‘I just can’t believe Deputy Principal Darcy was orchestrating such dreadful crime at his own school!’ exclaimed Aunt Gertrude as the Hardy family sat down to eat dinner.

‘I can,’ disagreed Laura as she passed the potatoes to her husband. ‘I didn’t like the vibe I got from him when I was visiting Biff and Joe. I could sense he was a nasty piece of work from the way he spoke to Joe. Fancy suggesting that either of my sons need ‘straightening out’!’

Frank and Joe exchanged grins as they tucked into their dinners. No one had made any comment when they had eventually come in from the garage, nor had anyone said anything about the burnt skin on top of the chicken. There was definitely a celebratory feel in the air. The investigation had ended successfully, all four Hardys had played their part in it, and the tension between the brothers had miraculously disappeared.

Once the scrumptious dessert of pineapple upside down cake and custard had been served, Laura and Gertude apologized for having to leave to pay an evening visit to a friend who had been taken ill.

‘That’s cool, mum,’ said Joe brightly. ‘Frank will do the dishes!’

‘Is that right?’ spluttered Frank, nearly choking on his icecream, but grinning at his brother’s return to form.

Laura and Gertrude left, leaving Fenton, Frank and Joe at the table. Joe looked at his father who wore a satisfied expression, and his brother who seemed relieved, probably because the case was finished, but also for other reasons. The last few days had been rough on all of them.

Uncomfortable with initiating serious discussion, but wanting to, Joe tapped gently on the side of his glass with his spoon, causing Fenton and Frank to look at him.

‘Um… I …um… really want to say a couple of things,’ Joe began, awkwardly, his face reddening slightly. Frank quickly glanced at his father and then back to Joe. Fenton put down his spoon and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

‘During this case and the last one’, began Joe, ‘I’ve been kidnapped, drugged, photographed without my knowledge, beaten up, threatened and held against my will.’ Joe paused and swallowed. His father’s expression had not changed. Frank’s mind was racing. What was Joe going to say? Was he quitting?

‘I accept that all of that is potentially part of the job,’ continued Joe. ‘I’ve always accepted it.’

‘So what are you saying, son?’ asked Fenton quietly, as puzzled as Frank about where this was heading.

‘I believe you when you say that setting up the car explosion to stage Mark Franklin’s death wasn’t your idea, Dad, but…but I have to have your word that you argued against it and that you tried your hardest to warn me first.’ Joe looked hopefully at his dad. Fenton ran his hand through his hair. Not a good sign, thought Frank.

‘Joe, Chief Black already had his men and the explosives in place. I told him it wasn’t ideal and I contacted Frank straight away, but there wasn’t a lot of time to play with. I realize that it must have been difficult for you.’

Joe gave a shaky sigh but met his father’s gaze directly.

‘I want to keep investigating,’ said Joe quietly, ‘but I can’t go through that again. It wasn’t fair on me, and it wasn’t fair on Frank. Call me weak if you want to, but I’m never ever going to be totally over last year.’

Fenton looked into his younger son’s eyes and suddenly fully saw and appreciated the depth of pain still lurking there. He reached across the table and grabbed Joe’s hand.

‘Son, I could never think of you as weak. You have always shown courage, and never more so than over the last twelve months. I am truly sorry that we didn’t have time to warn you about the explosion. And you also need to know that Frank basically refused to be a part of it when I first told him about the plan. I had to order him to go through with it.’

Joe shot Frank an apologetic look, which the older boy dismissed with slight shake of his head, and then looked back at his father.

‘I mean it, Dad. I couldn’t go through that again.’

Fenton gripped Joe’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

‘I understand, son,’ he said in a hushed tone. ‘I agree that it wasn’t fair on you. If we find ourselves in a similar situation again, I promise I’ll threaten strike action like your brother did.’

Joe smiled, relieved that his father appeared to really understand how he felt. He heart seemed to feel lighter.

‘Hey, I’d have gone on strike myself if he’d insisted I call him ‘sir’!’ Joe stated in mock seriousness.

‘Now come on!’ protested Frank. ‘What about the way you and your friends treated me? I shouldn’t have to put up with that!’

‘I had permission to behave badly,’ announced Joe in a righteous tone, crossing his arms across his chest. ‘I couldn’t pay my highly esteemed big brother the respect I usually do. It would have looked suspicious!’

‘Well, you certainly looked like you were secretly enjoying every minute of it!’ argued Frank, taking a playful swipe at Joe. ‘And since when do you ever pay me the respect I deserve?’

Fenton chuckled as the banter continued at the table and then into the kitchen where the boys jointly washed the dishes. They were both excellent detectives, he mused, but he most admired them for their resilience. Both of his sons would move Heaven and Earth to protect each other; he’d always known that and been a little envious of their devotion to each other. What Fenton had learnt from this case, however, was that his younger son, although irrevocably scarred, was the true survivor, and one of the bravest individuals he had ever come across.