone with Moody.
Frank bent down and looked at the lock on the manacle. The manacle looked new but he could see another, smaller one lying in the floor near the wall and it struck him that this wasn't the first time Joe had been subjected to this type of treatment.
"Can you get it off of him?" Biff asked.
Frank nodded and did just that. Vanessa threw her arms around Joe and gave him a tight hug. Joe uttered an involuntary whimper and Vanessa released him at once. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry," she said, tears running unchecked down her face.
"It's okay," Joe assured her, giving her a faint smile. "It felt good."
Vanessa knew he was talking about emotionally since it was obvious he was in pain. Frank helped Joe to his feet. "What are you doing here?" Joe asked, still worried about them being caught.
Frank told him they had come look for the poison. "Don't worry, we will make sure no one can tell the place has been searched," he promised. Joe followed Frank upstairs. Vanessa and Biff brought up the rear. Joe paused in the doorway, his blue eyes showing how worried he was when he saw his friends gathered there.
"This isn't going to work," Joe said, his voice low. He had subconsciously returned to the practice of speaking softly. One of the many things he had learned to do as a child to survive.
"Yes, it is," Biff said as Joe finally moved and he and Vanessa managed to get back into the kitchen.
"Here," Callie said, handing Joe a brown paper bag. "Your mom made this for you. After you eat, we'll take the bag back with us."
"Thanks," Joe replied, smiling gratefully at her, as he took the bag. Callie turned away, her eyes bright. She had never seen Joe so meek. He was always joking around. Well, not always, she amended silently. Sometimes he was very serious, but his voice had always been strong. Like the others, she was curious as to how this drastic change could have come over him in such a short amount of time. But it isn't a short time, she realized. He lived with these people...with this abuse...for years. She had always thought if it weren't for Frank, Joe would have no cares, no substance. Now she knew she was wrong. Joe was deeper than she had given him credit for. For that matter, there was more to Joe than anyone knew, Frank included.
"Where should we start looking?" Phil asked.
Joe shrugged. "His bedroom, maybe," he suggested. "I'm not allowed in there."
"Are there any other rooms you aren't allowed to go?" Frank asked.
"Charles' room," Joe answered.
"What about Ami's?" Vanessa asked.
Joe closed his eyes and swallowed. "N..no," he admitted.
Phil glanced at Frank. For some reason, Joe seemed more afraid of Ami than he did Austin. But Austin was the one who hurt him. Ami only stood by and let him. Right?
Frank shrugged, his own face troubled. Phil hadn't spoken out loud, but Frank knew what he was thinking. He was wondering the same thing. "Vanessa, why don't you stay here with Joe while the rest of us look around," he suggested, not wanting to drag Joe into the rooms he wasn't allowed, sure it would stress Joe even more. Vanessa nodded, and reached into her pocket to make sure the cream the doctor had prescribed was there. She had demanded it from Phil once Frank had revealed his plan for them to get into the mansion and search. She had thought, and the others agreed, it would be a good time to put on a second application.
"Remember, whatever you move make sure it is put back exactly as you found it," Phil reiterated.
"And if you find the poison, don't bother it," Frank added. "Just locate it. The authorities have to be the ones to handle it." Frank looked at Joe one last time before leaving the kitchen. He would have given anything to take the poison and Joe and leave but he knew Moody would be able to get Joe back. Getting Moody put behind bars was the only hope for peace and safety Joe had. Joe may not be his blood relative, but in every way that mattered they were brothers. And Moody was not going to get away with what he had done to Joe.
"The only way you can do that is to get everyone out of the house," Fenton said. "But if you do find the poison, leave it alone," he continued. "Don't touch it. Just find where it is located and get back to me."
"Will do," Frank said. "I have copies of the contracts he fixed for Moody and a copy of all the information he has in his file on Ronnie Harrison," Frank informed his dad.
"Excellent," Fenton said. "Fax them to me at 888-5522," he said.
"Will do," Frank affirmed.
"And, Son," Fenton added before Frank could hang up. "Be careful."
Frank's eyes narrowed. "What is it?" he demanded.
"After Phil told us what Joe said about Moody probably killing his friend, I did some checking. There was a teenager, he was three years older than Joe. His name was Dan Sayer. He was killed in a hit and run. No description of the vehicle that hit him and no investigation by the police. The event was swept under the carpet so to speak," Fenton ended.
"So Moody did kill him," Frank murmured.
"And Joe was right. The only reason he could have had for killing him was because he was Joe's friend. Dan was the only son of Blaine Sayer, an alcoholic. Neither Dan nor his dad posed any kind of threat to anyone," Fenton added.
"I don't get it," Frank said. "Joe has never said anything. Why?"
"It was probably too painful," Fenton suggested. "I'm sure when he was ready, you would have been the one he talked to about it."
"What about mom?" Frank asked. "Didn't she know?"
"I asked her when she told me how she adopted Joe," Fenton admitted. "She said he wouldn't talk about what he had been through. He just wanted to forget."
"You can't just forget that kind of stuff," Frank said. "My God, he should have seen a psychiatrist or something."
"Maybe, after this is over, he will feel like talking," Fenton said hopefully, silently agreeing with his eldest son.
"We'll be careful," Frank promised. "And we will find where he has hidden the poison," he added, hanging up.
Frank faxed the copies to the number his dad had given him, locked the house up, and left. When he arrived at the rented mansion, Frank told the others about his conversation with Fenton.
"How are we going to get in there to find it?" Chet demanded.
