"Frank what’s going on? Why on earth are you sleeping on the floor?" Frank, still half asleep didn’t quite know how he would explain his feeling of fear for Joe without upsetting his mother.

"I was waiting for Callie to call me and I must have fallen asleep." Laura, still confused, walked to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Frank followed her and sat down at the table.

"So, what are your plans for tonight?" Laura asked.

"Nothing, really."

"Why don’t you call Callie and see if she wants to come over? I haven’t seen her since your birthday."

"You really like her, don’t you?" Frank asked, and was glad to see his mom smile.

"Of course I do, Frank. She is a nice girl and she makes you happy- everybody can see that. I know you two have been having some problems concerning your relationship with your brother, but I’m sure that will work out."

"How did you know we were having problems?" Frank asked, surprised.

"A mother’s instinct you might call it," Laura said, as she gave Frank a kiss on the head like when he was a little boy.

Fenton was walking down the stairs when the phone finally rang. Laura could see as Frank jumped in his seat and attempted to grab the phone before any one else did.

Failing in his attempt to do so, he saw his father picking up the phone.

"Fenton Hardy," he said in the receiver.

"Dad."

"Joseph, what’s wrong?" Fenton’s voice trembled.

"I’m in some trouble," was the only reply he got from his lost son.

"What kind of trouble? Where are you? Why is your voice so strange? Are you hurt?" Before Joe answered, Fenton put the speaker on so Laura and Frank could also hear what Joe had to say.

"I’m in New York-- more exactly, Precinct jail 31. I’ve been stabbed, but it’s not too serious. The cops here are really out of it. They picked me up as I went to them for help, and they have refused my request for a doctor! PLUS, I had to bribe one of them for my phone call."

"Be calm, Joe, we are on our way! I will call my lawyer and have him come with us. Will you be all right in the mean time?"

"I’ll try, I’ve gotten this far. Just hurry. And dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"I’m sorry."

Fenton hung up the phone and looked at Frank and Laura. They were both still staring at the phone, but came around when he told them to get ready. They were going to New York right away.

***

Back in jail, Joe was escorted to his cell. The helpful prostitute was gone, but Joe thanked her in his mind. She had really saved him.

Twenty minutes later, officer Mike returned along with his partner, Paul.

"Well, kid, are you going to talk now?"

"I’ve done nothing but talk since you brought me here. It’s you that isn’t listening."

"Smart ass! We’ll have to teach him the ropes around here," Mike said.

"Get up, kid." Paul opened the cell and put Joe in handcuffs. They took him back to the interrogation room and Joe took his usual seat there. This time, though, he didn’t feel scared. This time he felt safe.

"Have you gotten my fingerprints identified yet?" Joe asked, grinning.

"No, they are still lost," Mike said, while laughing loudly.

"It doesn’t really matter," Joe said, really looking forward to his father arriving and doing some serious harm to these guys.

"Why’s that kid? Like it here?"

"No, but then again, I won’t be here much longer. My father is on his way to pick me up. After we take care of those ridiculous charges, he will deal with you. Then you are going to wish you never heard the name Joseph Hardy."

"Hardy?" officer Paul said, and Joe could see his face turning white. Even here in Crooksville, people knew his family name.

"Yes," Joe said using his cocky tone. "As in Fenton Hardy, detective Fenton Hardy, a former New York officer Fenton Hardy. The same Fenton Hardy that knows all your superiors and their superiors and so on and so far."

"Bullshit kid! Fenton’s Hardy kid wouldn’t be living on the street selling drugs."

"Why don’t you just go and have those fingerprints checked out? They will show you that I am Joe Hardy. I am also a detective and so is my brother. I’m sure you’ve heard of us; we do your job for you most of the times. We’re famous!" Joe was smiling so hard his face hurt. He could see their faces turn from white to red and they obviously had to restrain themselves from starting the beatings again.

Paul and Mike looked at each other and walked out of the room. Joe, feeling very good about himself, closed his eyes as they left. Although he had enjoyed that, he had been terrified. He was getting weaker by the minute and he only hoped that he would still be conscious when help arrived.

Outside the room the two police officers were beginning to panic.

"If he’s telling the truth, we could be in trouble. I’ve heard of Fenton Hardy. He has friends all over the place," Paul said.

"We will just have to stick to the same story. When we picked him up he was clearly on drugs; we can also say that we found a large amount of cocaine on him. We told him to get in the car but he refused and attacked us. The bruises on his face he got in the struggle while trying to put him under arrest. Don’t worry, Paul, it will be fine. But we should run those fingerprints and arrange having him before the judge. Make it at least look like we were going by the book." Paul said he would do it and walked to his desk.

Mike, on the other hand, decided to go back to the room to talk to Joe.

"Hey kid, wake up," Mike said as he found that Joe had dozed off.

"My name is Joe. Please don’t call me kid anymore."

"Fine Joe. I’m taking you back to the cell, but first I need to ask you some questions."

"Shoot."

"Where did you get those drugs from?" Mike asked.

"What drugs?"

"The drugs we found on you when we arrested you."

"I didn’t have any drugs on me! What are you talking about? Is this one of your tricks …"

"It’s no trick, kid… Joe. We found a bag of cocaine in your jacket. How do you explain that?"

"You have got to be kidding me! I can’t believe this. Just take me back to my cell. I won’t say another word with out my father and my lawyer in the room."

Mike,not wanting to get himself in more trouble, agreed and took Joe back.

Then Mike walked to Paul’s desk and sat next to him.

"Any luck?"

"No, I’m still running the search. It will take some time. Is the kid still in the interrogation room?"

"No, I took him back to his cell. It may be not wise to do anything until Hardy arrives. It won’t be easy to get out of this one."

"Maybe we could convince Hardy that his son is a drug addict. I looked him up in the computer and Fenton Hardy put out a missing person report on Joseph Hardy over three mounts ago. There is no telling how much trouble he could have gotten himself into in the mean time. We might actually get him to believe that," Paul said.