Chapter One
Monday, 4 PM
New York University
Dan Mangan walked through the NYU campus, fuming. He still couldn't figure out why on earth he had agreed to this. Juggling law school and his part time job with the DA's office in White Plains was hard enough and he didn't need one more problem in his already complicated life. He took long strides towards the Faculty building. He still couldn't believe he had let Prof. Franklin lead him into it! Well, he had to admit that having a teacher of Franklin's stature invite him to be his assistant was flattering… But he never dreamt it would mean dealing with that infuriating, aggravating... Oh God, I wish I was back home!
Prof. Jonas Franklin had been Dan's Contemporary Social Issues teacher while he had been a student there at NYU. Dan's story as a gang member and orphan stranded in the streets of New York City had interested him and the two had become friends. Now that Dan was in law school the professor had called him and invited him to assist him in a series of conferences about the gang phenomena and all the problems related to the theme. At the time, Dan thought it would be interesting, since he knew the topic inside out. But now… He just wanted it to be over.
"Daniel?"
Dan started at the sound of his name. He turned around to see the man who had gotten him into this walking towards him, happily.
"So, how did this one go?" the older man asked, as he shook the dark haired young man's hand.
"Fine", he mumbled.
Jonas Franklin's eyes shone.
"She did it again?"
Dan sighed and nodded. "I just wonder who on Earth she thinks she is…That girl believes she is an expert in children related problems. You know, today I almost lost it! I asked her how long she had been a social worker… Six months! Six months and she thinks she has seen it all!"
Professor Franklin smiled. The girl Dan was talking about had been his student too, and was among the most brilliant minds he ever had the pleasure of teaching. The fact that she wanted to become a social worker still amazed him. If she had been a little more ambitious she could have been an amazing lawyer or even gone into politics. Her debating skills were outstanding and she worked hard at everything she did. That was one of the reasons he had invited her to come back to the university to attend the conferences. He knew she would make them more… interesting. But she could be a little strong-headed at times, especially when the topic struck some chord in her heart. He knew her life hadn't been easy. But still he could sympathise with Dan.
"Well, tomorrow will be the last of them. And you will never have to deal with her again."
"Professor Franklin, please don't misunderstand me. This has been a terrific experience. It's just that she gets on my nerves."
Professor Franklin laughed as he put his arm around Dan's shoulders.
"Well, I give you that… Miss Darnell can be quite a handful."
Wheeler Estate
"Jim, slow down!" Trixie giggled as her boyfriend practically dragged her towards the clubhouse. "I imagine whatever you want to show me requires I'm in one piece."
He stopped to give her a bear hug. "Well, I don't know about that… But I need you in one piece!" He leaned to kiss her soundly. As she pulled away, laughing, their eyes met. Those blue eyes still took all of his breath away. Finally having the courage to tell Trixie about his feelings had been one of the smartest things he had ever done. Though he had almost let too much time go by.
Jim and Trixie had known each other for nearly ten years now, since she had found him asleep in the rundown manor that had once belonged to his family. The first words they had ever exchanged had involved shooting and death threats. But after Jim's adoption by the Wheelers, their relationship had evolved to a very special friendship that had lasted 9 years… until they had both admitted their feelings for each other. The last year had been perfect bliss for the two of them. Making plans, seeing the foundations for Jim's school for orphans grow to a two story high building … days had flown by in total happiness.
Things were changing rapidly for the BWG's, the club they had founded as children, of which Trixie's brothers, Brian, Mart and Bobby were also a part, as well as Jim's adoptive sister, Honey, Di Lynch, Dan Mangan and Annie Dugan, the newest and youngest member. The time for Brian and Honey's wedding was coming fast. In fact, it was just five weeks away. Mart and Di were making plans for their own wedding, as well as Trixie and Jim. But despite the natural flow of life, the bonds between all of them remained as strong as when they were teenagers.
Wrapping his arm around Trixie's shoulders, Jim slowed down his pace and slowly walked her to the clubhouse. She nestled her head against his shoulder as she revelled in the feeling of his warm body next to hers. Trixie had never even come close to imagining how happy she would feel with him. Sometimes she had wondered about how their tempestuous tempers would work together, their mouths both working faster than their brains. Since her adolescence, Trixie had been known for getting into trouble, which had led Jim into long rambles about her safety. No matter where she was she always seemed to run into some mystery, which had led her into dreaming of becoming a private investigator when she grew up. And she had been afraid she would have to choose between that and Jim.
But after her would-be-partner Honey had given up on the idea of opening the agency with her to chase her own dreams, Trixie had begun to weigh the true value of her dreams. And somehow, the agency had come short when compared to family and friends. And besides, Trixie had realised that it was the thrill of the unexpected, the working without rules, the teamwork with all of her friends that she really enjoyed. Not the real and daily work of a PI. And at the same time it became clear Jim was too selfless to make her chose and would rather walk away and keep on loving her from afar. In the process of re-evaluating her priorities and looking back on her life, Trixie was horrified with how many times something could have gone wrong, both with her or one of her loved ones. The thought had been too horrible to endure andshe had finally understood why Jim scolded at her so. She had been reckless many times… and he had been in love the whole time.