"I have an idea," Frank said, picking up the phone and calling the Moodys. Disguising his voice, he told Moody that Sturgiss needed to meet with him and Ami. He was out of town but if they would meet him at Scarpillini's in Belview, they could discuss the problem there. When Frank hung up, he was smiling.
The group went to listen in and see if Frank's plan had worked. "Charles," Austin said, hanging up the phone. "Ami and I have to go to Belview for the evening. We are meeting Carl at Scarpillini's. I don't want to leave the car in that neighborhood unattended."
"Of course, I will drive you, Sir," Charles said.
"What about Joesph?" Ami asked, looking at her husband. "I don't want to leave him here alone. You know how messy children are."
"He is far from a child, my dear," Austin said, smiling at her. "But I'll lock him in the basement," he decided. "He can do no harm there."
His teeth hurting from gritting them so hard, it was all Frank could do to wait until the Moodys had departed before leaving with the other teens for the Moody mansion. Frank had insisted Laura remain and listen in case something went wrong. She would be able to call the FBI. Like Laura, Frank knew the local authorities were useless where Moody was concerned.
The teens arrived at the Moody mansion minutes after they had left. Frank picked the lock on the back door and entered the house. "Where's the basement?" Vanessa asked, anxious to see Joe.
"There," Frank replied, seeing the deadbolt in place on the door beside the one leading into the utility room. Frank slid the bolt back and opened the door. Seething when he found the room bathed in darkness, he reached over and flipped on the light switch. He rushed down the stairs followed by Vanessa and Biff while the others waited upstairs for them to return.
"Joe," Frank rasped, seeing his younger brother chained to the wall. Joe sat near the wall, letting his head rest against it while keeping his back out of contact.
Hearing Frank's voice, Joe opened his eyes and looked at him, fear showing. "You've got to get out of here," Joe hissed.
Frank shook his head as Vanessa stooped down beside Joe and kissed his forehead. "They are gone and won't be back for several hours," Frank said, doing his best not to let Joe see the hatred he felt. It was bad enough to lock Joe in a dark basement but chaining him had been overkill. All he wanted was a few minutes alone with Moody.
Frank bent down and looked at the lock on the manacle. The manacle looked new but he could see another, smaller one lying in the floor near the wall and it struck him that this wasn't the first time Joe had been subjected to this type of treatment.
"Can you get it off of him?" Biff asked.
Frank nodded and did just that. Vanessa threw her arms around Joe and gave him a tight hug. Joe uttered an involuntary whimper and Vanessa released him at once. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry," she said, tears running unchecked down her face.
"It's okay," Joe assured her, giving her a faint smile. "It felt good."
Vanessa knew he was talking about emotionally since it was obvious he was in pain. Frank helped Joe to his feet. "What are you doing here?" Joe asked, still worried about them being caught.
Frank told him they had come look for the poison. "Don't worry, we will make sure no one can tell the place has been searched," he promised. Joe followed Frank upstairs. Vanessa and Biff brought up the rear. Joe paused in the doorway, his blue eyes showing how worried he was when he saw his friends gathered there.
"This isn't going to work," Joe said, his voice low. He had subconsciously returned to the practice of speaking softly. One of the many things he had learned to do as a child to survive.
"Yes, it is," Biff said as Joe finally moved and he and Vanessa managed to get back into the kitchen.
"Here," Callie said, handing Joe a brown paper bag. "Your mom made this for you. After you eat, we'll take the bag back with us."
"Thanks," Joe replied, smiling gratefully at her, as he took the bag. Callie turned away, her eyes bright. She had never seen Joe so meek. He was always joking around. Well, not always, she amended silently. Sometimes he was very serious, but his voice had always been strong. Like the others, she was curious as to how this drastic change could have come over him in such a short amount of time. But it isn't a short time, she realized. He lived with these people...with this abuse...for years. She had always thought if it weren't for Frank, Joe would have no cares, no substance. Now she knew she was wrong. Joe was deeper than she had given him credit for. For that matter, there was more to Joe than anyone knew, Frank included.
"Where should we start looking?" Phil asked.
Joe shrugged. "His bedroom, maybe," he suggested. "I'm not allowed in there."
"Are there any other rooms you aren't allowed to go?" Frank asked.
"Charles' room," Joe answered.
"What about Ami's?" Vanessa asked.
Joe closed his eyes and swallowed. "N..no," he admitted.
Phil glanced at Frank. For some reason, Joe seemed more afraid of Ami than he did Austin. But Austin was the one who hurt him. Ami only stood by and let him. Right?
Frank shrugged, his own face troubled. Phil hadn't spoken out loud, but Frank knew what he was thinking. He was wondering the same thing. "Vanessa, why don't you stay here with Joe while the rest of us look around," he suggested, not wanting to drag Joe into the rooms he wasn't allowed, sure it would stress Joe even more. Vanessa nodded, and reached into her pocket to make sure the cream the doctor had prescribed was there. She had demanded it from Phil once Frank had revealed his plan for them to get into the mansion and search. She had thought, and the others agreed, it would be a good time to put on a second application.
"Remember, whatever you move make sure it is put back exactly as you found it," Phil reiterated.
"And if you find the poison, don't bother it," Frank added. "Just locate it. The authorities have to be the ones to handle it." Frank looked at Joe one last time before leaving the kitchen. He would have given anything to take the poison and Joe and leave but he knew Moody would be able to get Joe back. Getting Moody put behind bars was the only hope for peace and safety Joe had. Joe may not be his blood relative, but in every way that mattered they were brothers. And Moody was not going to get away with what he had done to Joe.