— and he was anxious to talk with his brother.
When Joe got there, he found Phil sitting up in bed, talking with Frank and Callie.
"Come on in, Joe," Phil greeted him. "Your brother tells me you saved my life. I guess I owe you one."
"I had a little help," Joe replied, looking right at Frank.
"Hey, what are brothers for?" Frank said.
"Look, Frank," Joe started, "I'm sorry — "
"No, I'm sorry," Frank interrupted. "We both said some things we really didn't mean, but at least you had a reason. Scott's your friend, and maybe I should have checked out all the other leads before pointing my finger at him." "Well, I'm beginning to have my doubts, too," he admitted. "I haven't exactly done a tremendous job of digging up evidence that will stick to the other suspects. I thought I had something on Arno, but that guy's got an answer for everything."
"We were lucky he didn't have us arrested for assault," Callie added.
Phil coughed and said, "That reminds me. It took me a long time to go over that electronic device that seems to be so popular with the assault and arson set."
"Did you find out anything?" Frank asked. "Hard to say for sure. The circuitry was too complex for a simple remote triggering device. So you were thinking it was some kind of detonator for a small explosive or something, you'll have to think again."
Phil shrugged. "I could probably tell you more if I had whatever it was connected to."
"Then I guess that's what we'll have to find," joe said. "I wanted to do a little swimming before the end of the season, anyway. How about you?" pe added, nudging his brother. "Last one in is a rotten diver."
"Wait a second," Callie protested. "Before both go leap into the bay and get sucked out to sea by the tides, how about watching a fascinating documentary over at my house?"
Joe slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten to tell his brother about the videocassette. That was what he wanted to talk to Frank in the first place.
"That's okay," Frank said before Joe could open his mouth. "Callie told me all about your little adventure last night. I just can't let the two of you go anywhere without me, can I?"
Frank Hardy clapped his brother on the back and laughed. Then his tone shifted. "From now on," he spoke seriously, "we stick together! wherever the trail leads. Agreed?"
"We both get in too much trouble alone." Joe chuckled and grasped his brother's outstretched right hand. "Agreed."
Joe and Frank decided to take a detour past the Bayport Fairgrounds, so they told Callie they'd meet her at her house.
"Why don't we check out Reinhart Voss," Joe suggested. "With McCoy gone, he'll get the whole team effort for the race. I don't think that's enough to make him kill the guy, but it's a start.'
"Maybe he was tired of racing in McCoy'f shadow," Frank ventured as he pulled the van into a parking space near the Bayport Motel, the closest spot they could park to the fairgrounds.
"Yeah," Joe said, opening the van door and jumping out. "And maybe he trashed Scott's engine to have an even better shot at winning the race."
They walked to the fairgrounds. Fuel and exhaust fumes drifted through the air. The entire grounds had been transformed into a giant outdoor garage, bustling with activity.
They passed one of the sheds where a Formula One engine was being revved up. The noise was deafening. "I guess mufflers are optional on these things!" Frank yelled. They found Voss with his head mechanic, making some last-minute adjustments to his car for his final time-trial run. "Is it not a beautiful thing?" The German driver smiled broadly, gesturing with both hands to indicate his 900-horsepower pride and joy. "You are just in time to watch me get the first position with the fastest qualifying time!" Joe stooped down and ran his hand over the smooth, sleek surface of the car. It was contoured to cut through the wind like a knife. "With McCoy gone and Scott Lavin's engine damaged," , he began casually, "I guess you're
When Joe got there, he found Phil sitting up in bed, talking with Frank and Callie.
"Come on in, Joe," Phil greeted him. "Your brother tells me you saved my life. I guess I owe you one."
"I had a little help," Joe replied, looking right at Frank.
"Hey, what are brothers for?" Frank said.
"Look, Frank," Joe started, "I'm sorry — "
"No, I'm sorry," Frank interrupted. "We both said some things we really didn't mean, but at least you had a reason. Scott's your friend, and maybe I should have checked out all the other leads before pointing my finger at him." "Well, I'm beginning to have my doubts, too," he admitted. "I haven't exactly done a tremendous job of digging up evidence that will stick to the other suspects. I thought I had something on Arno, but that guy's got an answer for everything."
"We were lucky he didn't have us arrested for assault," Callie added.
Phil coughed and said, "That reminds me. It took me a long time to go over that electronic device that seems to be so popular with the assault and arson set."
"Did you find out anything?" Frank asked. "Hard to say for sure. The circuitry was too complex for a simple remote triggering device. So you were thinking it was some kind of detonator for a small explosive or something, you'll have to think again."
Phil shrugged. "I could probably tell you more if I had whatever it was connected to."
"Then I guess that's what we'll have to find," joe said. "I wanted to do a little swimming before the end of the season, anyway. How about you?" pe added, nudging his brother. "Last one in is a rotten diver."
"Wait a second," Callie protested. "Before both go leap into the bay and get sucked out to sea by the tides, how about watching a fascinating documentary over at my house?"
Joe slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten to tell his brother about the videocassette. That was what he wanted to talk to Frank in the first place.
"That's okay," Frank said before Joe could open his mouth. "Callie told me all about your little adventure last night. I just can't let the two of you go anywhere without me, can I?"
Frank Hardy clapped his brother on the back and laughed. Then his tone shifted. "From now on," he spoke seriously, "we stick together! wherever the trail leads. Agreed?"
"We both get in too much trouble alone." Joe chuckled and grasped his brother's outstretched right hand. "Agreed."
Joe and Frank decided to take a detour past the Bayport Fairgrounds, so they told Callie they'd meet her at her house.
"Why don't we check out Reinhart Voss," Joe suggested. "With McCoy gone, he'll get the whole team effort for the race. I don't think that's enough to make him kill the guy, but it's a start.'
"Maybe he was tired of racing in McCoy'f shadow," Frank ventured as he pulled the van into a parking space near the Bayport Motel, the closest spot they could park to the fairgrounds.
"Yeah," Joe said, opening the van door and jumping out. "And maybe he trashed Scott's engine to have an even better shot at winning the race."
They walked to the fairgrounds. Fuel and exhaust fumes drifted through the air. The entire grounds had been transformed into a giant outdoor garage, bustling with activity.
They passed one of the sheds where a Formula One engine was being revved up. The noise was deafening. "I guess mufflers are optional on these things!" Frank yelled. They found Voss with his head mechanic, making some last-minute adjustments to his car for his final time-trial run. "Is it not a beautiful thing?" The German driver smiled broadly, gesturing with both hands to indicate his 900-horsepower pride and joy. "You are just in time to watch me get the first position with the fastest qualifying time!" Joe stooped down and ran his hand over the smooth, sleek surface of the car. It was contoured to cut through the wind like a knife. "With McCoy gone and Scott Lavin's engine damaged," , he began casually, "I guess you're
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