After the recent invitation to work in the Sleepyside High School as a counsellor, Trixie had discovered a new mission in life. Trixie had come to the conclusion that helping the children, especially those with real problems (and not even the small haven that Sleepyside still was escaped the troubles and problems of modern life) was as rewarding as arresting thieves. She would be doing the same thing in Jim's school, when it opened.
By then they had arrived at the small clubhouse, which had been nothing more than a gatehouse in ruins at the entrance of the Wheelers' estate before the BWG's had rebuilt it with their own hands.
"Are you ready?" he asked, his green eyes shining like emeralds.
"I'm always ready for the unexpected." Trixie winked her eye at him as she walked by him into the clubhouse. Then she stopped, her mouth hanging open. "Jim!" she exclaimed.
On the top of the table was a model of the blue mansion, the house where Trixie had first found him and that had been utterly destroyed by a fire. It was just as Trixie remembered, or rather, as it had been many years before, when Jim's aunt and uncle had been happily living there. The porch, the beautiful white windows, the columns and railings… it was all there.
"Do you like it?" he asked, leaning against her back and surrounding her waist with his arms.
"It's beautiful. But… I don't get it…"
"Would you like to live there?" Jim asked in her ear.
She turned in his arms and grinned.
"I'd love to. But don't you think we'd be having a space problem?"
He laughed and tugged one of her sandy curls.
"I mean the real thing…"
Trixie looked puzzled. Then it hit her. "You were planning on rebuilding it the whole time?"
He shook his head. "Not really. Well, it's always been a dream of mine, but you know how much the school meant and how badly I wanted it built. And I always thought there wouldn't be enough money to make it all happen. But it so happens that the stocks and bonds your dad advised my dad to invest part of the money in paid off… really paid off." His eyes shone. "And there is the interest of ten years… To make a long story short, with all that and the government funds, support and other donations my mum managed to get I probably won't have to touch those first 500 thousand dollars. And since my parents decided they would be giving us a money present for our marriage I guess it's enough. To build the house, I mean."
"Do you really have that much money?" Trixie's eyes were wide in amazement. Money had never meant that much to her, and she still found it hard to believe the down-to-earth, simple and humble young man that happened to be her boyfriend was filthy rich.
"Well, I won't have that much after it's all done… And it will probably take years to furnish the whole house… But we won't need much else, will we?" His smile lighted his whole face. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight.
'All I need is you…' she whispered.
5:30 PM
NYU's Auditorium
"Do you mean to tell us that all children born into destitute families will become delinquents?"
Dan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. "No, I do not." He had to take a deep breath to calm himself down and not choke her to death. "What I meant was that children who don't have opportunities as they grow up to see other worlds outside their own may, I repeat, may tend to never try to leave them."
"So, being poor automatically leads to crime?" The dark haired girl was mad.
"Miss Darnell, will you please stop twisting everything I say… You do agree that crime is a bigger possibility in some sectors of our society?"
"I do, of course."
He stared at the young woman seated in the first row of the auditorium. She'd agreed with him but her eyes were still defiant.
"That's a start… and those sectors are those that are more economically challenged, if we are going to be politically correct. Do you agree?"
She only nodded.
"So, what I mean is that if you don't show those people there's a chance of a better life, they'll never strive for it. And if someone has been living in a crime prone environment, they are more likely to get into it than other people who haven't been exposed to it. I'm talking about statistics here, Miss Darnell. The concept of probabilities is familiar to you, I suppose?"
"We can't reduce children to statistics, Mr. Mangan." Her tone was a bit softer now.
He took a deep sigh.
"No, we cannot. But neither can we deny their value. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Have a nice day." Dan turned to his desk, rubbing his eyes. It's over, he thought.
"Mr. Mangan?"
The voice startled him. As he turned around, he thought about running. But some masochistic part of him wanted to hear what Joeanne Darnell had to say.
"Miss Darnell, is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, approaching her with his arms folded across his chest.
She took a step back, so she could look him in the eyes without stretching her neck. He was quite taller. Still, her posture was defiant.
"Actually, I came here to apologise," the young woman said. "I had no right to come down so hard on you. It's just that the subject upsets me a whole lot."
Dan was surprised. She had seemed too proud to apologize.
"Yes, I understand. But it does mean a lot to me too."
She lowered her eyes for a moment and then looked back up at him.
"Well, anyway, I just wanted to apologize. We are bound to meet again in the course of our professions and there shouldn't be grudges…"
He gave her a sarcastic grin.
"Oh, of course. You might have to work with me since I'm with the District Attorney's office. God forbid I might disagree with you!"
Joeanne's eyes flashed in anger.
"That's not what I meant!"
"Oh, really?"
The budding disagreement was cut short by Prof. Franklin's entrance.
"Well, I'm glad I found the two of you," he said, pretending not to feel the tense atmosphere. "Why don't we just go out to eat?"
Oh, I'd rather slash my wrists! Dan thought. "Why not?" he answered.
