Sensing a possible showdown, Frank mumbled something about needing to finish homework and headed upstairs to his room to ring Biff. Biff, a long time friend of the Hardys quickly agreed to help out. As Frank was giving him the details he could hear raised voices downstairs. Hanging up he caught the words ‘putting him at risk’ and ‘barely over the accident’. Frank felt sorry for their mother but truly believed involvement in a case was just what Joe needed. He’d come a long way in the months since Iola’s death. Joe really needed his family and friends to stop fussing over him so much, but Frank knew that was easier said than done.

Frank walked through the bathroom he shared with his brother into the chaos that was Joe’s bedroom. Amidst a sea of clothes, sports equipment and magazines, Joe was stretched out on top of his unmade bed listening to his portable CD player with his eyes closed. Frank knew Joe well enough to know that this was a deliberate attempt to block out the sound of the inevitable argument happening downstairs. The heavy closing of their father’s den door signalled the end of their parents’ dispute. Frank pressed the stop button on the CD player.

"Hey!" complained Joe, pulling the earplugs out.

"I want to talk to you", explained his older brother.

Joe smiled. "Let me guess. You think Dad and Greta were an item in college."

Frank would not be distracted from the topic he wanted to discuss.

"Mum can’t help being worried about you Joe. She doesn’t want you to get hurt again."

Joe looked down at the earplugs in his hand. Frank had seemingly been born with a built-in radar regarding his younger brother. It never ceased to amaze him.

"I know she’s concerned Frank, but God I feel suffocated sometimes! I’m not made of eggshells." He put his hands behind his head and sighed heavily.

"How do you feel about going undercover knowing two men before you have disappeared?" asked Frank. He wanted to feel confident Joe was okay with this situation. Joe met his brother’s serious, brown eyes with his intense, blue ones.

"Frank, you’ll be there and Biff will be there. The most dangerous part of this assignment is Vanessa coming back from her holiday and suspecting some gym junkie has been flirting with me!"

Frank stood up laughing and started to walk out of the room.

"I may just have to calculate what it’s worth for me NOT to ring and tell Vanessa about this assignment’, he quipped, and narrowly avoided the towel his brother threw in his direction.

Outside in the garden Laura Hardy was pegging clothes out to dry. She was still furious with her husband but was trying to convince herself that the assignment would be good for Joe. Suddenly Frank was helping her. Laura glanced up at him.

"Didn’t you say you had homework?" she asked him sweetly.

"Done," Frank told her.

They continued to hang the washing in silence until Frank put his arm gently across her shoulders.

"Mum," he said softly, "I promise we’ll look out for him. Biff is going to be at the gym with us. Joe really wants to do this."

Laura avoided his eyes. She didn’t doubt the sincerity of her older son’s words, but she couldn’t help being worried about Joe.

"Frank I know you’ll be careful, and I’m sure Biff would throw himself in front of a madman to protect your brother, but all the care in the world didn’t prevent Joe from having to cope with that terrible situation. I don’t like it when you put yourselves at risk and I never will. I married your Dad knowing that he wanted to be a detective, but I so wish he wouldn’t encourage you so much to follow in his footsteps."