"What kept you?" Joe asked Frank and his dad as they entered the room.
Frank's answer was a smile as he ruffled Joe's still slightly damp hair. "How are you two?" he asked, looking from Joe to his mother.
"I have a humdinger of a headache, but I'll live," Laura replied, smiling because she could see all of her family was safe.
"And I just want to go home," grumbled Joe.
"Tough," Laura said, glaring at him. "The doctor said you are staying overnight and you will."
"Yes, ma'am," Joe mumbled.
"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Chief Collig.
"Yes," Joe answered. "The guy in the cowboy hat was waiting for me in my bedroom."
"He couldn't have been," objected Frank. "He was at the plant."
"Sounds like there may be two men involved who wear cowboy hats," Laura observed.
"Or someone trying to frame Curtis," Fenton added thoughtfully.
"But I found those pictures in his drawer," objected Frank.
"Another attempt to implicate him," suggested Joe.
"The only way that would work would be if they knew I, or someone, was on the inside investigating," pointed out Frank.
"They could be on the lookout for anyone new," reasoned Joe. "Didn't Chet get the job as a janitor?" Frank nodded. "And Curtis is in charge of him," Joe continued. "Maybe they planted the pictures in Curtis' office because they think Chet may be undercover."
"That would explain whey Matthews has been spending so much time with me," said Frank. "He even gave me a briefcase."
"Like Principal Dylan's?" asked Joe, his eyes narrowing on his brother. Frank nodded. "Don't you think it is odd how they always seem to know what's going on?" he asked.
"You will have to explain that one," Fenton declared.
"How did they know who the contestants were?" Joe asked. "Principal Dylan told us about the tournament and asked us to be the school champions the day after he found out and even then he said we could refuse if we wanted too."
"Go on," Collig ordered, not following yet.
"The wreck that hurt the two kids from Cornwell happened Friday morning," Joe reminded him. "How did they know who to go after?"
"That's a very good question," Fenton applauded his son's train of thought.
"Too, no one has tried to attack Emily or Nick since Principal Dylan found out they quit and I would be the only one to participate," Joe continued. "And why were they trying so hard to get me even before Emily and Nick quit?"
"Because someone overheard the principal call you a natural?" asked Frank, although he was beginning to see what Joe was getting at. "But you think they know what's going on because they are listening." Joe nodded. "Then we need to check the briefcase to see if it's been bugged," Frank decided. "If it is, then it's a safe bet all of the others that Braun handed out are as well."
"I think I should finish checking the employees," Fenton said.
"I don't think it's safe to leave mom and Joe alone," Frank stated with a frown.
"Agreed," seconded Collig. "I'll arrange a guard."
"Fenton, there's been another accident," Collig said, calling the Hardy home early the next morning.
"Laura? Joe?" gasped Fenton, his heart thudding as he looked across the room at Frank.
"No, no," Collig quickly calmed him. "Todd Smeth from Tomlin High School," He said. "He was out jogging earlier this morning and someone ran him down. He's in critical condition."
"Thanks for letting us know," Fenton said before bidding him goodbye.
After hanging up, Fenton related the news to Frank. "More evidence for Joe's theory," said Frank. "Otherwise why not try to finish off Joe or the other two constantans from Mercury?"
"Joe's theory is holding up," agreed Fenton. "Let's go to the hospital and I will tell you what I learned last night. I think it's only fair Joe gets to hear it at the same time."
Frank's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Joe's been bummed because he hasn't gotten to help with the investigating but it looks like he's going to be the one to solve the mystery anyway."
"Breakfast," the volunteer said as she brought in two trays of food.
"Great!" Joe said. "I'm famished." He never did get to eat dinner the previous evening.
"Something light for you, Mrs. Hardy," the middle-aged woman said, setting the tray on the rolling table and pushing it up to her.
"Thank you," Laura said, lifting the lid and grimacing. It didn't look very appetizing but, like Joe, she hadn't eaten the night before either.
