Chapter 3

"No one knows what happened to her?" Joe repeated. He was having a hard time believing that this was actually reality.

"Oh Fenton!" Laura wailed as she began to cry again.

"Laura, honey, I'm so sorry," Fenton rambled. He was still shaken and sobbing. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I-I just thought that if you thought she was…gone…that at least you would be able to get over it faster. I'm so sorry honey. Please forgive me." He held his wife close and stroked her hair.

Joe was frazzled. He jumped from the bed and stood looking out the window with his back towards his family. He didn't want them to see the tears pooling in his eyes. How was he supposed to react to this new news! Finally, he had enough. He whipped around and began to yell at his parents. Although he knew he would regret it later, he just didn't know what else to do.

"Why didn't you ever tell us! Did you think you could just 'forget' that she ever existed? When were you planning on telling us, or weren't you going to at all? ARRRGH! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US!"

"JOE!" Frank hissed. He knew his brother didn't have and extremely long temper, but he had never known him to yell this harshly at his parents.

"So you're on their side! She's your sister too! They lied to us Frank. They are such hypocrites! 'Now Joe, lying is wrong'. Isn't that what you taught us mom? How about you dad? Is it ok to lie now? I don't understand why you couldn't have just told us!" Joe continued off on his tangent.

"Joe…" Fenton began softly. But Joe didn't hear any of this. He stormed from the room, went to his and slammed the door hard behind him.

Fenton started after his youngest son, but Frank stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Let him calm down a bit," he advised. Fenton nodded and went back to holding his wife.

"Mom, why don't you go lie down for awhile? You need some rest and it is getting pretty late," suggested Frank.

Fenton led his wife to their room and Frank lay back on his bed and sighed. Everything in his life had just turned up side down in such a short period of time and he still didn't know what to make of it.

Moments later, Fenton went back into Frank's room. "Frank…" he began. He didn't know how to continue, or exactly what he had come back for, but he had come back just the same.

"Dad, why don't you rest to? Besides, mom needs you now."

"I know…but…Frank…" he paused, nervously twisting his hands together, "You're not angry with me are you?" He already had one son that was upset. He didn't want another.

"I wish you would have told us, but I do understand why you kept this all a secret." Fenton just nodded. "Now go get some rest dad. It's almost midnight."

"Ok," Fenton walked towards his room, but when he reached the hallway, he turned. "Umm…Frank?"

"Yes dad?"

"Thanks."

The next morning, Joe awoke. He had cried himself to sleep and tossed and turned all night. For a moment he thought it was all a bad dream, but reality set in. He felt an emptiness begin to grow inside of him, somewhat similar to how he felt the morning after Iola was killed. His stomach began to rumble and he realized that he was hungry, but he didn't know if he could force himself to go downstairs. He didn't know if he could face his family yet.

Just then there was a knock on his door. "Joe? Are you awake?" It was Frank.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, whatever."

Frank walked into Joe's slightly messy room and once again he only saw Joe's back. "Joe, are you alright?"

"Yeah." Joe didn't even move.

"You sure?" he asked, trying to get his brother to look at him.

"Yeah." Joe still didn't move.

"Why don't you come downstairs for breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry," he lied.

"Joe, look, I know you're upset. I am too! She's my sister as well. Mom and dad feel terrible as it is, and you're only making them feel worse. Besides, we're not going to find her with you mopping around in your room all day!"

"Find her?" This time Joe turned around and looked his brother in the eyes.

"Of course! You don't think I'm going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs while my sister could be walking around someplace do you?" Frank replied with a smile.

"Does dad know?"

"No, I didn't tell him. I figure it may be too hard for him to handle just yet. He was really upset last night. I've never seen him cry before, much less sobbing like he was last night. So you going to get out of bed and help me, or are you going to lay there for the rest of your life?"

"Count me in. She's my twin and I need to find her. She's my other half."

"I just hope she's not like you though. One is bad enough!" Frank teased.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean!" Joe smiled. Together they went downstairs to find something to eat.

Even though Fenton was distraught, he still knew his boys and knew well enough that they would begin looking for her first thing in the morning. He heard them in the kitchen and got up quietly, as not to disturb his wife who had finally gotten to sleep after many tears and a long talk about her lost daughter. When he reached the kitchen he saw his two sons sitting at the table eating cereal.

"Good morning boys," he greeted them, hoping that Joe had managed to forgive him over the course of the night.

"Morning dad," they both said in unison.

Fenton sighed. At least Joe had calmed down.

"Boys," he began, "I know you well enough and I know that-"

"We are going to look for her," Joe finished. "Of course we are!" He was not as angry with his parents anymore. Now his mind was concentrating on other things - finding out what happened to his sister.

"Dad, what ever happened to Brian McNelson?" inquired Frank.

"That is what made the case so difficult. You sister left without a trace and the only one that we know of that knew anything at all about her was McNelson. He died in a car accident while running from the cops, weeks after your sister was taken. What ever he knew about your sister he took to the grave."