Chapter 139: Frank Is Already Dead
"I'm truly sorry, Fiona," Officer Tony said, standing at Frank's doorstep, removing his police cap and apologizing to Fiona.
After learning from the news that Frank had been arrested in New York, Fiona sought Officer Tony's help. Despite utilizing all his resources and connections, Tony couldn't uncover any leads.
Unbeknownst to Tony, details of Joseph's case were swiftly sealed by "relevant authorities" shortly after it occurred. Those involved were warned and signed confidentiality agreements, prohibiting any disclosure.
Even if Tony were in New York, he wouldn't have been able to find any information about the case, and any inquiries might have drawn unwanted attention.
"It's okay, thank you," Fiona forced a smile, thanking Officer Tony.
After a brief conversation at the door, Officer Tony left to continue his patrol.
"Any news about Frank?" Lip asked.
"Tony couldn't find anything on Frank," Fiona replied, shaking her head.
"Strange, I've checked the official records for recent inmates, and Frank's name isn't listed," Lip frowned.
"Can you reach his phone?" Fiona asked.
"It's always turned off," Ian answered.
It had been two months since they learned of Frank's arrest in New York, and he seemed to have vanished.
Since they had kicked Frank out months ago, winter had turned to summer.
Though "Frank" had often caused trouble, leading the kids to throw him out many times, he was always at the bar. Even when he disappeared, it was never for more than a month, never as long as this, with no trace.
"Dad won't just leave like that woman and never come back, will he?" Debbie asked, holding Fiona's hand.
"No, he won't. He's Frank. No matter what happens, he won't die. He's just tied up with something and will return," Fiona reassured Debbie.
The woman Debbie referred to was their mother, Monica.
Though "Frank" was unreliable and often hurt the children, he never left them like Monica did.
Frank's presence gave the kids the courage to face life.
No matter how unreliable Frank was, or how many mistakes he made, the kids always forgave him and helped solve his problems.
At times, they even hoped for some fatherly love from him, wanting him to do typical dad things, like attending parent-teacher meetings, but Frank always disappointed them.
Yet, Frank's recent changes made the children feel his love.
After the incident that night, the kids regretted their actions, feeling they were too harsh. But everything had happened simultaneously.
Relying on past experiences with Frank, they assumed these issues would quickly pass and didn't give it much thought.
But to their surprise, Frank went to New York, got arrested, and then vanished.
Months passed, and though the kids didn't want to admit it, they missed Frank dearly, Lip and Ian included.
Fiona and the kids weren't the only ones worried about Frank. Sheila and her daughter, Karen, were also searching for him.
Sheila's agoraphobia had improved. She could now leave her house and move around the neighborhood.
Though she couldn't venture far, it was a significant improvement.
Sheila posted missing person flyers for Frank wherever she could and enlisted her fans to help find him.
"Mom, there's a lead on Frank!" Karen exclaimed excitedly, looking at her email.
"What lead? Did they find Frank?" Sheila rushed over.
Karen received an email from a fan in New York who had unknowingly photographed Frank outside the police station.
The fan sent the photo, showing Frank in the background, standing outside the station, holding a few books.
This was taken when Frank was released. The fan was capturing something else, accidentally including Frank in the shot. The clear, high-resolution photo made it unmistakable—it was Frank.
The photo's timestamp was from several months ago.
"Quick, ask them if they know where Frank is now!" Sheila urged.
"I already asked," Karen replied.
The next day, Karen received a response. The fan had a friend at the police station who shared some details about Frank.
Though Joseph's case was confidential and involved parties signed non-disclosure agreements, asking about Frank specifically wasn't restricted.
Frank was only held for a night due to his peripheral involvement in Joseph's case and was released after giving a statement.
The fan relayed all the information to Sheila and Karen, who learned that Frank had been released the day after his arrest.
Unfortunately, they didn't know where Frank went afterward, and the police had no further information.
"If Frank wasn't imprisoned, where did he go after his release? Why didn't he come home?" Karen wondered.
Frank had vanished for months, leaving no clues behind.
The fan mentioned that Frank left the station with only a few books, no money or belongings.
In a city like New York, with no money, Frank should have contacted family to return to Chicago. He could have reached out to Kevin, Fiona, or even Sheila, who would have brought him home.
A phone call costs nothing. He could have borrowed a phone from a kind stranger instead of disappearing without a trace.
"Mom, don't worry. We'll find Frank," Karen consoled Sheila, upset by the dead-end lead.
"No, I know he won't return. He's likely gone," Sheila said tearfully, covering her mouth.
"Frank once told me if he were dying, he wouldn't tell anyone. He'd leave silently without bothering others," Sheila sobbed.
(End of Chapter)