One week later at David's construction site.
"Hey man are you going out with that nurse again tonight?"
"She does have a name you know." David says.
"I know that so are you going out with her or not?"
"Yes," they start working.
"Hey watch it." Another worker says as David walks by not even touching him.
David looks at him funny and just walks on by and shakes his head. Jarod Evans had been a jerk ever since he started working with them on this job. ~Hmm, maybe he's still upset that I got the job with Harold's construction last year and he didn't.~. He shrugs. ~Oh well.~
Little does he know that Jarod is smirking. He goes over and talks to their boss for a second. Two hours later their boss and two police officers approach David.
"Bradford we need to talk to you for a minute." The boss says.
"Sure what's up?"
One of the police officers presents a search warrant.
David looks at it. "This is crazy I'm not carrying Cocaine."
The police officers search him and find a little bag of Cocaine on him. Little do they know that Jarod had put it there.
"Oh really, good luck explaining that to the judge." One of the officers says. He reads him the Miranda and cuffs him and then they take him to the police station.
After he's been processed he phones home and waits for someone to answer.
Susan picks up the phone "Hello?"
"Hi Susan, are Dad and Abby home by any chance?" David asks.
"Yeah, they're here. Why?"
"I'm in big trouble."
"Trouble. What kind of trouble?"
"I'm in jail, the police found drugs on me, but this time I'm innocent I swear." David says thinking about the time a few years back when he was busted for possession.
"I'll go get Dad. Hold on."
Meanwhile in Tom's study.
"Hey Dad can we go get some ice cream."
Tom gives up on his column. "I thought you would never ask."
She smiles. "But only one ok." She says thinking about his heart.
"Of course." he says ~One big scoop.~
They're about to leave to have ice cream when they see Susan on the phone.
"Susan, who is it?" Tom asks.
"It's David. He really needs to talk to you."
Tom takes the phone. "Hi son, need to borrow my jack again?" he jokes.
"Actually no." He fills him in.
"Son, we will be right there." Tom says.
"Thanks Dad."
"See you soon." Tom says and hangs up. "Abby!!" he yells.
Abby comes out of the kitchen. "You bellowed?"
"David is in jail" Tom gives her the details
"David wouldn't do something like that."
"You know that and I know that but as they say possession is 9/10th of the law."
"Then we just have to make sure the other 1/10th comes to light, don't we?"
"Yeah." Tom says. "I need to get bail money together. Nancy, I'm sorry about the ice cream."
"Dad it's ok."
"Thanks Nancy."
"We could ask my parents for some help with the bail money. The state's really been cracking down on drug violations, and David doesn't have a clean slate," Abby reminds Tom.
Tom sighs. "We could try and get a second mortgage."
"Sometimes I don't understand you."
"What? I just don't like to borrow money from relatives."
"You'd rather put us in debt to the banks."
Tom grumbles and hands the phone to Abby.
Abby dials her parents' number.
"Hello," Katherine answers.
"Hi, Mom. I have a huge favor to ask."
Tom face turns pale.
Abby pats Tom's arm reassuringly.
"Sure honey is everything ok?"
"I'm not sure." She explains what's going on with David, or at least as much as she knows. "Tom said we should take a second mortgage on the house if we need a lot of bail money, but..."
"You don't have to do that we'll give you the money."
"A loan, Mom. We'll return it, because David won't skip out. It's not his drugs. He wouldn't do that."
"Ok, and I know David wouldn't do that. Do you want me to talk to your father or do you want to talk to him?"
"Could you? We should be getting down to the station house."
"Sure, and I'll make sure he wires the money."
"Thanks, Mom. I love you. I'll call you later." She hangs up and turns to Tom. "OK, it's taken care of. Let's go."
Tom nods
In the car: "You know, I wasn't expecting a thank you, but you could try looking a little less like I betrayed you," Abby says.
"HUH? I'm sorry." Tom says. "I am just worried about David."
"He'll be OK. He didn't do it. Later on I'll talk to my father and he'll tell us which lawyer would be best to use."
"Thank you."
"You do know that I'm only trying to help, don't you?" Abby asks, a little offended by Tom's tone of voice.
"Of course." he says.
"Right."
Tom pulls the car over. "Abby, I do appreciate everything you do for me and the kids."
"Let's just go get David out of jail," Abby says, turning away to stare out the window.
Tom pulls into traffic ~Great Bradford, one son in jail and you are in the dog house.~
Abby remains silent the rest of the drive and while Tom is filling out the paperwork.
"I guess we wait," he tells her.
"Guess so."
"Abby, I do love you." he says while trying to make eye contact.
"Uh huh."
"Why are you being this way?"
"Being what way? Helpful, even if it's not really wanted?"
"Of course its wanted, you are my wife and I thank you for your help," Tom says.