"And something a bit more substantial for you since you get to go home this morning," the volunteer said, setting Joe's tray down on his roll away.
Joe lifted the lid and looked at his breakfast eagerly. "Thanks," he said, not caring that it looked as appetizing as his mother's did. The woman left as the two began eating.
Fenton and Frank arrived as the two were finishing. "Hi, Babe," Fenton said, leaning down and kissing the top of Laura's head. "Joe," he added, looking over at his youngest son and smiling. "You both look better this morning."
"We are," Laura acknowledged, smiling up at him.
"One of the kids from Tomlin was run-down this morning," Frank informed them, sitting down in a chair by Joe's bed after kissing his mother's cheek. "He's in critical condition."
"And I finished looking into the backgrounds of the people at Braun Enterprises who have a connection to the tournament," Fenton picked up. "Matthew's sister is married to Michael Wilson."
"The guy the stolen truck belonged to," commented Frank, surprise evident in his voice.
"And Wilson was let go a few days before being diagnosed with leukemia."
"So maybe Wilson is behind this?" asked Joe. "He got his brother-in-law to help?"
"I believe so," concurred Fenton. "He wants revenge against the company for firing him and canceling his insurance."
"But the company didn't know," Joe said. "You just said he was diagnosed after he was fired."
"True," Fenton agreed with the latter part of Joe's comment. "But I did some more checking. Wilson, Reeds, Hill, Layfil, and several other people, all diagnosed with some form of cancer, were seen by doctors assigned to them by the company. Different doctors but still with a loyalty to Braun Enterprises."
"You think Braun knows about the illnesses before the patient?" asked Frank. "And they are being fired before the diagnosis is passed on?"
"I do," acknowledged Fenton. "I also believe that there is something at Braun that is causing the cancer."
"That's horrible," declared Laura.
"There's more," Fenton said. "Braun Enterprises underwrites the policies. They wouldn't have to just pay the insurance; they would have to pay all expenses."
Frank's answer was a smile as he ruffled Joe's still slightly damp hair. "How are you two?" he asked, looking from Joe to his mother.
"I have a humdinger of a headache, but I'll live," Laura replied, smiling because she could see all of her family was safe.
"And I just want to go home," grumbled Joe.
"Tough," Laura said, glaring at him. "The doctor said you are staying overnight and you will."
"Yes, ma'am," Joe mumbled.
"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Chief Collig.
"Yes," Joe answered. "The guy in the cowboy hat was waiting for me in my bedroom."
"He couldn't have been," objected Frank. "He was at the plant."
"Sounds like there may be two men involved who wear cowboy hats," Laura observed.
"Or someone trying to frame Curtis," Fenton added thoughtfully.
"But I found those pictures in his drawer," objected Frank.
"Another attempt to implicate him," suggested Joe.
"The only way that would work would be if they knew I, or someone, was on the inside investigating," pointed out Frank.
"They could be on the lookout for anyone new," reasoned Joe. "Didn't Chet get the job as a janitor?" Frank nodded. "And Curtis is in charge of him," Joe continued. "Maybe they planted the pictures in Curtis' office because they think Chet may be undercover."
"That would explain whey Matthews has been spending so much time with me," said Frank. "He even gave me a briefcase."
"Like Principal Dylan's?" asked Joe, his eyes narrowing on his brother. Frank nodded. "Don't you think it is odd how they always seem to know what's going on?" he asked.
"You will have to explain that one," Fenton declared.
"How did they know who the contestants were?" Joe asked. "Principal Dylan told us about the tournament and asked us to be the school champions the day after he found out and even then he said we could refuse if we wanted too."
"Go on," Collig ordered, not following yet.
"The wreck that hurt the two kids from Cornwell happened Friday morning," Joe reminded him. "How did they know who to go after?"
"That's a very good question," Fenton applauded his son's train of thought.
