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The Divine Right of Kings	By : vinsmouse Category: G through L > Hardy Boys Series Views: 5936 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hardy Boys, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

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Chapter 27

“Don’t worry Joe, Dad will take care of those reporters,” Frank assured his brother as they made their way to the car. Joe didn’t respond until they were inside the car.

“Doesn’t matter,” Joe mumbled. He had known for weeks that people were thinking those kinds of things. They probably thought he had wanted it. Frank and his parents had all insisted it wasn’t true, only Alex hadn’t tried to convince him that he was wrong.

“Of course it matters Joe. He shouldn’t have been asking you stuff like that.” Frank had been disgusted by the reporter’s questions; especially the way he made it sound like Joe had been involved with Tomlinson.

Joe shrugged. He supposed he should be angry but he just couldn’t work up the energy. He wouldn’t be able to talk to Alex again, not even to thank him for what he’d done. It didn’t seem right. The man had saved him again and Joe wouldn’t be allowed to express his gratitude. He could just imagine his parents’ reactions if he asked them to let him visit Alex at the jail. He shuddered lightly. It was probably just as well that his parents wouldn’t allow it, reporters like that one guy would just make it sound like there was something nasty going on between him and Alex.

“Joe? You okay?” Frank shook his head, “Never mind, that was a stupid question.” Frank glanced out the window, glaring at the reporters. “Nobody really thinks like that guy…”

“Stop it Frank,” Joe snapped. “Look,” he said, turning to his brother, “I get that you want to help but lying to me isn’t helping.”

“Lying? I’m not lying to you Joe.” Frank was honestly confused by his brother’s accusation.

“Aren’t you? Alright if you’re not lying then why did that reporter ask those questions?”

“Because he’s a jerk.”

Joe choked back a bitter laugh. “He might be but he wouldn’t ask that kind of stuff if he didn’t know there are people wanting the answers.”

“Not anybody that matters.”

Joe turned away but not before Frank saw the obvious hurt in his blue eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“It matters to me Frank,” Joe mumbled.

“I didn’t mean it like that Joe. I just meant that none of our friends are thinking stuff like that. They know none of us, especially you, chose for those men to break into our home and terrorize us.”

“Do you really think they’d tell you if they did think it?”

Frank couldn’t help his shock at the question. “Has somebody said something to you?” Frank swore that if any of their friends had hurt Joe he would end the friendship, at the very least. He might, depending on what they’d done, have to make sure they regretted their actions.

“They don’t have to.”

“If nobody said anything then why do you think…what do you think exactly Joe?” Frank suddenly realized that while they were talking nothing specific had been said. He knew his brother was having a lot of trouble dealing with everything but he wasn’t sure what Joe was worried about and he didn’t want to put any ideas in his head in case it made things worse.

Joe sighed deeply. He knew Frank would argue with him and he appreciated that, but he knew the truth whether his brother wanted to accept it or not. Looking out the window he slowly answered his brother’s question. “I think people look at me and they wonder why Red chose me? What did I do to make him pick me? Did I want his attention? Did Alex touch me? And then they decide that I brought it on, that I did something or said something to get Red’s attention that more probably happened than we’re telling.”

“Joe I promise nobody…” he trailed off as the front doors opened and their parents slid into the car.

The moment the doors closed both turned towards the back seat. “Are you okay son?”

“I just want to go home Dad.” He glanced at Frank, silently pleading for his silence. He really didn’t want to deal with all three of them trying to convince him his feelings and perceptions were wrong.

“Just ignore what that horrible man said honey,” Laura advised. “Honestly I don’t know how he got a job with Caroline. He should be working at a tabloid.”

Joe leaned his head back, letting his mother’s words wash over him. She meant well, he knew that but he didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to go home and curl up under the covers. He wondered if he could hide there until Alex got out of prison? Silently he laughed at his own thoughts. There was no way his family would let him get away with that and Alex wouldn’t want him to anyway. He had made it clear that he wanted Joe to get back to living a normal life, or at least not hiding away in his room while life passed by. After everything Alex had done for him he couldn’t let him down by wallowing in self-pity. But maybe it would be okay if he gave himself a few days. Alex would understand that, he was sure of it. He supposed it would be a mourning period in a way.

Bayport Times Offices later that day:

“You wanted to see me Mrs. Frazier?” Jock Steele asked as he stepped into his boss’ office. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.

“Yes Mr. Steele,” Caroline motioned for him to take a seat. She had been appalled when Laura called her. It was true that the questions were somewhat legitimate but they should have been asked of police officers, lawyers, even the perpetrator but not the victim. This was especially so when the primary victim was a fourteen year old boy.

“If this is…”

“Mr. Steele how long have you been employed by this paper?” Caroline coldly interrupted him.

“A couple of years.”

“Long enough to know the sort of behavior expected of our reporters?”

Jock fiddled with his tie. “I guess so.”

“Yet you still had the temerity to fire offensive, degrading questions at the fourteen year old victim of a horrible crime?”

Jock gulped. “They were legitimate questions,” he weakly defended.

“Perhaps, but not for the victim of the crime. Mr. Steele we don’t engage in that sort of tabloid, paparazzi type of behavior here. I will not have it, do you understand?” Caroline glared at him, daring him to respond in the negative.

“Yes ma’am, it won’t happen again,” Jock promised.

“I’m sure it won’t. I think, however, that you would benefit from some sensitivity training of sorts.”

“Mrs. Frazier I don’t think I need to be sent to some class,” Jock protested.

“I agree with you Mr. Steele. Those sorts of things are not really very useful except for those who genuinely wish to learn. I think we can both agree that group wouldn’t include you. But you do need to learn sensitivity. With that in mind I have decided to assign you to the obituary column, perhaps there you will learn the sensitivity you need to be a successful reporter at my paper.” She leaned forward, catching him in her gaze like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. “Let me be very clear here Mr. Steele. You will not ask questions of the bereaved beyond the necessary information needed for the obituary. You will not upset any person coming to you with unnecessary or intrusive questions. If you do your next assignment will be in the newspaper morgue and you won’t be leaving that post unless you quit, die or retire. Do I make myself very clear?”

“Crystal Mrs. Frazier,” Jock squeaked in response. He wanted to protest but he was very much afraid he’d be moving to the morgue immediately if he did.

“That will be all Mr. Steele,” Caroline dismissed the odious little man.

The next day Alex Tomlinson was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 25 years in the state penitentiary. The reporters noted the man didn’t seem particularly upset by the sentence he had received. They speculated that he expected his father to pull strings in order to obtain him an early release.

“Yes,” Carl Withers answered his phone. One look at the caller id had told him the call was from the Bayport detention center, in other words jail. Currently only one client was held in that facility.

“You know who this is?” Alex asked. He knew the call would be monitored and was therefore being very careful with his words.

“Yes. I assume you wish to ensure your friend is well taken care of?” This was a code of course, one created by his client and included in the package he’d been given when they met.

“Yes.”

“You don’t need to worry sir. Your friend will want for nothing.”

“Thank you.” With that Alex replaced the receiver. He smirked as he was led back to his cell, knowing the conversation would have the jailers scratching their heads. They would wonder who this friend was and if he was somebody to be concerned about. They would never guess the true meaning behind the short conversation. He knew Joe would have a difficult time of things for a while and he regretted that but for now it was simply unavoidable. “Don’t worry Joey we won’t be apart forever,” the whispered promise barely audible.

TBC...

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The Divine Right of Kings