Warning: This story includes as an on-going sub-plot an incestuous homosexual relationship between Frank and Joe Hardy. This chapter contains strong sexual content and suggestive language.
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Chapter 3: Jolene Winters
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Joe gasped. "Deeper!"
"Unh!" Frank grunted. Hot water sluiced over his skin and streamed down Joe's back, getting him wetter. It felt really good. Frank closed his eyes as he rammed himself deeper and deeper into Joe.
"Ah! Yes! That's it! Ohh!" Joe cried aloud as he climaxed, his body shaking. "Oh, man!" he groaned. "That was totally hot."
"Oh yeah!" Frank agreed. He leaned back against the shower wall and let the water splash over him. "The shower was one of the final deciding factors when I picked this place. I knew it would be big enough for both of us."
Joe turned around and put his hands on Frank's shoulders. "I still can't believe you got it. It's perfect. A lot of students must have been trying to rent it."
Frank chuckled. "The truth is the building owner doesn't like renting to students so he overprices the units to keep them out. I explained that I would be sharing the place with my little brother while we worked and attended college and wouldn't have time for the kind of nonsense that some college kids get into. That satisfied him so he offered me a reasonable rent if I'd sign a long-term lease." Frank put his arms around Joe's waist. "I didn't think he needed to know that we would be fucking every chance we got."
"Yeah, he didn't need to know that." Joe kissed him on the cheek. "So, what's the plan for today?"
"I want to find out more about the missing daughter. Is she a runaway, with her dad, or something else?" Frank rubbed his hands thoughtfully up and down Joe's back. "Her disappearance probably doesn't have anything to do with her step-dad's shady business dealings, but I want to rule that out, just to be safe. If she did run away and Nancy got a lead on her, it might give us another clue about Nancy's disappearance."
"Good idea." Joe turned off the water. "We should install one of those shower heads with a flow restrictor so we don't waste as much water when we're fucking."
Frank nodded. He stepped out of the shower, took two towels off the rack and handed one to Joe. "Mrs. Quito said Jolene attended a year-round school. I think school is in session right now so we can talk to her teachers and some of her friends. Their names are in Nancy's notes."
"Ok. And shouldn't the administration office have contact information for Thomas Winters?"
"They should. We can ask while we're there."
"They probably won't tell us anything. We're not even licensed detectives, much less official law enforcement officers."
"Have you forgotten?" Frank said. "Remember last summer when Dad hired me to help out doing paperwork for his office? He gave me an official ID. I still have it."
Joe grinned. "That's sneaky."
"True, but if anyone calls the number on my ID, they'll get Dad's office and no one there is going to say I have no business doing what I'm doing."
"But then Dad will ask questions."
Frank hung his towel neatly back on the rack. "Probably, but we'll use the truth again. Dad won't argue if we tell him we're trying to find Nancy."
"Should we feel guilty that we're so good at manipulating Dad?"
"Nah. It makes him feel needed. Let's get dressed before looking at your ass gets me hot again."
After breakfast, Frank and Joe drove back to River Heights to the River Heights Achievement Academy, a private year-round co-ed school. The Academy actually consisted of two schools, which they referred to rather pretentiously as the Upper and Lower Schools. The Upper School served grades seven through twelve. The Lower School served grades one though six.
The Academy office had a long counter inside the door that separated the office from the waiting area. Four desks and several filing cabinets stood in the open area on the other side of the counter. Four doors in the back wall and two more on the right side gave admittance to private offices. Another door on the left had a little sign hanging over it that said "Nurse".
Frank had suggested that they both dress like professionals, in suits and ties. Frank actually had a suit, but Joe only had a sport coat, which he now wore over his nicest pair of slacks. Frank smiled to himself. Joe looked extremely handsome and disarming when he dressed up.
As soon as they entered, a young woman seated at one of the desks rose and approached the counter. "May I help you?"
