"Whoa! Slow down!" Frank commanded his enthusiastic younger brother. "What exactly are you saying?"
"What do you think I'm saying?" Joe countered.
"You're too young to get married," stated Frank bluntly.
"I know," Joe agreed at once. Not hearing Frank's sigh of relief, he continued. "But, yeah, in the future, that is a definite maybe. But not until after high school. Geez! What do you take me for a complete moron?" he ended, looking at Frank with a hurt expression.
"Of course not," Frank brushed the idea aside. "But love can make people do some pretty stupid things," he reminded him.
"Relax," Joe told him, grinning. "I promise that when I do decide to get married, I will let you know first so it won't blow you away."
"Thanks," Frank said, hoping Joe would find out about Camille's dark side before he fell any harder for her.
"Besides," Joe added, grinning wickedly. "I can't have you blurting out something stupid when Camille and I do announce our engagement."
"Joe.." Frank began warningly.
"Easy, bro," Joe calmed Frank once more before he could get all riled up again. "Way in the future."
Frank went to his room a few minutes later. He hoped Tony had misunderstood the affair between Camille and the stylist or else Joe was headed for heartache. True, some of their friends did fly off the handle occasionally without proper provocation. But Joe was the sort of person who couldn't be cruel or unkind if his life depended on it. Frank knew Joe could never be happy with anyone who was.
There was only one thing he could think to do: have Camille spend more time not with just Joe, but with him and their friends as well. Eventually, Camille's true nature would have to come out be it good or bad. That decided, Frank went to bed.
"Joe, we're going to be late," complained Frank when he entered Joe's bedroom a little before eight the next morning.
"I know," Joe replied, scowling. "But I can't find my chemistry book."
"Are you sure you brought it home?" Frank asked him, looking at Joe's desk for any sign of the missing book.
"Yes, I'm sure," Joe acknowledged. "We had homework in it over the weekend so I brought it home and forgot to take it back on Monday. If I'm without it again today Mrs. Bumgarner will skin me."
Frank knelt down and reached for Joe's spread to lift it up and look under the bed. "Already checked there," Joe stopped him. "And on and under the desk, behind the trash, in the closet, even in the kitchen and living room. It's nowhere."
"Maybe it's in the van," Frank suggested, frowning. "Or maybe you left it in my room and the stalker took it."
"Possible," Joe acknowledged slowly. He was ready to accept any possible idea on the book's location. He had even looked in his father's office and the bathroom as well as a few other places he hadn't mentioned but still hadn't been able to locate the missing item.
"Joe, those pajamas you were going to loan me but said were probably dirty... did mom ever them up?" Frank asked.
"Mom just took the laundry down this morning," Joe replied, looking at Frank curiously. "Why?'
"No reason," Frank said, smiling. "Just curious. But we do have to go," he continued, changing the subject. "You will just have to be in hot water with Bumgarner if it isn't in the van. Let's go."
Joe set his lunch tray down on the table next to Camille's and sat down with a heavy sigh. "What's wrong?" asked Biff, looking across the table at his friend.
"Bumgarner gave me extra work for not having my book," Joe answered with a scowl. "I've looked everywhere. I'm going to have to swing by the office after school and see about getting a new one."
"Just what you needed on top of having to look for that creep who is after Frank," Chet said, frowning. "Isn't there anything we can do to help?" he asked.
"Not now," Frank said, arriving at the table without a lunch tray. He sat down between Joe and Callie. "But we do have a lead."
"We do?" Joe asked in surprise. So far they hadn't been able to get over to Stoney's Gym and as far as he knew, everything else had been a bust.
Frank nodded. "I just got off of the phone with Lacey. The cop that Reynolds was supposed to meet was O'Neil," Frank informed everyone.
"But he was on duty yesterday," Joe said. "He couldn't have..."
"What?" Frank demanded when Joe broke off.
"Judge Lane said the proceedings were held up in a case he's trying because O'Neil forgot he was supposed to be there," Joe informed him.
"What time?" asked Frank.
"Two."
"Did O'Neil mention having to meet with Reynolds when he visited you at the hospital?" Frank asked.
"He didn't even know about him until I mentioned him," Joe said, frowning.
"I think we should talk to Officer O'Neil," Frank said. "I'll call Chief Collig and have him set it up at the precinct for after school," he added, standing up.
Frank left the table and raced to the payphone, reaching it just before the freshman he had seen heading toward it. He placed the call, spoke for a few moments and then returned to the lunch table, his expression preoccupied.
"Well?" Joe asked curiously.
"O'Neil never reported in for work today," Frank informed Joe and the others. "The Chief sent someone to his place but he wasn't at home."
"Kidnapped?" asked Phil.
Frank's mouth was set in a grim line as his brown eyes met his brother's blue ones. "O'Neil wasn't there but his blue forerunner was."