joined the mechanics, watching closely as they tuned the shiny blue Maserati that would go off the cliff hours later. Frank took the car out for a practice spin, getting a feel for it.
Around noon, they broke for lunch. Frank and Joe headed for the food tent and found themselves in a cafeteria line with trays. "Just like school," Frank said. "I just hope the food is better."
Joe looked over the selection and shook his head. "Not likely," he said.
Frank and Joe spotted Janet, looking unhappy, seated at a small table.
"Maybe she'd cheer up if we brought her into the picture," Frank suggested.
Joe creased a brow. "What do you mean?"
"We know that she's not our saboteur," Frank said. "No way would she injure her own father."
"And if she was the bad guy," Joe added, "no way would she go to the police."
"What's more," Joe said, "we can use an ally."
Janet managed to smile as they approached her.
"How's your dad?" Joe asked, standing across from her with his tray.
"About the same, but the doctor says he will pull out of it. Do you want to sit down, Frank and Joe?"
"The Frank and Joe is right, but not the Harris," Frank said, pulling out his chair. "Our last name is Hardy."
Speaking in whispers, Frank and Joe told her of their undercover investigation and of their adventures at the airport.
Janet banged the table with her fist. Joe's vegetable soup slopped all over his tray.
"You see," she said excitedly. "That proves these accidents weren't my father's fault."
She stood and waited for Frank and Joe to join her. Joe picked up his sandwich and then Janet whisked them out the side door. "I've got something to show you."
She led them to the captain's trailer, dug out her key, and went in. She flicked on the lights then knelt to open a bottom dresser drawer.
"My father knows the stunts are being sabotaged," she explained. "So I began to wonder if maybe he was hurt because of what he knew. Maybe he'd gathered some evidence." She pulled a memo pad out from under a pile of sweaters. "This is what I found. The handwriting is my father's." Frank and Joe read from the pad.
Stunt Materials Missing
4 Twenty-Foot Wound Ropes
2 Pulleys
8 Flashlights
2 Sets of Walkie-Talkies
1 Wrench
1 Pair of Wire Clippers
"Why would anyone need all that stuff?" Joe wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Frank said. "The captain must have been close to finding out. If only we had seen that missing film."
"Yeah, the saboteur really fouled up and got caught by the camera. But he still managed to clear his tracks."
"Maybe all the tracks weren't covered," Frank said. "Maybe we just need a gimmick to flush him out."
"A gimmick." Janet rose to her feet. She took the pad from Joe and placed it back under the sweaters.
"Come on," she said, looking at her watch. "I've got to go practice my stunt. But I think I have the perfect idea." She led them back outside and locked the door. "Meet me at seven at my trailer. I'm going to bait and hook our fish."
"Janet." Frank grabbed her arm. "What have you got in mind?"
"You'll see."
"Don't play games," Joe warned her. "If you make the wrong move, you could get killed."
"My plan is perfect," she said, running off.
At seven Frank and Joe left the stunt building and herded for Janet's trailer. "I wonder what she has in mind?" Joe said. "I guess we're about to find out." Frank suddenly stopped and pointed across the lot. "There she is. Hey, Janet!"
But Janet didn't seem to hear. She kept walking toward her trailer. Frank and Joe followed the back of her black satin jacket, the logo for The Lost Princess glittering as she walked.
"Hey, Janet!" Joe shouted.
The girl glanced over her shoulder. When she spotted Frank and Joe approaching, she abruptly took off — away from them.
"Janet, stop!" Joe shouted.
But she didn't stop she cut her way around props and crew members.
"Something's wrong," Frank said.
They chased her along a path, lost sight of her for a moment, then caught another glimpse of her
Around noon, they broke for lunch. Frank and Joe headed for the food tent and found themselves in a cafeteria line with trays. "Just like school," Frank said. "I just hope the food is better."
Joe looked over the selection and shook his head. "Not likely," he said.
Frank and Joe spotted Janet, looking unhappy, seated at a small table.
"Maybe she'd cheer up if we brought her into the picture," Frank suggested.
Joe creased a brow. "What do you mean?"
"We know that she's not our saboteur," Frank said. "No way would she injure her own father."
"And if she was the bad guy," Joe added, "no way would she go to the police."
"What's more," Joe said, "we can use an ally."
Janet managed to smile as they approached her.
"How's your dad?" Joe asked, standing across from her with his tray.
"About the same, but the doctor says he will pull out of it. Do you want to sit down, Frank and Joe?"
"The Frank and Joe is right, but not the Harris," Frank said, pulling out his chair. "Our last name is Hardy."
Speaking in whispers, Frank and Joe told her of their undercover investigation and of their adventures at the airport.
Janet banged the table with her fist. Joe's vegetable soup slopped all over his tray.
"You see," she said excitedly. "That proves these accidents weren't my father's fault."
She stood and waited for Frank and Joe to join her. Joe picked up his sandwich and then Janet whisked them out the side door. "I've got something to show you."
She led them to the captain's trailer, dug out her key, and went in. She flicked on the lights then knelt to open a bottom dresser drawer.
"My father knows the stunts are being sabotaged," she explained. "So I began to wonder if maybe he was hurt because of what he knew. Maybe he'd gathered some evidence." She pulled a memo pad out from under a pile of sweaters. "This is what I found. The handwriting is my father's." Frank and Joe read from the pad.
Stunt Materials Missing
4 Twenty-Foot Wound Ropes
2 Pulleys
8 Flashlights
2 Sets of Walkie-Talkies
1 Wrench
1 Pair of Wire Clippers
"Why would anyone need all that stuff?" Joe wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Frank said. "The captain must have been close to finding out. If only we had seen that missing film."
"Yeah, the saboteur really fouled up and got caught by the camera. But he still managed to clear his tracks."
"Maybe all the tracks weren't covered," Frank said. "Maybe we just need a gimmick to flush him out."
"A gimmick." Janet rose to her feet. She took the pad from Joe and placed it back under the sweaters.
"Come on," she said, looking at her watch. "I've got to go practice my stunt. But I think I have the perfect idea." She led them back outside and locked the door. "Meet me at seven at my trailer. I'm going to bait and hook our fish."
"Janet." Frank grabbed her arm. "What have you got in mind?"
"You'll see."
"Don't play games," Joe warned her. "If you make the wrong move, you could get killed."
"My plan is perfect," she said, running off.
At seven Frank and Joe left the stunt building and herded for Janet's trailer. "I wonder what she has in mind?" Joe said. "I guess we're about to find out." Frank suddenly stopped and pointed across the lot. "There she is. Hey, Janet!"
But Janet didn't seem to hear. She kept walking toward her trailer. Frank and Joe followed the back of her black satin jacket, the logo for The Lost Princess glittering as she walked.
"Hey, Janet!" Joe shouted.
The girl glanced over her shoulder. When she spotted Frank and Joe approaching, she abruptly took off — away from them.
"Janet, stop!" Joe shouted.
But she didn't stop she cut her way around props and crew members.
"Something's wrong," Frank said.
They chased her along a path, lost sight of her for a moment, then caught another glimpse of her
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