Frank looked up from his cereal as Joe padded softly into the kitchen. "He left for the hospital about an hour ago. He's hoping the doctor will let him in to see Devon."

Joe shook his head as he grabbed a clean bowl from the cupboard and joined Frank at the table. He reached for the box of cereal. "I can't believe Chet attacked Devon's godfather like that."

"I can. He really likes Devon. You have to admit her sudden suicide attempt seems suspicious. I don't think she took those pills willingly."

"But how could he force her? She wouldn't just sit there and take them because he told her to."

Frank took the cereal box from Joe and refilled his bowl. "But she did have bruises on her chin like someone had held her mouth open."

Joe spooned in a mouthful of cereal and then washed it down with a swallow of orange juice. "Frank, what's the motive? Avery may be a jerk but I don't think he'd try to kill her just to be able to have her committed. Besides that still doesn't explain what she told Chet when she called her. Why would she say something about being stupid if she didn't take those pills herself?"

Frank shook his head. "I don't know. Nothing about any of this makes sense to me. I don't know why Devon would tell Chet that she'd been stupid. I don't know why Rex Avery would try to kill her unless he stood to get something from having her committed -- an inheritance or something. We should ask Dad about it when calls."

"Speaking of Dad, I would have thought he would have called by now."

"He did." Frank admitted. "Mom told me this morning that he called last night while we were at the hospital. He's going to call us back this morning before we leave for school."

As if Frank's words were a prediction, the phone rang. Frank reached the kitchen phone first and picked up the receiver. "Hardy residence."

"Hello son. I'm sorry I missed you and your brother last night." Fenton's deep clear voice filled Frank's ear. The elder brother nodded to Joe that it was their father and that he should grab another phone to listen in.

"Yeah well, things have gotten a little hectic here. What have you found out in Austin?"

Just as Joe picked up the extension in the living room, Frank heard Fenton sigh. "Things here are different from what I had expected to find when I left Bayport. I've had a few eye openers."

"They don't think Devon was responsible for the murders?" Frank silently pleaded with his father to agree. The more he got to know Devon the less he could believe she could do something so horrible. Besides, he knew how much Chet cared for the teenage girl. For Chet's sake more than anything Frank wanted Devon to be innocent.

"Unfortunately, there are a couple of officers on the force who still find Devon's memory loss of the night of the murders a little too convenient. But I did find out that Devon believed the murderer was after her even to the point that he killed her twin sister."

"Devon told us." Joe inserted. He quickly filled Fenton in on what Devon had told them. Both brothers could picture Fenton taking mental notes as he listened. When Joe was finished, there was a moment of silence on the line before Fenton spoke.

"That fits with what I've learned here. The Marshands, Devon's grandparents, are very worried about her."

"With good reason." Frank told his father. Before he could explain, Fenton interrupted him.

"Hold on, Frank, Ginger Marshand wants to speak to you."

After a couple of seconds of switching phones around, a strong husky female voice replaced Fenton's. "Your father tells us that you two are friends of my granddaughter."

"Yes ma'am." Frank admitted.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that. For seventeen years Devon lived in her sister's shadow. Even before my son and his wife were murdered and Devon's psyche shattered, she wasn't an emotionally confident person. I always told David and Leeann that no matter how much alike they appeared on the outside, those two girls were very different on the inside. Once she was released from the hospital my husband and I feared she'd never find her niche. I haven't heard from her since she left. I was afraid it would be the same for her in Bayport. She's incredibly shy to the point that it borders on her appearing cold and distant. I'm glad you were able to see past that."

Neither Frank nor Joe could bring themselves to tell her how long it had taken for Devon to make one friend or how hard Chet had to work to get Devon to open up to him. But Joe couldn't help but ask something that he had wondered since Devon had told them her story. "Mrs. Marshand, why did Devon come here? Where you really going to try to put her back in the hospital?"

"Oh." Ginger inhaled sharply. "That poor dear. No, of course we weren't. We couldn't. The courts emancipated Devon; we couldn't have her hospitalized without her consent even if we had wanted to do, which we didn't."

"But Devon..." Frank interrupted.

"Overheard a portion of a conversation that frightened her. After DeLaney died in the car accident Devon was so upset. She blamed herself; she was convinced the man who had killed David and Leeann had caused DeLaney's accident. But the police were convinced it was simply an accident. Devon was so distraught, however, I called her psychiatrist. I wanted to know if he thought Devon might be justified in her fears or if he thought she might be delusional."

"And Devon overheard and feared the worst." Frank supplied with only the barest hint of a guess.

"Yes she thought her grandfather and I were plotting against her. Before we could even try to convince her otherwise, she had made arrangements to move in with Rex. We didn't fight her. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want her to leave but I was hopeful that the change would do her good. I hoped away from Austin and all the awful memories -- some vividly clear to her and others protected in her subconscious -- she could heal."

Frank knew he had to tell her about Devon being in the hospital but he wasn't sure how he should bring it up. From Joe's silence he guessed his younger brother felt the same way. Finally he decided to be honest with her. "Did our dad tell you about the threats Devon has gotten?"

"Yes and frankly I'm terrified. Tell me, have either of you met her godfather?"

"Yes ma'am." Joe answered.

"When David was alive I thought Rex Avery was a wonderful man. Even after the murders he was so helpful. I didn't get suspicious until Devon had been there two weeks. I called and asked to speak to Devon. He told me that she didn't want to talk to me. That's not like my Devon at all. I'm worried that he might be filling her mind with lies."

And her body with drugs, Frank couldn't help but add silently. "Mrs. Marshand, there's something you should know. Last night Devon was admitted to the hospital. She had overdosed on Ativan."

"Impossible. She hated taking that drug. As soon as the doctor took her off she vowed never to take it again. After DeLaney's death the doctor recommended that she start taking it again but she refused. She wouldn't have willingly taken one let alone an overdose."

"Avery and the doctor think it was a suicide attempt." Joe hated to add.

"What?! Never." Ginger Marshand was adamant. "Devon was deeply affected by the murders and her sister's death but never once has she made any attempt to hurt herself. She's just not that type of person. Surely she told you that she didn't take those pills."

"Mrs. Marshand, Devon hasn't regained consciousness yet." Frank informed her gently.

"Oh, dear. My husband and I will make arrangements to come out as quickly as we can. Hold on a moment." Her voice became muffled, as it became obvious to both boys she was telling Fenton and her husband the news. Then she came back. "Your father says he can get us there in his chartered plane. We should arrive in Bayport sometime this afternoon. Hold on your father wants to speak to you."

A second later Fenton returned to the phone. "Boys, I don't want you to go to school today."

Frank was surprised to hear his father say that. Both he and Joe had missed so much school with the Stribling case and then yesterday with finding out about Devon's parents. "Why Dad, what do you want us to do?"

"Protect Devon. With the things I've learned here I think I know who's responsible for David and Leeann Marshands' murders. What's worse I think what happened to Devon last night proves Devon is remembering as well."

"What are you thinking Dad?" Joe asked.

"That Devon is in the hospital not from a suicide attempt but a murder attempt."