"I hope so." Frank smiled his most charming smile. "We are assisting a colleague who is searching for a missing child: Jolene Winters. I believe she attended school here."
"Oh yes!" the young woman nodded immediately. Her pretty face took on a worried expression. "We are so worried about Jolene! Has Miss Drew not found her?"
"I'm afraid not. She asked us to revisit some of her interviews to see if we might learn anything that she overlooked." Frank took Nancy's notes out of his pocket and scanned them. "Miss Drew interviewed Jolene's teacher and three of her friends. I wonder if I might be allowed to speak to the same people. Of course, I would like a school administrator there while I speak to the children, if you'll allow me to interview them."
"Let me get Mrs. Durbin, our principal. You'll have to ask her. One moment." The young woman hurried to one of the offices at the back and knocked on the door. After a brief pause, she poked her head inside. A moment later, an older woman appeared in the door of the office. She was neatly dressed in a dark suit with a knee length skirt. Her graying hair was trimmed short in a style that flattered her narrow face. She was all business when she approached the counter.
"May I see some identification, please?"
"Of course." Frank produced his ID badge and handed it to her. Her lips moved slightly as she read his name and the company name on the badge. Then she studied the picture and Frank's face.
She handed the badge back. "Thank you, Mr. Hardy. Alice says you're following up on Jolene's disappearance?"
"That's right. Miss Drew asked us to re-interview the people she talked to here at the Academy to see if we might learn anything different that would help in the search. I don't want to take up a lot of your time"
"It's not a problem," Mrs. Durbin said gravely. "We've never had a student disappear before and we are very concerned about seeing her brought home safely." She lifted a panel in the counter. "Please come in. You can use my office. The morning break is about to start. I'll have Miss Kerney come to the office first and then the three students."
"You remember which students Miss Drew interviewed?"
"Yes," Mrs. Durbin said. Her voice was grim. "This is a very unusual and worrisome situation for us. Please come this way." She led them back to her office. "Please sit down." The office was fairly deep, allowing room for a small round meeting table with six chairs, in addition to a large desk and a few filing cabinets. Joe and Frank sat at the table. Mrs. Durbin went to her desk to use the telephone. "It's Rose," she said into the handset. "Come to my office when the break starts. Yes. Thanks." She hung up. "This is Miss Kerney's second year with us. She's a very good teacher and very popular with the students. Jolene's disappearance has hit her quite hard."
Frank and Joe stood up when a young woman entered the office a few minutes later. She was an attractive black woman with dark skin and hair trimmed very close to her head.
"Shut the door, Chloe," Mrs. Durbin said. She indicated Frank. "This is Frank Hardy. He's working with Nancy Drew on Jolene's disappearance."
"How do you do, Mr. Hardy?" Chloe Kerney had a rich musical voice. She held out a slim brown hand.
Frank shook her hand. "A pleasure, Miss Kerney. This is my brother Joe Hardy. He's interning at our office. Please sit down." When they were all seated, Frank resumed. "Miss Kerney, I have a summary of Miss Drew's prior interview with you, so I'd like to go over that quickly first. My goal is to see if there is anything else you might be able to tell us that might provide another clue to Jolene's disappearance."
"I'll tell you as much as I can, Mr. Hardy," Chloe said, "but I truly don't know why Jolene would run away. She always seemed so happy in school."
"She was doing well in class?"
"Very well. Jolene is a bright girl and very hard-working. She always completed here homework on time and worked diligently on all her classroom projects. She never missed a day of school until…" Chloe stopped and her eyes brightened. "I called her house the first day she missed class when no one called to say she was sick. Her mother was shocked when she learned Jolene had not been at school all day."
"You spoke to Mrs. Quito?"
"Yes. I suggested she call the police and report Jolene missing."
"Do you know if she did?"
"I think so, because the police came to talk to me a few days later."
"Not the next day?"
"No."
Frank sat back with a frown. Beside him, Joe took diligent notes.