"Let's just drop it, OK?"
"Fine." he says.
Abby gets up and starts reading the Wanted posters with apparent fascination.
"See one of your former students?" Tom jokes.
"No, just checking to see if I see one of your kids."
"'My' kids? What happened to 'our' kids?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"Why do you say that?" Tom asks.
"This is neither the time nor the place, Tom." Abby walks away, to the other side of the room.
David arrives before Tom can answer her.
"Saved by the bell. Or is that the bail?" Abby says in Tom's general direction.
Tom lightly chuckles.
Abby tries very hard not to join his laughter.
"Son, are you OK?" Tom asks.
"No, Dad, not really." David says.
Tom pats his shoulder. "Come on, lets get you home."
"Dad, I'm innocent this time, really." David tells him.
"I believe you," he tells him.
"Good, that's very important to me."
"Let's go." he says.
They leave the station.
At home, Nancy pulls Susan aside. "Does he have any idea who framed him?"
"No he didn't say."
"Hmm."
After getting David settled away for the evening, Abby turns to Tom. "Should I call my father and get a recommendation for a lawyer, or would you rather find some stranger for that, too?"
"No, let's see what he can do." Tom says.
"Thank you so much for allowing me to try," Abby says sarcastically.
"Would you like me to call?" Tom asks.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to torture you."
Tom sighs and goes to his study.
Abby follows him. "I said I'd do it. I don't need you snarling at him, too."
"Abby," he says. "Do what you have to do to get David out of this mess," he replies with his voice cracking.
"Don't even try it," Abby sighs and heads for the phone.
"Try what?"
"That 'go easy on me, because things are tough' thing you do," Abby says as she dials her parents.
"You think this is about me?"
"More than you'll admit," Abby says, waiting for her parents to answer.
"You are totally off base."
"That's what you'd like me to think."
"There's no talking to you when you made up your mind." Tom says and goes upstairs.
After she finishes talking to her parents, Abby heads upstairs. "I'm right, you know," she tells Tom.
"Whatever you say, Abby," he says as he takes off his tie.
"Why do you have such problems with people helping you?"
Tom sits on the bed. "Because it means I am not capable," he admits.
"That is the most ridiculous...what would you say if one of the kids didn't come to you with that kind of silly excuse?"
"I didn't say it was right....I just said that's how I feel."
"Tom?" Abby hesitates, not sure how to approach the question.
"Yes?"
"Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself?"
Tom shrugs. "I don't know, maybe it has something to do about my father."
"Your father?"
"I really don't want to talk about this."
"But..."
"Abby....."
"Fine," Abby says, hurt. She starts to prepare for bed.
"It's hard, you know?"
Abby stops what she's doing and sits down beside him. "But if it's hurt you so badly, maybe it's time you did talk about it."
Tom sighs quietly. "I know its silly, but maybe if I hadn't asked my father when I was younger for so much help, maybe he wouldn't have left."
"Tom, no one leaves a good marriage over his kid asking for help."
"The grownup me says I know, but that little boy still doesn't believe it."
Abby rubs his back. "I wish there were something I could do to get the little boy to understand it."
"There is something you can do, just be patient when I am being unreasonable."
"I can try. But it's difficult sometimes--all I want to do is help, and then when you treat me like what I'm trying to do is hurt you..."
"I'm sorry, I really do appreciate everything you did for David."
"See, I'd do it whether you appreciated it or not--David needs the help. But it is nice to know you approve."
Tom shakes his head. "That's fair."
Abby gives him a kiss and then laughs.
"Why are you laughing?" he chuckles.
"Imagining you as a little boy. I'll bet you were adorable."
Tom blushes in embarrassment. "Oh yes, definitely adorable," he mocks.
"Sure. I mean, you are now. Especially now."
"I love you." he says.
"I know that. If I didn't, would I put up with your moods?"
"My moods?" he pretends to be upset.
"Pout for me. Let me know that you care," Abby teases.
Tom laughs.
"It's been a long day," Abby says. "We should probably get to bed."
"You are right."
Abby finishes turning back the bed and slips under the covers. "Good night."
"Abby?"
"Yes?"
"Would you put your arms around me?"
Abby leans over, shuts the bedside light, and then holds Tom.
"Thank you," he says and is soon asleep.
Abby stays up a while longer, just watching Tom sleep.
The next morning Nancy decides a good way to work through her grief and the trauma of the torture is to do a little investigating of her own to find out who framed David. She calls up a friend of his and asks him to meet her for breakfast. She subtly finds out who David's friends are and who is enemies are and makes a list of the enemies.
"Naah not him he's too lazy to plan something like that." She says as she scratches a name off the list. At that point a family member walks in.
"What are you doing?" Tom asks
"Keeping myself busy, you?"
"With what?"
"I'm going to find out who framed David."