"Too, no one has tried to attack Emily or Nick since Principal Dylan found out they quit and I would be the only one to participate," Joe continued. "And why were they trying so hard to get me even before Emily and Nick quit?"
"Because someone overheard the principal call you a natural?" asked Frank, although he was beginning to see what Joe was getting at. "But you think they know what's going on because they are listening." Joe nodded. "Then we need to check the briefcase to see if it's been bugged," Frank decided. "If it is, then it's a safe bet all of the others that Braun handed out are as well."
"I think I should finish checking the employees," Fenton said.
"I don't think it's safe to leave mom and Joe alone," Frank stated with a frown.
"Agreed," seconded Collig. "I'll arrange a guard."
"Fenton, there's been another accident," Collig said, calling the Hardy home early the next morning.
"Laura? Joe?" gasped Fenton, his heart thudding as he looked across the room at Frank.
"No, no," Collig quickly calmed him. "Todd Smeth from Tomlin High School," He said. "He was out jogging earlier this morning and someone ran him down. He's in critical condition."
"Thanks for letting us know," Fenton said before bidding him goodbye.
After hanging up, Fenton related the news to Frank. "More evidence for Joe's theory," said Frank. "Otherwise why not try to finish off Joe or the other two constantans from Mercury?"
"Joe's theory is holding up," agreed Fenton. "Let's go to the hospital and I will tell you what I learned last night. I think it's only fair Joe gets to hear it at the same time."
Frank's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Joe's been bummed because he hasn't gotten to help with the investigating but it looks like he's going to be the one to solve the mystery anyway."
"Breakfast," the volunteer said as she brought in two trays of food.
"Great!" Joe said. "I'm famished." He never did get to eat dinner the previous evening.
"Something light for you, Mrs. Hardy," the middle-aged woman said, setting the tray on the rolling table and pushing it up to her.
"Thank you," Laura said, lifting the lid and grimacing. It didn't look very appetizing but, like Joe, she hadn't eaten the night before either.
"And something a bit more substantial for you since you get to go home this morning," the volunteer said, setting Joe's tray down on his roll away.
Joe lifted the lid and looked at his breakfast eagerly. "Thanks," he said, not caring that it looked as appetizing as his mother's did. The woman left as the two began eating.
Fenton and Frank arrived as the two were finishing. "Hi, Babe," Fenton said, leaning down and kissing the top of Laura's head. "Joe," he added, looking over at his youngest son and smiling. "You both look better this morning."
"We are," Laura acknowledged, smiling up at him.
"One of the kids from Tomlin was run-down this morning," Frank informed them, sitting down in a chair by Joe's bed after kissing his mother's cheek. "He's in critical condition."
"And I finished looking into the backgrounds of the people at Braun Enterprises who have a connection to the tournament," Fenton picked up. "Matthew's sister is married to Michael Wilson."
"The guy the stolen truck belonged to," commented Frank, surprise evident in his voice.
"And Wilson was let go a few days before being diagnosed with leukemia."
"So maybe Wilson is behind this?" asked Joe. "He got his brother-in-law to help?"
"I believe so," concurred Fenton. "He wants revenge against the company for firing him and canceling his insurance."
"But the company didn't know," Joe said. "You just said he was diagnosed after he was fired."
"True," Fenton agreed with the latter part of Joe's comment. "But I did some more checking. Wilson, Reeds, Hill, Layfil, and several other people, all diagnosed with some form of cancer, were seen by doctors assigned to them by the company. Different doctors but still with a loyalty to Braun Enterprises."
"You think Braun knows about the illnesses before the patient?" asked Frank. "And they are being fired before the diagnosis is passed on?"
"I do," acknowledged Fenton. "I also believe that there is something at Braun that is causing the cancer."
"That's horrible," declared Laura.
"There's more," Fenton said. "Braun Enterprises underwrites the policies. They wouldn't have to just pay the insurance; they would have to pay all expenses."