Joeanne stared at him with a frown, as if she had read his mind.
"I…I'm not sure I should, Professor."
"Don't be silly, Joeanne. I'm sure we'll have a nice time," the older man offered her his arm. "Come, Joeanne. I won't take no for an answer."
Sighing, she gave in, but avoided Dan's eyes. She knew he was trying hard not to be rude to Professor Franklin, who was merrily chatting away as he walked out of the room. Dan followed them at a short distance, trying to control his temper before he actually joined them.
The Pasta Caffé was a nice, medium-sized Italian restaurant near campus, a favourite amongst the university population. The food was good, the atmosphere nice and cozy with its dim lights and colourful décor. But somehow, Dan was finding it hard to enjoy his dinner. There was something large stuck in his throat. And the strange thing was that it was actually seated across the table from him.
Joeanne wasn't comfortable either but she was trying hard to talk politely to Professor Franklin. She wasn't sure but it seemed he was amusing himself with the situation.
"And how is your family, Joeanne?" he asked.
"They're fine, Professor," the girl answered, slowly. "But you know what it's like in a small town…"
He nodded.
"Yes, it isn't easy. But still, I don't think moving away would be a solution."
The implications of the conversation pricked up Dan's interest and he took a glance at Joeanne. There was sadness in her eyes.
"Maybe you're right. And my father would never do that. I think he is tired of running away. But anyway, I don't think I have had a chance to thank you properly, Professor. If it wasn't for your help in finding that place...," she shook her head and her black hair hid her face for a moment. Then she seemed to remember there was someone else there and held her head up high once more and looked straight into Dan's eyes. Maybe it was the wine, or the atmosphere, but he couldn't help thinking she was actually pretty. It's a shame she is so obnoxious…He tried to dismiss the strange feeling but it was very hard. He just hoped Professor Franklin didn't speak to him, because for the moment he was quite speechless.
"There's nothing you need thank me for. You were the one who made it all happen." He patted her hand reassuringly. "It's going to be fine, you'll see."
"Yes, I hope so," Joeanne answered without looking away from Dan, who had gone back to eating, actually blushing under her scrutiny. "But I think your friend is feeling a bit neglected, Professor. Maybe we should stop talking about me."
Franklin smiled. "Well, actually, I think you two might have more in common than you think."
Dan looked up, startled. What was Franklin up to now?
"What do you mean, Professor?"
"Well, you both come from Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson." Professor Franklin seemed to be very pleased with himself.
With eyes wide open, Dan gazed at Joeanne. She didn't seem surprised. I knew that name was familiar!, he thought, trying to remember where else he'd heard it spoken.
There was a sarcastic grin on her face. "My family owns a small farm near Glen Road. Actually, it's quite close to the Lynch's estate."
Then it hit him. He had seen her name on Brian and Honey's wedding list. If she was a guest, they must know her well. Suddenly, an image from years back came to his mind. Jim, Trixie and Honey talking to a dark haired girl, while waiting for the School Bus, outside Sleepyside High. He remembered asking Mart who she was. "You're the girl Honey and Trixie helped while trying to find Jim, aren't you?" Dan asked, dumbstruck.
There was a sad smile on her face. "Small world, isn't it?"
"Well, so I see you do have friends in common." The grin on Professor Franklin's face turned into a huge smile. To both Joeanne and Dan's surprise, he put some money on the table and got up. "That makes me more comfortable, since now you have something to talk about. I have an appointment I cannot miss and I'm already late as it is. Enjoy the rest of your dinner. It's on me," he said, pointing at the money. "See you two soon."
Then he walked away, whistling merrily, leaving Joeanne and Dan with their mouths hanging open.
They finished their meals in silence, avoiding each other's eyes. Joeanne seemed ready to jump from her seat and run, while Dan's mind was occupied with How to kill a Professor 101. They left the restaurant about 15 minutes after Franklin's departure, but it seemed like an eternity.
"I'm taking a cab home," Dan said as they stood outside the restaurant, in one of the most awkward moments of their young lives. "Can I drop you off somewhere?"
She shook her head and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, but my car is just a few blocks away. I'm driving back to Sleepyside tonight."
"Oh…" Dan stared at his feet, not sure if he should say what was on his mind. But he went ahead with it. "Then I'll walk you."
To his surprise, she didn't object and they slowly walked towards campus. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out why the slender, pretty young woman seemed to think the whole world was against her.
"So, you knew who I was all along?" Dan asked as they went on. Still stealing sideway glances at her, he saw her smile.
"Pretty much…Your name was familiar and it took me only a few minutes to recognize you. You were a few years ahead of me in school, so I didn't think you would ever remember me."
"Just a few minutes? Wow! Longer than it took you to contradict me!" He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't resist the teasing.
She frowned and was going to answer, but he stopped her with a gesture. "Hey, I'm kidding," he said. "You're entitled to your opinion and, really, our disagreement was merely about semantics. If we talk it through we might even agree on a few topics." Lord, did I really say that?, he thought as the words left his lips. Well, it was hard to admit, but it was true.