"No you are not that's too dangerous." Tom says in a serious tone.
"I'll be careful I promise."
Abby walks in. "Abby, will you please talk some sense into this girl's head?" Tom asks.
"Sense about what?" Abby asks.
"She plans on tracking down the person who framed David."
"You're joking."
"I wish I were." he says.
"Are you nuts?" Abby asks Nancy. "You don't need that kind of trouble."
"David doesn't need this trouble either." Nancy says.
"But you aren't the one to try and get him out of it." Tom says. "Now please Nancy for your sake and mine, let us handle it."
"David can take care of himself," Abby adds, "and if he can't, we'll help, and the lawyer will, too. You stay out of it."
She sighs and hands them the lists of names. "Might as well give these names to the lawyer then."
"Thank you," Abby says.
"Sorry I scared you two. I just wanted to help."
"I know," Abby says, sitting down next to Nancy. "But the way you can help best is to get stronger and take care of yourself for now."
She nods and says. "Ok."
Tom sighs. "We know that Nancy."
"But...?" Nancy asks waiting for him to finish, thinking he has more to say.
"I may have not had a heart attack, but this old heart can only handle one kid's crisis at a time." he smiles and jokes.
"Ok I'll stay out of it."
Abby looks over at Tom to see if he believes Nancy.
"Can I take your word on that?" Tom asks Nancy.
"Yes."
"Thank you." Tom says relieved.
She hugs her parents and then gets a cup of coffee.
Abby continues to look at Nancy warily.
"I better to get to the office." Tom says. "I'll meet you at the lawyer's later." he says to Abby.
"I'll walk you out," Abby says, getting up.
"What did I do to deserve this pleasure?" he asks her lovingly.
"Well," Abby starts, then thinks better of it. She covers by saying, "I couldn't have done this in front of Nancy." She leans forward and gives Tom a long kiss.
"Wow." he says. "You do put the 'good' in Good Morning."
"Wait until you see what I can do with 'good night'."
"Hmmm...Maybe we should go upstairs and pull the shades." he jokes.
"You, my love, have a column to write."
Tom sighs. "Drats."
"Hurry off to work so you can hurry home," Abby whispers in his ear, nuzzling it as she does.
"I'll do my best." he says. "and good luck in there." he points to the house.
"You don't really believe she'll stay out of it, either, do you?" Abby says, relieved that Tom's brought it up instead of her.
"Not a word of it." Tom says.
"So I guess until it's time for the lawyer, I'm babysitting Nancy."
"Pretty much." he says. Tom gets in the car. "Call me and let me know what time."
"As soon as I know."
When Tom leaves. Nancy comes outside and says to Abby. "I'm going for a walk I'll be home in a little while."
"A walk?" Abby asks suspiciously.
She nods. "Yep a walk."
"You want some company?"
"Great."
They go for a walk. Nancy wonders why Abby is still looking at her with suspicion in her eyes.
"Have you spoken to Brad at all lately?" Abby asks out of the blue.
"Yes I spoke to him the other day."
"And?" Abby prompts.
"When I quit he didn't believe me. He said he'll give me some time to think about it."
"I agree with him, amazingly enough."
"You think I'll change my mind?"
"You said working gave you too much time to think, but I think you're still thinking just as much."
"It's difficult not to."
"I know."
"You know I still keep hoping that it's just a nightmare that I'll wake up from and that Noah will be alive again."
Abby puts an arm around Nancy. "You will wake up from the way you're feeling, but Noah..."
"Isn't coming back." She finishes Abby's sentence with a tinge of sadness in her tone.
Abby pulls Nancy a little closer.
After she's done crying. "I'm sorry I thought I was through crying."
"I don't know if you ever get through crying. You just get through doing things that end up getting you hurt through recklessness."
"So things do get better?"
"Take a good look at me and tell me what you think."
She does this and finally says. "Yes, I haven't made it through everything that's happened for things to just get worse."
"Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself and let other people handle all the other problems."
"That's tough to do sometimes. Especially with people you love."
"I know. But if you trust the people you love, then you can let go for a little while."
Nancy thinks this over. "That makes sense."
"Good. So you'll deal with Nancy and we'll handle David?"
"Of course, I already gave Dad my word, but if you need more reassurance yes I'll deal with me and leave David to you two."
"I worry about you, you know that. But it's only because I care so much," Abby justifies herself.
"I know." Nancy says.
"It's not that I don't trust you."
"It's that you worry about me and want to make sure I don't get hurt."
"Exactly."
"I can't promise that something isn't going to happen to me ever but I can promise to use my head and stay away from trouble."
"That's all I can ask."
"Then I promise to use my head and stay out of trouble."
"Thank you."
Nancy gives her a hug.
A while after coming back from her walk with Nancy, Abby gets a call from the lawyer and then dials Tom at the Register.
