#Jim wishes Murray would have taken up self jurisdiction instead of calling him

[weird-an]

Murray is getting on Jim's last nerve. He has been calling the station four times today already, yelling into Jim's ear how he should check on Billy Hargrove, because he's hiding something.

"He's a fucking teenager," Jim says, "Of course we don't get him, of course he's got secrets."

"No, Jim, he's been stealing stuff from Melvald's and has not gone home for the last two nights!" Murray rants. "There's something going on."

Hopper sighs into the phone. At this point he's getting a headache.

"Stop stalking a teenager, Murray."

"Then do your fucking job and investigate!" Murray shouts before hanging up.

Jim doesn't think about it for the rest of the day. But when he sees the Camaro parked at Melvald's parking lot in the middle of the night, after he's on his way home, he stops the car.

Maybe Murray is right, he considers, something is going on. And if it's not, he can tell the idiot at least that he's checked without lying.

He walks over to the Camaro, half way wondering if he'll cockblock a teenager on a date, but he stops dead when he looks inside the car.

Billy Hargrove is curled up on the backseat of his car, a ratty blanket wrapped around him and chewing on a sandwich. At eleven o'clock on a Thursday night. A dark bruise on his cheek.

Billy freezes when he sees him. Hopper can't blame him. He's a big guy.

Billy crawls in front of his car and opens the door. "Is there a problem, Chief?" He smiles at Jim, apparently unaware he's got blood on his teeth.

"Who did this?" Jim points at Billy's face. "And don't fucking lie to a police officer."

He swears internally when the kid flinches at that. He's not good at the whole talking thing.

"Um. I.." Billy coughs and it's obvious he tries to come up with a lie.

"Your old man?" Hopper guesses, because he knows the story. Because he's fucking lived it, too.

Billy stares at him with wide eyes. "It's...I'm...He... doesn't really.."

Jim tries to keep his anger at bay. "Whatever he is, he is wrong about it. You're coming with me."

"Am I... arrested?" Billy asks. Hopper wants to punch someone. Preferably Hargrove Senior.

"No. We're going to mine...and I'm...going to help you." Thank God he doesn't sound as unsure as he feels. He just needs to get Billy away from this man. He's got to figure out how to help this kid.

He wishes the worst thing of all of this would be telling Murray Bauman, he's right. It isn't. It's a fucker kicking out his son after beating him up.

But Billy follows him and sits down on the passenger's seat of his car, still clutching the sandwich. It's a start at least.