"Maybe," she said, with an honest smile lighting her soft features. "And I guess I did come down hard on you… But like I said, some topics strike too close to home. That was why Professor Franklin asked me to be at the conferences.'
"I don't want to intrude, but can I help? I realize that there is some kind of problem but…"
Joeanne didn't let him go on and turned suddenly cold again.
"No, Mr. Mangan. There's nothing you can do. It's my problem, nobody else's. Thank you for the company."
Before he could say anything, she crossed the street to a dark blue pick-up, got in and drove away.
Sleepyside High
Wednesday, 9 AM
"Bobby, wait up!"
The blond fifteen year old stopped and turned around. His face lit with a smile when he saw the brown haired girl running towards him.
"Annie! Where have you been?" he asked.
She sighed. "You won't believe me if I tell you!"
He put an arm around her shoulders and winked at her, blue eyes shining.
"Hey, you know you can tell me anything!"
"We were getting a lecture from the principal. You'll end up hearing it too. It seems there are drugs going around."
Bobby smile vanished and he stopped in the middle of the corridor, oblivious to the other students bumping into him.
"Drugs? Here, in Sleepyside High? I mean, there were cases before… but it must have been one or two in about ten years!"
"Yeah…guess this is not paradise, after all!" A little bit of Annie's old sarcasm still came afloat every time something reminded her of her old life as a runaway child, back in New York. She had been in Sleepyside for about 9 months, after being adopted by a wealthy New York family. The Parkers had taken her in after she had helped Trixie catch the man who had murdered their son and who threatened her also. At age fourteen, Annie had seen the very worst of the world. But she had also discovered some of the best, when Bobby had befriended her and after being given her own BWG jacket. "They caught some kids using crack. I mean, seriously using it. And it seems that's not all they found. There were needles in the bathroom and the kids who were caught said they bought it here, but won't say who sold it."
"God!" Bobby ran his long fingers through his hair. 'Now I know what they mean when they say we always believe it won't happen to you. It's hard to believe people I see every day are into that.'
"You've been living a sheltered life for too long…" Annie grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "You're too easily surprised."
Trixie was having a hard time believing her ears herself. But it was real.
"Have you any idea when this all started?" she asked the plump woman seated in front of her.
Mary Richardson, principal of Sleepyside High School for five years shook her head.
"We're not sure. Three, four months… maybe a little more. Of course these kinds of problems have occurred before. Drugs are a daily problem all over the world. But we never had any reason to believe there was buying and selling within the school premises. And those children had no reason to lie… I mean, saying they bought it here only makes it worse for them. They know they will be pressured to say who sold it to them."
Trixie shivered as she remembered the teenager's faces as they were confronted with their actions. Kids she had known for a long time, some of which had been in Bobby's class. She even remembered seeing the mothers of two of them at the Gardening Club meetings, having tea with her own mother. It was simply too unbelievable. And suddenly she feared for Bobby and Annie and Di's brothers and sisters.
Please, don't let them be caught up in this! she thought.
"We'll be needing your help, Trixie. Those kids need assistance…I don't know how far gone into it they are, but maybe some of them just need a scare. We only caught five, but we are suspicious of some others."
"Of course, Mrs. Richardson. I'll do my best. Have you notified the police?"
"Yes, we have. Capt. Molinson is on the case. They are all minors so they were released under parental care. But the school has a responsibility. I'll send them over to you," the older woman said as she left the office.
Trixie sank into her chair and closed her eyes, letting out a big sigh. If those kids weren't scared by Molinson, how on earth am I supposed to do it? Boy, this was going to be a long day!
Downtown Sleepyside
1 PM
Jim remembered well the once quiet streets of Sleepyside. Now, ten years after his return to his mother's family hometown, many things had changed. There were many new neighbourhoods, new faces showing up everyday, new buildings, malls, stores, restaurants… It wasn't a change necessarily for the worse, but a change nevertheless. Trixie's call had definitely been proof of that.
He was aware that his plan to build a school for orphans wasn't just a walk in the park. He knew how much of a trial it would be and how much it would require of him, both psychologically and physically. Of course, he wasn't alone. With all the BWG's pitching in, some way or another, things would work out. But the events in Sleepyside High reminded him that the small town wasn't the haven it had been years before. Or maybe he and the others had just been too lucky!
Sighing, he parked his car near Wimpy's and walked in. Tad Webster said a hurried 'Hi' from behind the counter, where a dozen kids were seated, noisily waiting for their orders.
Jim smiled and walked over to a table at the far wall of the diner, where a dark haired young man was reading the menu.
"Don't you know that by heart now, Dan?" he teased as he passed his long legs over the chair and sat down in front of him.
Dan Mangan looked up and made a face.
"Actually, Tad made a few changes…See for yourself!" he said as he passed the menu over to Jim.
"Oh, God!" Jim exclaimed, in mock disgust. "I won't even ask what the hell a Marilyn Manson Burger is…"
"Extra ketchup, man," said a voice behind him. "And the Green Day one is the vegetarian special. Cool, hum?"
Jim shook Tad's hand, still laughing.