"I made a tentative appointment for 3," she tells him about the lawyer's call. "Is that all right?"
"Fine, maybe we grab a early dinner afterwards."
"Won't that depend on what the lawyer says to us?"
"We still have to eat."
"Eat yes, but are you sure David will be up to being out in public?"
"You have a point." Tom concedes. "We'll leave it up to him."
"OK. If he doesn't want to go out, after dinner you and I could go get some ice cream, just take a walk and talk thing over," Abby offers.
"That sounds nice." he says.
"It does, doesn't it?" Then Abby turns practical. "So how do we work this--we all meet up here? At the lawyers? Should one of us get David?"
"Knowing David, he'll want to drive himself." Tom chuckles. "I'll be home in a hour and we can go from there."
"OK, I'll see you then."
Tom hangs up and in an hour he pulls into the driveway.
Abby is at the doorway, waiting for him. "Have time to come in for a cup of coffee, or do we have to head straight there?"
Tom looks at his watch. "We have time, did you get ahold of David?"
"Of course. You were right--he said he'd meet us there."
Tom walks in the kitchen "Probably wants to maintain his independence as long as he can........."
"What do you mean by that?" Abby asks, pouring the coffee.
"Nothing..." he says.
"Tom," Abby chides.
"Look, I hate to think it, but David may just go to jail this time."
"Are you saying that as a father or as a journalist who's seen too much?"
"Oh Abby, we can't let this happen."
"Besides taking him to the lawyer, I don't know what else to do."
Tom thinks about it. "How about we hire a P.I.?"
"I think you've been watching too much TV."
"It couldn't be because Nicholas had me watching Hawaii Five-O last night, could it?" he sips his coffee.
"Anything's possible. Why don't we wait until after we've seen the lawyer before we make any more dramatic plans?"
"How did it go with Nancy this morning?"
"With her, who can tell? I think she's sincere about not getting involved, but that's today. Tomorrow...who knows?"
Tom shakes his head. "Yeah."
Abby takes Tom's hand.
Tom squeezes. "I guess we should be going."
"We don't want to be late," Abby agrees.
They drive to the lawyers office waiting for David to show up.
A little while later David shows up and walks in.
"David, how are you?" Tom asks.
"A little better." He says.
"You ready to go inside?" Abby asks.
He nods. "Thank you for helping me." He says to Tom and Abby.
"Oh David, no thanks is needed." Tom assures him.
"But I want to say it." David says.
David smiles and they go inside to talk to the lawyer.
"It's going to be hard coming up with a defense when they found it on you but I guarantee you that we'll have one, but it will make things easier if we can find out who framed you." The lawyer says.
"How do we go about finding out?" Abby asks, thinking of Tom's earlier PI idea.
"I suggest a very good private investigator."
"Could you recommend one?"
"Certainly." He hands them a business card. "He's one of the best in the business."
After the consultation, Abby nudges Tom to ask David what he'd like to do about dinner.
~Huh? What~ Tom comes back to reality. "Oh, David would you like to grab a bite to eat?"
"Sure."
"Great."
They go out to eat and later Tom and Abby head home and David heads back to his apartment.
Joannie pounces on them as soon as they walk in the door. "So how is he?"
"Scared." Tom says
"But he'll get off, won't he?"
Tom shrugs.
"Dad..."
"Look, I just don't know." he says frustratedly.
"But he didn't do it," Joannie says, hoping for her father's reassurance.
"Joannie, we're doing everything we can to help David," Abby says.
"Maybe..." Joannie says thoughtfully.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe you need better help."
"What do you suggest?"
"Let us handle it. I mean, it's summer vacation. We've got plenty of time."
"I don't know, we made Nancy promise not to interfere." Tom states.
"So I won't let Nancy help."
"Abby?" Tom asks "what do you think?"
Abby glares at Tom. ~Sure, let me be the bad one who says it's a lousy idea.~
"I don't know Joannie." Tom says after seeing his wife face.
"Oh, come on, Dad. We've got the time and the drive and we sure have the manpower."
"It's too dangerous."
"And prison won't be too dangerous for David?"
"He's not going to prison." Tom says.
"If we don't find out who framed him, he might," Joannie insists.
"Abby, help me out here." Tom says.
~Gee, thanks.~ "Joannie, your father was planning to hire someone professional to help David."
"Why, when you have us?"
"Well....A professional has all sorts of contacts we wouldn't have."
"But he doesn't care about David the way we do. For him, it's just a job."
Abby grasps at straws. "When we've hired someone, why don't you ask if he'll let you help?" she says, pushing the problem off on someone else.
"Good idea," Joannie agrees, temporarily satisfied.
"I know that look Joannie." Tom says.
"Who, me?"
"Yes, you."
"I don't have any 'look'."