Seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy frowned as he watched his brother walking towards him. He could tell by the look on Frank’s face, that he was not happy about something.  

“What’s up?” the younger blond boy asked, as soon as his 18-year-old brother was in earshot.  

“I can’t drive you home,” Frank scowled as he opened his locker door and tossed in the books he was finished with.  “I’ve got detention!”  

Joe burst out laughing.  “You gotta be kidding! The Frank Hardy getting detention?” and then, seeing the scowl turning into something darker, the younger boy held up his hand, warningly. “Easy big brother. Down boy. 

“So what happened?” Joe asked as he watched Frank stuff his homework books into his backpack and then slam the locker shut.  

Before Frank could answer, a girl’s voice gushed apologetically, “Oh Frank! I’m so sorry!”  

Frank’s longtime girlfriend, Callie Shaw, rushed up to them, and Joe tried to keep from chuckling as he watched his very indignant brother turning away from her as she continued, “Frank – don’t be like this! Come on, how many times can I say I’m sorry?”  

“Callie—” Frank finally stopped and looked at her. “Please, right now you’re the last person in the world I want to talk to, okay?”  

“Frank—”  

The dark-haired teenager cut the beautiful, petite blond off.   “Callie,” his voice held a pathetic whine to it, even to Frank but he didn’t care right now, “this is so embarrassing! I have never had detention before!  Oh God – this is going to go on my permanent record!”  

This time Joe couldn’t contain himself, and a snicker got out which caused his severely distressed brother to turn on him.  “And exactly what are you laughing at, detention boy? I suppose they have a seat in there named after you, do they?”  

This sobered the younger boy up immediately, and he said, “Hey that’s not nice! I’m not the one who got you sent up the river, so take it easy on the brother! Besides, now I got to get the bus or walk home!”  

“You are not walking!” Frank’s tone brooked no nonsense as he went into protective brother mode.  “Where’s Biff? You can get a ride with him.”  

“Not today big brother,” Joe said, “Biff went home early – he had a dentist appointment.”  

“Tony?” Frank supplied.  

“Angelo already picked him up.”  

“Phil?”  

“You really want me to get a ride with Phil?”  

“Hmmm, good point.” Phil had just gotten a new car and he’d been doing his best Mario Andretti impersonation since.  “Chet?”  

“He’s getting a ride with Phil.”  

Frank scowled at his younger brother.  “You really are no help, are you?”  

Joe shrugged.  “I can’t help it if no one can give me a lift today. Just bad timing for your detention.” And then the younger boy looked at Callie.  “What about Callie? Can you give me a lift?”  

Blushing, the girl mumbled something that Joe didn’t quite catch and he said, “Sorry Callie. I didn’t hear that. What did you say?”  

Before the girl could answer, Frank said loudly, “Oh, sorry Joe. Callie can’t…she has detention too!”  

That was it; Joe couldn’t contain himself any longer and burst out laughing. Both Frank and Callie were straight-A, straight-laced students, and the idea that they were both having detention at the same time was just too much for the younger boy.  When he finally managed to catch his breath and saw the unimpressed looks on their faces, Joe gasped, “Just…what…did you guys…do, anyway?”  

Neither one would answer him, but the heat that rose into his brother’s cheeks as Callie just turned away was more than enough to set Joe off again.  

“Fine,” Frank said, feigning as much dignity as possible and turning away, “Enjoy your bus ride!”  

“Oh come on…don’t be like that,” Joe managed between hiccups, as his laughing fit ended.  

“Tell Mom I’ll be late!” Frank called over his shoulder as he followed his girlfriend to the detention hall.  

“Hey!” Joe yelled back, “Why don’t I just take the van, and you can get the bus home?”  

The look Frank shot him over his shoulder was priceless, and the younger boy amended, “Never mind – I’ll take the bus. I love public transport anyway.”  

And then fishing out some change from his pants pocket, Joe wondered if his good looks and charm would make up for the difference between what he had and the fare.  

Twenty minutes later as he started to walk home, he had his answer. No.

* * *

Frank was still shaking his head an hour and a half later when he pulled up in front of the Hardy home on the corner of Elm and High Streets.  

He still couldn’t believe it had happened. Talk about bad timing.  And as much as he blamed Callie, he knew he was just as much to blame….He needed to have better self control around that girl….  

Getting out of the dark-colored van, Frank grabbed his backpack, and sighed as he walked into the house. He could just imagine the reception he would get, as he was sure that his brother had already told their parents about his detention.  

Frank couldn’t really blame Joe, though, as their folks would want to know why he had come home on the bus…and where Frank was.  

“Mom! Dad! I’m home,” Frank called out, as he dumped his backpack on the couch and headed towards the kitchen. Something smelled good, and he wondered what they were having for supper.  

“Hi Frank,” his mother greeted as she finished pouring water into the glasses on the table.  

“Son,” his father, private investigator Fenton Hardy greeted, and then asked. “Where’s your brother?”  

Frank frowned, noticing for the first time that Joe wasn’t in the kitchen.  “Didn’t he get home yet?”  

Before either of his parents could say anything, Frank gave them an abridged version of what happened.  

“Well, if Joe had gotten the bus, he should have been home by now,” Fenton said as he was already on his feet, reaching for his car keys.  

“Dad,” Frank said as he followed his father outside, “You don’t think anything’s happened, do you? I mean, maybe Joe just missed the bus or something.”  

Fenton paused and sighed, “I hope so son, I really do hope so.”  

Hovering over them was the constant unspoken threat that had ruled their lives for the past two years.  

William.  

As Frank backed the van out of the driveway and prepared to check out the bus route, he cursed himself for not making his brother take a taxi….And for not putting Joe in the taxi himself.  

“Hey!” Joe yelled back, “Why don’t I just take the van and you can get the bus home?”  

Why didn’t I just give him the van? Frank berated himself, knowing that if something had happened to his brother, he’d never forgive himself.