"Hey, the kids liked it!" he said as he pointed to the noisy group at the counter.
"Wow… I just realized we're not part of the kids division anymore!" Dan said, with a frown.
"I know… It sucks doesn't it?" With that Tad walked way, directing his attention to some new customers walking in.
"So, Jim… How's it been over here?" Dan asked as a waiter came to take their orders.
"Quiet…I mean, if you keep away from my house or Trixie's. Our mothers are on the verge of a breakdown! It's an insane asylum. I keep seeing Peter and my father leaving to play some golf. Bobby hides in the stables or hangs out with Annie and I run to Ten Acres, dragging Trixie along!"
Dan laughed at the thought.
"I can just imagine. Brian and Honey must be going nuts too, hum?"
"Wrong, my friend. I don't think they even notice it. They're in seventh heaven. Honey is either busy with her designing classes or with furniture shopping. And Brian is either at the hospital or in their new house…He says he's fixing up a few things, but I guess he's just hiding. Just don't tell him I said so." Jim winked at his friend.
"And Mart?"
"Oh, he keeps pretty busy these days, with his classes or with Di," Jim grinned. "Of course, last weekend we all helped around the house, moving stuff over…"
"Oh, let me guess! He was lying on the front lawn, ordering people around!"
"You betcha he was… until Bobby decided it was time to water the lawn and turned on the sprinklers. He got up pretty fast!"
Dan was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. He wiped them off with the back of his hand and said, "Hey, that reminds me. I met an old friend of yours last week. Joeanne Darnell."
Jim smiled. "Really? I haven't seen her in months. She's great, isn't she?"
Dan gazed at his friend, wondering what to say. "Well, if you say so. You know her better than I do!"
It was Jim's turn to frown. "It seems something went wrong. You didn't like her? And, by the way, where did you meet her? I thought she was working at the Social Services Office in White Plains."
His friend nodded, as the waiter laid their plates in front of them. "She is. But she attended the conferences at NYU, the ones I told you about. It seems she was also Professor Franklin's student and he invited her."
"And…?"
"And she was a pain in the butt!" Dan let out, running his fingers through his hair. "She's aggravating, infuriating, that miss know-it-all! I tell you, I nearly lost it and choked her to death!" Dan stopped as he noticed his friend's efforts not to burst out laughing. "Guess you've seen that side of her too, hum?"
"Oh, yeah! You can bet on that," Jim answered, clearing his throat to compose himself.
"Of course, I had no idea who she was…the name was familiar but I never gave it much thought."
"And she recognized you from day one?"
"Pretty much. Her words, not mine! She told me that over dinner..."
Jim's eyes widened in amazement. "Over dinner? You hated her and took her out to dinner?"
Dan rushed through an explanation. "No! I mean, I had dinner with her, but not like on a date or anything…Professor Franklin knew we didn't get along and decided to pull a fast one on us. He made us go out to dinner with him, said we were both from Sleepyside and left! We had just started to eat, so we had to stay there."
"Ooohh! I think I like Professor Franklin! Man, I would have paid to watch the scene! Was the restaurant still standing when you guys left?"
Dan grinned and nodded. "Actually, we managed to be civil to each other. I even walked her to her car and when I was beginning to think she wasn't that bad, she turned Miss Ice Cold on me again."
"Must have been something you said." Jim was really having fun, knowing the two of them so well.
To his surprise, there was a serious tone to Dan's answer.
"Yeah… guess she just hates when people meddle in her affairs. I made a mistake. She and Professor Franklin were talking about something that had happened… something to do with her family. And when I asked if I could help out somehow, she closed up on me again."
Jim lowered his green eyes to his plate and breathed in deeply. He knew very well what Dan was talking about, but wasn't sure if he should tell him why Joeanne was so secretive. Then, letting out his breath, he decided it was better if Dan knew. It wasn't a secret anyway.
"You know all about it, don't you?" Dan asked as Jim looked back up at him.
"Yeah…me and most of Sleepyside. It was quite a scandal, but I better start at the beginning. Well, you know Joeanne's childhood wasn't easy. And neither were her teenage years. After we met, the Darnells decided to stay with the Smiths. Remember me mentioning them?" Dan nodded and Jim went on. "They stayed there for about two years. But then Mrs. Darnell got real sick and passed away. She always had poor health. Mr. Darnell completely broke down after his wife died. After that, it was just too hard for him to remain there. So, the Darnells came back to Sleepyside, as soon as they managed to get some money to recover his property. Mr Lynch lent him some of the money, I think. He wanted to give it to him, but Mr. Darnell was just too proud to let him help beyond a certain point. I know Mr. Lynch later on offered to help Joeanne with the college tuition too, but Joeanne didn't take it. I don't blame Mr. Darnell, but I'm sorry for all Joeanne had to go through."
"I wouldn't have accepted it either," Dan said, folding his arms across his chest. He wanted to hear this through.