"Miss Kerney, have you met Jolene's father, Thomas Winters?"
"No, I'm afraid I haven't."
"Do you know if he's ever picked his daughter up from school?"
"Not that I'm aware of." She glanced at Mrs. Durbin.
"Mr. Winters would have to sign in at the office to pick up Jolene," Mrs. Durbin said. "He's not on her approval list."
"He's not? Isn't that unusual?"
"Not always," Mrs. Durbin replied. "After a divorce, the custodial parent will often deny access to the non-custodial parent. Sometimes it's to protect the child. Other times it's just out of spite or vindictiveness."
"What do you think it is in this case?"
Mrs. Durbin didn't answer right away. "I would have to say spite. Mrs. Quito's bitterness toward her ex-husband always seemed rather excessive to me. Mr. Winters is a rather soft-spoken and gentle man. I understand he was well-liked as a counselor at the public high school. He left that position after the divorce, I believe."
"I see." Frank glanced at Joe briefly before returning his attention to Chloe. "Miss Kerney, did you ever hear Jolene say anything that might indicate she was unhappy at home?"
"Well…" Chloe paused thoughtfully. "One time she arrived at school early and asked if she could sit in the classroom to finish her homework. I was surprised because she always had her homework finished on time before, so I asked her if there was a problem at home. She said no, it was just that her parents had had a big fight and she had been too upset to finish her homework. So I let her stay in the classroom. It never happened again."
"You don't remember anything else?"
"No. Jolene always came to school neat, clean and ready to learn. Children with trouble at home always act out in some way. She never did."
"Hmm." Frank leaned over to glance at the notes Joe was making. Then he looked at Nancy's notes again. "I think that's all the questions I have for you, Miss Kerney. I appreciate your time very much."
"I hope you find her, Mr. Hardy. Jolene's such a nice girl. I'm terribly worried about her." Chloe's big dark eyes started to look wet and she brushed at the corner of one eye quickly with her fingertip.
"Thank you, Chloe," Mrs. Durbin said. "When you get back to your classroom, would you please send Abby, Kate and Angela to my office?"
"Yes, Rose." Chloe left, closing the door behind her.
Mrs. Durbin tapped her fingers on the table. "It's very unusual for good students who are happy at home to run away," she remarked casually.
"Yes," Frank agreed. "But if something unexpected or frightening happens it might precipitate it."
"True."
"These three girls are close friends of Jolene?"
"Yes. The four of them have been close since the third grade." A timid knock on the door announced the arrival of the three students. "Come in!"
The door opened to admit three attractive preteen girls. Two were blonds and the third had long dark hair.
Mrs. Durbin waved them into the office and pointed to the chairs. "Sit down girls. These gentlemen want to talk to you about Jolene."
"Did you find her?" the dark haired girl demanded immediately.
"I'm afraid not," Frank replied gravely. "That's why I wanted to ask you a few more questions."
"She didn't run away!" the dark haired girl interrupted.
"Abby!" Mrs. Durbin said sternly. "Mind your manners!"
The girl hung her head. "Sorry Mrs. Durbin!"
Frank smiled. "It's all right. Why don't you think she ran away?"
"Because Jolene liked school too much. She's the best student in our class."
"That's right," one of the blonds spoke up. "Kate and I always have to ask for her class notes because we never seem to get everything written down right." She giggled and then looked guilty at Mrs. Durbin's stern expression.
"Was Jolene having problems at home?"
"Not really," Abby replied with a shrug. "Her mom's kind of flaky and sometimes she ignores Jolene, but she's ok."
"Did you ever meet Jolene's father?"
"Do you mean her step-dad or her real dad? I never met her real dad."
"I did!" Angela piped up again. "He came by the school once to give Jolene a birthday present. He seemed really nice. But her step-dad's real cute!"
"He's creepy though!" Abby said with a shudder. "He's always too nice, like the kind of guy they tell you to watch out for when he offers you candy or rides."
