Frank was getting frustrated. It had been three days and still no sign of Haydin or Weinhardt or whoever he claimed to be. The police were still caught up in an extensive search and now the case was receiving a national coverage. It was just a matter of time until the reporters came hounding them and knocking at the front door. Joe still wasn't talking and just as Frank had expected, he became withdrawn and refused to see anyone or accept any calls.

The whole family is falling apart, Frank thought. Since the rape, his parents were constantly at each other's throat, each blaming the other for not able to see it coming, each accusing the other of not spending enough time with the family at home to realize what was happening to their two sons. Frank was fed up of it all. He longed for the time when everything was normal, going out to school, hanging out with friends...he missed his life before the whole thing happened.

Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself, Frank, he reprimanded himself. If this is hard for you, then it's got to be harder for Joe. He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face wearily. He still couldn't get Joe to say that Haydin was the one who raped him, knowing that the rape charges against him wouldn't stand in court if Joe wouldn't step up and testify. Damnit, Frank cursed. He needed to know the trigger to snap Joe out of it. But until Haydin was found, there was nothing he could do but wait.

Frank stood outside the interrogation room staring into the one-way mirror with an unreadable expression on his face. His father had pulled in some strings and Chief Collig had allowed him to watch. Detective Jordan Gore stood next to him, aware of the elder Hardy's tense body. Frank clenched his jaw, barely able to restrain himself to just barge in the room. The person responsible for trying to kill him, for poisoning his brother and for helping Haydin commit his crimes was sitting dejectedly in the chair, facing two police officers. Hearing her voice over the PA system was enough to boil his blood. So far April had admitted to being there when Haydin committed the unspeakable act to Joe, but denied being involved directly in the rape. She was definitely not climbing Frank's list of favorite people right now.

"-kept the money in the cabin. You'll find it buried under the fireplace," she was saying, her voice sounding resigned and bored. April looked terrible, her long hair was tangled and unkempt, and her eyes were staring blankly at the table, never once raising them to meet the two detectives' probing gazes. She had agreed to testify against her father, hoping to get off with a lighter sentence. Don't bet on it, Frank had thought bitterly. The only thing she deserves is a whiff of poison gas.

"What about the poison, April?" April tensed visibly, but she kept her calm. "I put it in. He-He made me do it. He threatened to kill me if I didn't." Frank's eyes turned dark. If he were someone else, he would have felt sympathy for her. But now he could feel only hatred.

"And when Joe took the poisoned food instead of Frank, you didn't try to stop it?"

April barked a laugh. "Are you stupid? Of course not. They would have found out." The truth was she couldn't bear to see Frank hurt. She loved him. But I'll be damned if I told them that, she thought, aware that there were other people listening in to their conversation. Is Frank one of them? she wondered.

"And when your father kidnapped Joe? You didn't try to stop him?"

April stared at the detective. "You don't know my father," she said flatly.

"No, I don't. Tell me something about your father."

April drew in her breath shakily. What do you want to know, Detective? That my father killed my whole family?

"He killed my mother," April said softly.

"I thought your mother was killed in a burglary."

April almost laughed. "A burglary? That's what he forced us to tell the press." Frank saw her face cloud over when she had started talking about hr mother. My mother died a few minutes after I was born, he still remembered what April said at the restaurant. All lies, April, you've told us nothing but lies, lies and lies.

"You saw your father murder your mother?"

April nodded slowly. "We were ten when it happened, Bobby and I. Billy found out she'd been cheating on him and he s-stabbed her." It still hurt her to talk about it. She'd give anything to get out of that suffocating, stifling interrogation room but she knew she had to do it. Her father had to be stopped, had to be brought to justice.

"And Bobby? Your father killed him too?"

April's face hardened. "I don't want to talk about it." She couldn't believe her brother was gone. Now she knew how Frank had felt when she'd hurt Joe. She got exactly what she deserved. But Bobby was the one paying the price. She felt tears rise in her throat but she swallowed them down, not wanting to cry in front of these strangers.

"You were the one who told us where to find Joe, weren't you?" April didn't answer. She just turned her face away, her eyes glistening with tears. If she hadn't made that call, Bobby would still be alive. Right now she didn't know whether to hate herself or the Hardys more.

"What happened after you made that call, April?" the female detective asked gently. April swallowed hard, trying to block out the memory but couldn't.

"He-he got m-mad and-" April's voice broke as tears now flowed freely down her cheeks. "He said I betrayed him. He took out his gun to shoot me when Bobby suddenly threw h-himself in front of me." She knew the police knew exactly what happened but also that it was important for them to hear it from her. She was a witness after all. A witness to the destruction of what seemed like a perfect family. A perfect family until Dad ruined it for us, she thought bitterly. "Bobby saved my life."

Frank was ashamed to find himself gloating with satisfaction. He knew that April had paid a great price to help them find Joe. But he couldn't bring himself to sympathize with her. Not after what she and her family had done to his. He held his breath when April suddenly turned toward the one-way mirror and stared. He knew she couldn't see him but nonetheless he felt as if April was staring right at him.

"Tell Frank I'm sorry." Frank's blood ran cold at her next words. Abruptly, Frank turned and bolted out of the room.

"Hey. Can I come in?" Joe looked up and saw his brother standing at the door. He shrugged, and nodded to the chair. He still wouldn't let anyone come near him, so Frank had to settle for the chair, grateful that Joe at least didn't mind his company. Joe still was not talking much, and it worried Frank. Is Joe going to be like this for the rest of his life? He wondered as he smiled gently at his brother.

Joe turned his head a little, giving Frank a clear view of his pale, haggard face. His smile lines had been erased and what replaced them was a constant frown, making him look older than his age. Frank didn't know how much more of this Joe could take before he had a complete breakdown.

"Went to the station today. April had been taken into custody. You remember April?" Joe just kept staring at him, his blue eyes blank and empty. A moment later, he shook his head slowly. Frank sighed inwardly. He had hoped that Joe's memories would return but Joe looked as lost today as he had been right after the rape.

"Joe, I need you to tell me something. Will you promise to try to remember?" Frank asked.

His eyes still staring, Joe nodded slowly.

"Tell me who this is," Frank ordered, holding up a newspaper cutting with Weinhardt's picture on it. Please remember Joe, he prayed. His heart sank when Joe shook his head. When Frank asked whether he was sure, he shook his head again, looking as confused as ever. As if exhausted, Joe closed his eyes and turned his head away. No matter what Frank said, he couldn't get Joe to face him again.

"Joe, talk to me!" Frank kept saying, resisting the urge to go and give his brother a shake. But Joe's eyes remained shut as if he hadn't heard Frank's cries and pleas. "Why won't you talk to me? Joe!"

After his attempt to get Joe to talk failed, Frank was at a loss at what to do. He felt powerless. His brother was slipping away in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do about it. He had never felt this helpless before. Just when Frank was about to take the van to go to the police station to see of there were any lead regarding to where Haydin might be, the phone down the hall rang.

"Frank, this is Detective Gore," a male voice spoke when Frank picked up the phone. Frank felt a jolt at the detective's next words. "Someone has reported seeing Haydin at the Bayport Marina

Pain PG