TAKING A CHANCE

CHAPTER 16

"Getting Some Answers"

Joe tackled his brother, trusting that Nancy had sense enough to get down out of the way of the hail of bullets flying around them and all three huddled behind cars, holding their breaths as the bullets strafed the area. A few more shots were fired as a goodbye before the car bearing the gunmen sped away, leaving behind a maelstrom of damage in their wake.

Joe carefully lifted up off of Frank and found his brother holding his hands over his ears, his eyes squeezed shut as if warding off all the noise and chaos about him. Joe gently touched Frank's shoulder.

"It's over, Frank," Joe squeezed the shoulder. "It's over now. You're safe for now. Come on, let's get up."

"You sure it's safe?" Nancy asked. "They could come back, you know."

"I know," Joe got to his feet and peered up over the car. The gunmen's car was nowhere to be seen, though, so he felt safe standing all the way. Joe handed Nancy a hand and pulled her up to her feet before offering a hand to Frank.

"Is anyone hurt?" Joe asked as he looked Frank over. Frank stood now but he looked nervous and kept looking past Joe, toward the street.

"What was that?" Frank demanded in a shaky voice. "Why…?"

"It could be any number of things," Joe explained to his brother. "But I have a feeling that it was your father-in-law's thugs."

Frank's eyes went wider as he turned to look at Joe and Nancy again. "Why would he try to kill me? Why would he try to kill us?"

"I told you who and what he was, Frank," Joe reminded his brother. "He must have had you followed and told his men to take action if you met up with us. That's the kind of thing Ras-Alman would do."

Frank shook his head in shock and shuddered slightly as he looked over his shot-up Mercedes.

"I won't be able to explain this to Diana," he murmured. "How can I?"

"I don't know," Joe touched his brother's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to go back there? They could try even worse if they see us again."

Frank sighed and rubbed at his head. "I have to," he said again. "She's my wife. Even… even if I was tricked into marrying her, it doesn't matter. I have to find out why. I need answers."

"She won't like it very much," Nancy said softly. "She'll hate it, in fact."

"Maybe," Frank shrugged. "But I still have to see her."

It took a good two hours to get through the battalion of police that arrived to take statements about the shooting and promises to come to the police station later to give more statements but finally the trio managed to break free of the tumult and to head back to St. Charles to Frank's house. They drove Nancy's dad's car since Frank's Mercedes wouldn't start and Frank led the way into the house.

"Diana!" he called out as he walked into his home. "Diana, where are you?"

"Baby!" Miriam flew down the stairs and was about to fly into Frank's arms when she saw Nancy and Joe behind Frank. "You! What are you doing here? How dare you come back here and terrorize me again!"

"That's enough, Diana," Frank said sternly. "I've been talking to them for the last hour or so and I have just one question for you. How long have you known that I am Frank Hardy?"

Miriam's eyes were wide as she turned to Frank, an imploring expression on her face. "I'm not… I mean… I never knew. You're James Fleming, sweetheart. James Fleming, remember? You're not this Frank Hardy…"

"You're lying," Frank said coldly. "Tell me the truth, Diana."

Joe exchanged a startled glance with Nancy. He wasn't sure when Frank started believing him, but there it was. Frank believed him!

Miriam shook her head. "No, it's not true," she said. "You are James Fleming. I'm your wife, Diana! That's what I know. And I'm having our baby."

Frank took a deep breath. "They have proof," he said. "More proof than you and your father had about James Fleming. They have actual proof as to my identity. Pictures. Passport. Birth certificate. Evidentiary support! What do you have?"

Miriam paled slightly, looking from Frank to Joe and Nancy and back to Frank.

"I've always loved you," Miriam whispered. "Always. But… but when you were HIM you wouldn't give me the time of day. You didn't care that I loved you. You wouldn't even look at me because of that girl! But when you… when you couldn't remember and you were so confused… I knew you could love me and you do! I know you do."

Frank blinked and looked away for a moment.

"I do," he touched her hair. "In a way I do, Diana. But I knew there was something missing. All this time I knew there was a hole in my life that had never been filled. I could never figure that part out but there were no answers to explain why. Now. Now I know why."

"You were missing nothing!" Miriam insisted. "James, you had me, and our baby! You didn't, you don't need anything or anyone else! That's all that matters! The three of us!"

Frank shook his head again. "No," he said. "I need my family. I may not remember them clearly but I need them. I have parents, Diana, and a brother. You took those away from me. How could you think I would forgive that?"

"You love me," Miriam said desperately. "I know you love me!"

"Maybe," Frank admitted. He paused and spoke in a low voice.

"But right now, I don't like you very much."