"Did he offer you candy or rides?"
"No, he just feels like that type. Kind of… you know… oily."
Frank and Joe exchanged a long look.
Kate spoke for the first time. "Jolene said once she was glad she didn't have any brothers."
Frank started. "When did she say that?"
"I don't know. A couple of weeks ago, maybe."
"So not that long before she disappeared."
"I guess."
"Why did she say that?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. She's an only child, like me, and we were talking about how it would be nice if we had a sister. That's when she said it."
"So she might have just meant that she'd rather have a sister than a brother?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Did Jolene ever talk about going to Europe?"
"Yeah," Abby said. "She said her dad, her real dad, wanted to take her for the summer. We were all jealous, but then her mom wouldn't let her go. Jolene was real bummed out."
"Do you think she was more disappointed about not getting to go to Europe or not getting to spend time with her dad?"
"I think she wanted to spend time with her dad," Kate said. "She hardly ever got to see him and she missed him a lot. He only got to take her one weekend a month and her mom was always forgetting the day and scheduling doctor appointments and stuff."
"Do you think her mom was doing it on purpose?"
Kate shrugged and then nodded silently.
"Her mom really hates her dad," Abby exclaimed. "You should hear the way she talks about him. It makes you wonder why she ever married him in the first place. I bet she was doing it on purpose."
"Do you think Jolene would rather live with her dad?"
"She might, but her dad's kind of poor now. I don't think he could afford to send her here and she likes this school. Sometimes you have to make hard choices," Abby said wisely.
Frank lifted an eyebrow. It was odd hearing such a mature statement coming out of someone so young. He favored the three girls with a friendly smile. "Thank you very much for your honesty. You've been very helpful."
"Do you think you'll find Jolene?" Kate asked. She bit her lip unhappily.
"We're going to do our very best." Frank glanced at Mrs. Durbin and nodded slightly.
"All right, girls, back to class." Mrs. Durbin rose and opened the door. "Please do not distract your classmates by talking about this."
"We won't."
When the girls were gone, Mrs. Durbin turned back to Frank. "Is there anything else we can do to help, Mr. Hardy?"
Frank stood up. "Not at this time, Mrs. Durbin. Thank you very much for allowing us to speak to Miss Kerney and the students. We will be reviewing our notes with Nancy and hopefully a new clue will come out of it."
"I hope so."
Frank and Joe each shook hands with Mrs. Durbin and started to leave, but then Frank paused. "There is one other thing. Do you have an address for Thomas Winters?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid it's not current. When Jolene disappeared, we tried to reach him at the number we have on file but his phone had been disconnected. Apparently, he moved from that address several months ago."
"I see. Thanks." They left the office and did not speak to each other until they were inside Frank's car and safely out of anyone's hearing.
"You know," said Joe, "I'm not sure if I'm relieved or horrified that Abby picked up on the same creepy feeling that August Quito gave me."
"Kids are way more observant than most people give them credit for," Frank said. "If Abby noticed it, how much you want to bet that Jolene felt that way too, especially since she was around him a lot more?"
Joe nodded. "I bet she did. But that comment she made about being glad she had no brothers..." He gave Frank a knowing look.
"And he came on to you," Frank said. He stared at Joe. "He likes boys and Jolene knew it."
"I think you're right." Joe drummed his fingers on his knee. "But then she had no reason to be afraid of him personally, so there was no reason for her to leave home."
"Not that reason, anyway." Frank started the car. "We need to find Thomas Winters. We need to know if Nancy talked to him but never got the chance to update her notes."
"Everyone says Thomas Winters is a quiet, mild-mannered guy, but those are always the ones who go postal when you least expect it. If he did take Jolene and Nancy found out about it…"
"Let's not mention that train of thought to anyone yet," Frank said quietly. "Let's see if we can find him first."
"Yeah," Joe agreed, but the grim frown did not leave his face.
