Phil waited at the hospital with the Hardys excusing himself only to call his parents and let them know he would be late in getting home.
"How is he?" Laura demanded of the emergency room doctor when he came into the waiting area.
"Joe is fine," Dr. Mason replied with a smile. "He had some glass in the side of one of his legs but it wasn't deep and I removed it and cleaned the wounds. He can go home."
"Thank you," Fenton said, shaking the doctor's hand before he left. "Let's go home," he added as Joe was wheeled into view.
They bid goodbye to Phil who said he would be over the next afternoon to look after Joe before leaving. Then Frank helped Joe into the car as their parents climbed into the front seat. "Did anyone think to get my gym bag?" asked Joe.
"No," Fenton answered. "But don't worry, we'll get you a new one."
"I need this one," Joe declined the offer. "Principal Dylan gave me a copy of the contract with Braun Enterprises to go over."
"I'll swing by the garage and get it out of the car," offered Frank.
"You will do no such thing," Laura contradicted him. "Your father can get it. You are both going to have some dinner and then go straight to bed."
Frank awoke early the next morning and went to check on his brother who was still sleeping soundly. Deciding not to awaken him, Frank took his shower, brushed his teeth, got dressed and headed down the hall to his father's office. He walked in to see his father reading the contract he had retrieved from the wrecked car the night before.
"I would have thought you had already gone over that," Frank commented in surprise from the doorway.
Fenton looked up, his concerned brown eyes meeting Frank's curious ones. "I did," he admitted, leaning back with a sigh. "This is the weirdest contract I have ever seen. I think I am going to take it to Barry Crumpler and have him look it over." Crumpler was an attorney in town whom his father consulted on cases that involved questionable contracts.
"What's wrong with it??" Frank asked, entering the office and taking a seat in front of his father's desk.
"From what I can tell, the tournament will only take place if at least three of the schools in the district compete," Fenton began.
"Makes sense," Frank said. "You couldn't have a competition if there weren't any competitors."
"True," agreed Fenton, wishing Frank would let him finish before interrupting. "But if less than three schools compete then the tournament gets canceled and Braun Enterprises does not have to uphold its side of the contract. However," Fenton stressed, "the schools would still have to purchase all of their computer needs from Braun Enterprises with a minimum total of three million dollars spread out over the next three years."
"Sounds like they are just protecting their interests," Frank said.
"It does," agreed Fenton, his tone hesitant.
"What's bugging you?" Frank asked curiously.
"It's the wording," Fenton admitted. "There's just something about the three million dollars of merchandise the schools must purchase clause that doesn't sound right."
"I admit, that's a lot of money," said Frank, frowning. "But there are a lot of schools in this district and it has been in the news that Dr. Vaughn has been trying to upgrade."
"I know," Fenton replied, still frowning. "I still want Crumpler to look it over," he added, folding the papers up and opening his briefcase. "What are you doing today?"
"I have to be at work by two," answered Frank. "And Joe had practice this morning at ten and again this afternoon at four. I can't go to the one later but I am going to be there this morning."
"Who will be watching your brother later?" asked Fenton.
"Phil will be here at one," Frank informed his father. "He's going to keep an eye on Joe when I can't."
"Good," Fenton said. "I really don't want your brother to be alone until this is over," he ended as the phone rang. "Hello?" he said, picking up the receiver. "Just a minute," he said before handing the handset to Frank.
"Hello?" asked Frank, taking the receiver and holding it up to his ear.
"Hi, this is Clint Reins," Clint said. "My mother said you stopped by my place yesterday and asked me to call you. I would have called last night but I didn't get in until late."
"Practicing?" inquired Frank.
"No," Clint answered. "Trying to talk the principal into letting me compete. He heard Southport pulled out of the competition yesterday morning and Cornwell last night to protect the students and he wanted to as well."
"Did you convince him not to withdraw?" inquired Frank, his brows drawing together as his lips formed a frown.
"Unfortunately, no," Clint replied. "He was going to place the call to the superintendent first thing this morning and withdraw."
"I'm sorry," Frank apologized. "But at least you and the other student won't be in any danger now."
"You're right," Cling agreed. "But it makes me mad to think Sara got hurt for no reason."
"Don't worry," Frank assured him. "Whoever is behind this isn't going to get away with it."
"I know," Clint said and Frank could hear the grin behind his words. "You're the Hardys!"
Frank hung up and relayed the information to his father. "One more school down," Fenton stated grimly. "With Emily and Nick our of the running, they only have to fix it so Joe can't compete to put the clause into effect."