"Neither would I. But, anyway, Mr. Lynch then offered her a job at his New York office, which she took, and with the scholarship she managed to get, she made it through college with flying colours. The thing is, Joeanne's problem was that she never thought of herself. She was too much like her father and she believed it was her place to take care of her family. Not that she had a choice, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, Mrs. Darnell's death was pretty hard on Joeanne's dad. Somehow he let it all fall on Joeanne's shoulders. She kind of took her mother's place as far as her brothers and sister were concerned. You remember Joeanne had two younger brothers and a sister. The boys must be twelve and thirteen right now and the girl is seventeen."
"But what else went wrong? C'mon, man, you're killing me!"
"Something did go very wrong… with her sister, Sally. A couple of years ago, it seems she started to go around with the wrong kind of crowd. I mean, really wrong. She dropped out of high school and Joeanne had to pick her up from the police station a couple of times."
"Wow, that have must been hell!" Dan was just beginning to understand Joeanne's behaviour.
His friend nodded. "But that's not all. To make a long story short, they discovered she was into drugs. Really into drugs." Jim's eyes turned darker. "Mr. Darnell got so mad, he wouldn't talk to her. She is in detox right now, but I don't think he ever went to see her. So, you can guess on whose back it all landed."
"Joeanne's…" Dan was feeling really bad right now. Now he understood some of the things she had said in their fights. "Man… I could never imagine it."
"And she never faltered. She arranged it all, took care of everyone, managed to finish her course, start working… I just don't know where she stored all of her pain and suffering." Jim shook his head. "I just wish I could have helped her more. But when we found out it was too late. She would never talk about it or come to us for help. I had no idea of what was going on! The only reason we discovered it before the rest of the town was because Joeanne went to Mr. Lynch in despair. She didn't know where to go. They didn't have the money to pay for Sally's treatment. So she went to him for a loan. Mr Lynch wanted to give her the money, but she signed an IOU, nevertheless. Of course he tore it the moment she left, but…"
'She'll still give him back the money.'
"She'll try, anyway. But you know Mr. Lynch…" Jim smiled. "He'll probably just open a savings fund for the boys or something."
Dan had to smile too, though he really didn't feel like it. "I'm just glad she has friends," he said.
"Yeah… but like someone else I know, she just doesn't open up that much.' Jim's eyes gazed at his friend. "Come on, tell me. Did you hate her all that much or was it only hurt pride?"
He didn't know what to say. His ego had been under severe stress, but still… "I don't know," he said, sincerely. "I mean, we managed to talk without biting each other's head off for a few minutes and she managed to be, well, agreeable. But I really don't know her that well..."
With a wicked grin, his red haired friend nodded towards the door. "Well, you can start to develop your acquaintance right now."
He turned around to see Joeanne walk through the door. To his surprise she looked prettier than he remembered. About a head shorter than himself, but shapely and proportionate, Joeanne Darnell wasn't the kind of girl that turned heads on the street, but one who certainly deserved a second look. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, large and almond shaped, deepened even further by long lashes and her lips were rosy and full. Her soft features gave her a mistakenly fragile look…as Dan had already discovered. She dressed simply but tastefully. Right now, dressed in beige pants and white shirt with a chocolate brown sweater hanging on her shoulders, her hair pulled up as always, with a few carelessly loose strands framing her pretty face, she looked very attractive indeed.
All this ran through Dan's mind in the few seconds it took her to spot them. She hesitated when her eyes landed on Dan, but Jim's wide smile and signal to walk over made up her mind. Jim got up to greet her and hug her.
"Hey, Jo… It's great to see you!"
Lord, let him not say 'We were just talking about you'! Dan silently pleaded. But one look at Jim and he knew his friend wouldn't do that to him. Thank God Mart wasn't here!
"I believe you and Dan have met before," Jim said, pretending to be careless about it.
'Hi, Mr… Dan," she said, as they shook hands. Dan smiled, noticing how she finally had gotten on a first name basis.
"Joeanne, how have you been?"
She smiled back at him and took the chair Jim pulled out for her.
"I'm fine. But…I don't want to intrude," she said, hesitating before sitting down.
"Nonsense! What secrets could they keep from us?" Trixie showed up behind her and passed an arm around the young woman's shoulders.
"When you're around, none!" Jim's handsome face lit with a smile and he rose to greet his fiancée with a big kiss.
Dan's eyes suddenly met Joeanne's, and she gave him an embarrassed smile. Apparently she didn't feel very comfortable around such demonstrations.
As the four of them settled down to eat, Trixie let out a big sigh. "You guys won't believe the day I had! I thought I was going crazy!"
"That makes you think about the poor counsellors we tormented during our schooldays, hum?" Dan teased.
The blonde girl mocked a punch to his arm. "Now, this is serious," she said, with a stern expression on her girlish features. "There were never serious drug problems in our days there. And today I had to talk to some kids caught using…" Trixie suddenly remembered Joeanne was there and looked at her, not knowing if apologies were in order.
Joeanne had grown pale but smiled, and said, "Go on, this interests me. I mean, I do work mostly with children."
Trixie smiled thankfully at her. Her mouth still ran a lot faster than her brain, most of the time.