"How is he?" Laura demanded of the emergency room doctor when he came into the waiting area.
"Joe is fine," Dr. Mason replied with a smile. "He had some glass in the side of one of his legs but it wasn't deep and I removed it and cleaned the wounds. He can go home."
"Thank you," Fenton said, shaking the doctor's hand before he left. "Let's go home," he added as Joe was wheeled into view.
They bid goodbye to Phil who said he would be over the next afternoon to look after Joe before leaving. Then Frank helped Joe into the car as their parents climbed into the front seat. "Did anyone think to get my gym bag?" asked Joe.
"No," Fenton answered. "But don't worry, we'll get you a new one."
"I need this one," Joe declined the offer. "Principal Dylan gave me a copy of the contract with Braun Enterprises to go over."
"I'll swing by the garage and get it out of the car," offered Frank.
"You will do no such thing," Laura contradicted him. "Your father can get it. You are both going to have some dinner and then go straight to bed."
Frank awoke early the next morning and went to check on his brother who was still sleeping soundly. Deciding not to awaken him, Frank took his shower, brushed his teeth, got dressed and headed down the hall to his father's office. He walked in to see his father reading the contract he had retrieved from the wrecked car the night before.
"I would have thought you had already gone over that," Frank commented in surprise from the doorway.
Fenton looked up, his concerned brown eyes meeting Frank's curious ones. "I did," he admitted, leaning back with a sigh. "This is the weirdest contract I have ever seen. I think I am going to take it to Barry Crumpler and have him look it over." Crumpler was an attorney in town whom his father consulted on cases that involved questionable contracts.
"What's wrong with it??" Frank asked, entering the office and taking a seat in front of his father's desk.
"From what I can tell, the tournament will only take place if at least three of the schools in the district compete," Fenton began.
"Makes sense," Frank said. "You couldn't have a competition if there weren't any competitors."
"True," agreed Fenton, wishing Frank would let him finish before interrupting. "But if less than three schools compete then the tournament gets canceled and Braun Enterprises does not have to uphold its side of the contract. However," Fenton stressed, "the schools would still have to purchase all of their computer needs from Braun Enterprises with a minimum total of three million dollars spread out over the next three years."
"Sounds like they are just protecting their interests," Frank said.
"It does," agreed Fenton, his tone hesitant.
"What's bugging you?" Frank asked curiously.
"It's the wording," Fenton admitted. "There's just something about the three million dollars of merchandise the schools must purchase clause that doesn't sound right."
"I admit, that's a lot of money," said Frank, frowning. "But there are a lot of schools in this district and it has been in the news that Dr. Vaughn has been trying to upgrade."
"I know," Fenton replied, still frowning. "I still want Crumpler to look it over," he added, folding the papers up and opening his briefcase. "What are you doing today?"
"I have to be at work by two," answered Frank. "And Joe had practice this morning at ten and again this afternoon at four. I can't go to the one later but I am going to be there this morning."
"Who will be watching your brother later?" asked Fenton.
"Phil will be here at one," Frank informed his father. "He's going to keep an eye on Joe when I can't."
"Good," Fenton said. "I really don't want your brother to be alone until this is over," he ended as the phone rang. "Hello?" he said, picking up the receiver. "Just a minute," he said before handing the handset to Frank.
"Hello?" asked Frank, taking the receiver and holding it up to his ear.
"Hi, this is Clint Reins," Clint said. "My mother said you stopped by my place yesterday and asked me to call you. I would have called last night but I didn't get in until late."
"Practicing?" inquired Frank.
"No," Clint answered. "Trying to talk the principal into letting me compete. He heard Southport pulled out of the competition yesterday morning and Cornwell last night to protect the students and he wanted to as well."
"Did you convince him not to withdraw?" inquired Frank, his brows drawing together as his lips formed a frown.
"Unfortunately, no," Clint replied. "He was going to place the call to the superintendent first thing this morning and withdraw."
"I'm sorry," Frank apologized. "But at least you and the other student won't be in any danger now."
"You're right," Cling agreed. "But it makes me mad to think Sara got hurt for no reason."
"Don't worry," Frank assured him. "Whoever is behind this isn't going to get away with it."
"I know," Clint said and Frank could hear the grin behind his words. "You're the Hardys!"
Frank hung up and relayed the information to his father. "One more school down," Fenton stated grimly. "With Emily and Nick our of the running, they only have to fix it so Joe can't compete to put the clause into effect."