"Well, five kids were caught using crack. And someone had found needles in the bathroom some time ago. Captain Molinson and Principal Richardson had a long talk with them and one them was so scared he let out that they had gotten the drugs in school. But nothing on earth would make him say who sold it. I gave it a shot too, but he wouldn't open his mouth," she sighed, and caressed Jim's freckled hand.
"Everything will turn out fine, sweetheart," he said, pulling one of her sandy curls. He hated to see her worried. "With our Schoolgirl Shamus on the case, the bad guys always get caught."
She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. "Yeah… I hope so! I think this is one of the worst cases I ever worked on…I keep thinking about Bobby and Annie and Di's brothers and sisters…"
"I wouldn't worry too much about them. They wouldn't touch the stuff," Dan said.
"Why are you so sure?" Joeanne asked. Dan turned to her and recognized the spark shining in her dark eyes. Before he managed to find an answer, she went on, "Sometimes we think our loved ones are safe and that they really know right from wrong, but then..." Her voice failed her and she lowered her eyes.
"I know," Dan said, trying to make the subject lighter, "What I meant was, though I trust them and know what's going on in those heads, to a certain point at least, I decided to play it safe and told them I would kick their butts all the way down to Kingdom Come if they ever even think about using drugs. And they know I mean it."
Trixie and Jim burst out laughing, despite the seriousness of the subject. They could just picture Dan's imposing presence threatening the kids. He and Jim had always been the BWG's most respected by the younger members of the group. But Dan was always the one they looked up to the most. However, Joeanne didn't seem to think it was funny.
"I certainly hope it works," Joeanne said, with a sorrowful tone.
"Oh, it will. It takes only a frown from Dan to keep them straight as an arrow!" Jim chuckled and winked at his friend. But despite his cheerful disposition, he realised Joeanne was finding it hard to joke with the subject. Trixie met his eye and both knew what was in each other's mind. To lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Trixie turned to Joeanne and said, "And how are your brothers? They must be really grown up. I haven't seen them in ages!"
There was a shy smile on Joeanne's lips as she answered. "They're fine. They're nice boys."
"You guys should come by Crabapple Farm. They used to like playing with Bobby and the Lynch twins."
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, I don't know…I don't think they would feel comfortable." The look in her eyes told Trixie what she meant.
"Why not? Everybody feels at home at Crabapple Farm!" Dan exclaimed. "Besides, they would be in good company and not getting in trouble somewhere…" He broke off his sentence as he saw the sudden burst of anger in Joeanne's eyes.
"My brothers know perfectly well how to choose their companions. We don't need to be told who they should be with or not! And they don't get in trouble!" Her voice was controlled, but everyone could see she was downright mad.
"That's not what I meant, Joeanne! You're not going to start all this again, are you?" He was about to loose his temper too. Jim and Trixie were too amazed to say anything.
"Oh, I'm not starting anything. As a matter of fact, I'm ending it right now." Joeanne got up and grabbed her purse. Dropping some money on the table, she turned to Trixie and Jim and said, "I'm sorry, but it's better if we meet some other time."
"A word of advice, Ms. Darnell. You have to stop taking everything as a personal offence, if you want to be any good at what you do," Dan remarked, ironically.
Joeanne didn't even answer him. She just threw him a killer look and walked away.
Trixie shook her head at him. "Way to go, Romeo!" she muttered as she ran after Joeanne.
"Hey, what did I do?" Dan was seriously confused.
Jim sighed. "Hey man, take it easy! She is pretty touchy about those topics."
"You know I didn't mean any harm…Ok, maybe those were the wrong words, but…God, she just snaps at each and every word I say!"
"Yeah, I understand. Well, I guess you guys have to start afresh. She's real sweet, you know?"
Dan's gaze was a good enough answer.
"Jo!" Trixie called out as she tried to catch up with her friend.
The young woman stopped and turned around, sighing.
"Trixie, look, I'm sorry. I know I overreacted, but I just go crazy when…" She moaned and hid her face in her hands.
Trixie patted her arm, reassuringly.
"It's ok. But Dan meant well…I'm not even sure he knows anything about your sister."
Joeanne nodded. "He does, Trixie. And that's ok…everyone else knows, anyway! I get plenty of There goes the junkie's sister! It's just that when he mentioned my brothers I just got so scared…"
"I understand. I'm feeling pretty scared myself. But I wish you and Dan would stop arguing and get to know each other.' Trixie suddenly had an idea. 'Hey, why don't you and the kids come by on Saturday night. We're having a little get together at Crabapple Farm."
"Oh, I don't know…"
"Jo, it's your call. But we'd love to have you there." Trixie smiled as she squeezed Joeanne's hand. "All of us."
Joeanne returned her smile. "I'll think about it."
After they left Wimpy's, Jim offered Dan a ride back to the apartment he had rented after graduating from college and getting the job in the DA's Office. After Mr. Maypenny's passing, two years before, Dan had shared his uncle's apartment over the Wheeler's garage whenever he was in town but then he had realised he needed his own space. Even if it meant commuting in and out of town nearly everyday.
As they were getting in Jim's Jeep, Dan's cell phone rang.
He didn't say much, but his face turned quite pale as he listened to whatever the person on the other side was saying.
"Is there something wrong?" Trixie asked, turning around on the front seat to look at her friend.
Dan glanced at Jim and hesitated. Should he say it? But he knew he couldn't keep it from them. "Well", he started, "I just got some news. I was on the look out for this and now…"
"Dan, spill it. What's going on?'" Trixie was getting really worried.
"It's about Jonesy. He finished his sentence about a week ago."
Jim's knuckles turned white, grasping the wheel.
"You mean he's out?" he asked, through gritted teeth.
"They had to let him out, honey," Trixie said, softly, though her heart was pumping in her chest. "He served his time. Maybe he changed."
Jim glanced at her in disbelief. "He won't ever change."
"Anyway, I just thought you might like to be informed on this…just in case…" Dan didn't finish his sentence. Through the rear view mirror, he met Jim's eyes and realised his friend knew what he was going to say. But Trixie was the one who voiced it.
"You think he might try… to get even?"
"Trix, we were the responsible for him being locked away for ten years. I don't think he spent his time there waiting to thank us!" Dan knew he was being blunt but he was actually very upset. Trixie and Jim were the most likely victims of the man's vengeful mind.
Jonesy had married Jim's mother when Jim was ten. After Katje Frayne's death he had made the boy's life absolutely miserable. Jim had been tied down, locked up, beaten up and nearly murdered but had finally managed to escape his claws when the Wheelers adopted him. Sometime after that he had resurfaced to try and kidnap Jim's only living relative, Juliana Maasden. But Trixie had gotten in his way and he had been arrested.
Trixie shivered at the thought of meeting the man again. No matter how much time went by, she would never forget the terror of being face to face with him. Or the pain in Jim's eyes when he remembered those days.
"We're not children anymore. He won't face adults the same way he did with children," she said, trying to be strong. But Dan's answer made her tremble.
"That's precisely what I'm afraid of," he said.
6 PM
Joeanne's apartment
Joeanne dropped her purse on the couch and kicked off her shoes. She slowly walked to the window and gazed outside to the quiet street below. The view was so different from the one she had seen out of her window most of her life. The trees on the sidewalk were the only greenery around. The park was just around the corner but she couldn't see it from there.
Getting used to living in an apartment hadn't been as hard as getting used to being away from her family. But she had realised she couldn't do it anymore. Not only for her sake, but also for the sake of her brothers. Her constant fights with their father, ever since Sally had started getting into trouble, had been too hard on the children. Joe Darnell simply would not accept that his younger daughter had serious problems and had written her off and even tried to forbid Joeanne to help her. So, after graduating from college, and despite keeping a close eye on her brothers, she had gotten her own apartment. She loved her father dearly but distance was the best solution for their disagreements.
Loosening the pin that held her hair up, she walked back to the couch and sat down. Closing her eyes, she remembered Dan's face as she had walked in the diner. From his whole attitude she had gotten the feeling he already knew all about her story. Not that it mattered. He was probably the only one in town who hadn't heard about it.
Sighing, she wondered how Sally was doing. The treatment centre where she had been staying for the past year was about an hour drive away. Professor Franklin had helped in getting Sally in there. She had been there just last weekend and though the girl was now more docile and conscious, she was starting to let old grudges flow. More than once, in the heat of the moment, Sally had accused Joeanne of being too hard an example to follow, their father's favourite, little Miss Perfect. It hurt Joeanne deeply, but she had to maintain her composure and go on as if nothing had been said. But Sally's frequent silences hurt more than any of her words.
Meeting her old friends again felt good. Trixie and Jim had always been wonderful to her, though she had kept them at bay many times. Pride was a hard thing to swallow and Joeanne had plenty of it. Knowing how much they had helped her and how much of her family's toil and trouble they had witnessed made her feel both grateful and ashamed.
A part of her wished she had asked them for help! At least it would have felt good to have someone to turn too. But taking care of her family didn't leave her with much time for friends or even dates. Loneliness had been her closest friend since her mother's death.
And her father had simply learned to rely on her too much. In a deep, secluded part of her heart she wished he had been a little bit stronger. Just enough to give her a little more freedom.
Dan's face kept springing back to her mind, in the midst of her thoughts. His last remark had disturbed her. Stop taking it personally, if you want to be any good at what you do. He was right. She had to admit it. But somehow she had never let her feelings interfere with her job. Or had she? Maybe that's why it was so hard to let go of every case. Maybe that's why she wouldn't give up until she had done all she could do. Maybe that's why she felt so frustrated when there was nothing more she could do.
With a groan, she got up and headed for the shower. She just didn't want to think about it… him… anymore.
A/N: So what did you guys think? Basically for every two reviews I get, I'll update the moment I find out. Back to the story, so are you guys excited to see Dan back in the picture? The Darnell family? Jonesy's release? Well, if that shocked you, don't be surprized because he would have had to have come out eventually and the original series doesn't go that far into the future, so looks like I get left with it :) haha. Thanks for reading.
Claudia