"What about the briefcase?" Joe asked turning to look at Frank.
Frank shook his head. "I practically tore it apart," he said. "Nothing."
"It was still a good idea," Fenton said, smiling at his youngest son.
"Good morning," said Dr. Bates entering the room. "You know, I am getting real tired of seeing your name on my list," he admonished Joe. "Let's see if we can't get you out of here and keep you out for awhile, hmm?"
Joe made a face as the others laughed. Dr. Bates pulled the curtain, blocking Laura's view form Joe as he gave Joe a check-up. When he had finished, he stepped to the other side to check on Laura.
"Well?" asked Fenton when Dr. Bates reopened the curtain.
"Joe can go home anytime," Dr. Bates said. "Laura's eyes have returned to normal and the swelling has gone down," he continued. "I know a CAT scan was suggested by the doctor on duty last night but I really don't think one is necessary."
"So I can go home too?" asked Laura, perking up.
"If you continue as you are; later this evening," Dr. Bates said.
Joe snickered but didn't say anything. He was already pulling on his pants. Dr. Bates left to visit his other patients and Joe finished getting dressed. "The coach is going to kill me," he said. "I was supposed to be at practice at seven this morning."
"I'll explain it to him," Frank said. "We need to pay Mr. Wilson a visit."
"I'll do that," volunteered Joe.
"Not a good idea," disagreed Frank.
"You have to go to work after school," Joe reminded him. "I'll ask Biff to go with me after practice," he continued. "That way I won't have to go alone."
"I agree with Frank," put in Fenton with a frown. Joe scowled. "Son, I know you want to help with this investigation and you have..."
"Yeah, right," grumbled Joe.
"Hey, you came up with the revenge theory," Frank reminded him.
"But I'm the only one who has seen the guy," Joe objected. "If I can't do any actual investigating then how am I going to get you to recognize him?"
"I printed up pictures with the profiles last night," Fenton said. "You can go through them this afternoon."
"Peachy," Joe snorted.
"You two had better get to school," Fenton said. "See if Chet found out anything and thank him for helping out."
"We will," Frank promised. "But I'm going to tell him he can quit now. If they think Chet is investigating then I really don't want him there alone at night. Besides, working at night on the weekend is one thing but doing it when he has to go to school is just too much."
"Joe, report to the office," Mrs. Bertrand, Joe's study hall teacher, told him when he entered the classroom.
Joe hurried to the office and found Frank already there waiting to see the principal. The door to his inner sanctum opened as the bell rang announcing the beginning of third period. "Come inside," he invited the boys.
"What's wrong?" asked Frank seeing the worried look on the principal's face. "Has someone else been hurt?"
"Yes," snapped Dylan. "Joe," he said. "Repeatedly. Coach Anderson just informed me of the reason Joe missed practice and homeroom today. I know you are detectives and you are very adept at what you do but this is happening because of a school-sponsored event and I can not allow it to continue."
"You have to give us a couple of more days," begged Joe. "We have a major breakthrough."
"What?" Dylan demanded.
Frank told Principal Dylan about Joe's theory and about how it seemed to be panning out. "We have a great lead that I am going to follow up on this afternoon," Frank concluded.
"And Joe?" demanded Dylan. "I don't think your brother can take many more of these attacks."
"He is staying in Bayport," Frank said. "The guys will keep an eye on him."
"Please?" Joe pleaded again. "Dad is working on this as well."
"He is?" queried Dylan in surprise.
"Once one of us gets hurt, Dad tends to take it personal," Frank informed him.
"And your father is going to let you two keep on investigating?" Dylan inquired looking at the boys thoughtfully.
"Yes, Sir," Frank acknowledged as Joe nodded his head.
"Very well," Dylan said with a sigh. "You may continue. But if after two more days you have not found the party or parties responsible then Bayport High will pull out of the competition."
"That was close," Joe murmured once they were out of the office.
"You're telling me," Frank concurred. "But I do agree with him."
"About what?" asked Joe curiously.
"You can't take many more attacks," Frank replied. "Be extra careful today, huh?"
"I will," Joe promised. "But you're the one walking into the line of fire. I wish you weren't going to see Wilson."
"I'll watch my step," Frank promised. "I better run," he said. "I won't get to have lunch with you today. I need to get my homework done before school is over."
"Okay," Joe said. He was kind of glad Frank wasn't going to be at lunch because he wasn't going to be there either. His stomach was hurting and although he knew he was supposed to eat the lunch his dad had fixed and brought to the hospital for him to bring, he just couldn't do it.
Frank shook his head. "I practically tore it apart," he said. "Nothing."
"It was still a good idea," Fenton said, smiling at his youngest son.
"Good morning," said Dr. Bates entering the room. "You know, I am getting real tired of seeing your name on my list," he admonished Joe. "Let's see if we can't get you out of here and keep you out for awhile, hmm?"
Joe made a face as the others laughed. Dr. Bates pulled the curtain, blocking Laura's view form Joe as he gave Joe a check-up. When he had finished, he stepped to the other side to check on Laura.
"Well?" asked Fenton when Dr. Bates reopened the curtain.
"Joe can go home anytime," Dr. Bates said. "Laura's eyes have returned to normal and the swelling has gone down," he continued. "I know a CAT scan was suggested by the doctor on duty last night but I really don't think one is necessary."
"So I can go home too?" asked Laura, perking up.
"If you continue as you are; later this evening," Dr. Bates said.
Joe snickered but didn't say anything. He was already pulling on his pants. Dr. Bates left to visit his other patients and Joe finished getting dressed. "The coach is going to kill me," he said. "I was supposed to be at practice at seven this morning."
"I'll explain it to him," Frank said. "We need to pay Mr. Wilson a visit."
"I'll do that," volunteered Joe.
"Not a good idea," disagreed Frank.
"You have to go to work after school," Joe reminded him. "I'll ask Biff to go with me after practice," he continued. "That way I won't have to go alone."
"I agree with Frank," put in Fenton with a frown. Joe scowled. "Son, I know you want to help with this investigation and you have..."
"Yeah, right," grumbled Joe.
"Hey, you came up with the revenge theory," Frank reminded him.
"But I'm the only one who has seen the guy," Joe objected. "If I can't do any actual investigating then how am I going to get you to recognize him?"
"I printed up pictures with the profiles last night," Fenton said. "You can go through them this afternoon."
"Peachy," Joe snorted.
"You two had better get to school," Fenton said. "See if Chet found out anything and thank him for helping out."
"We will," Frank promised. "But I'm going to tell him he can quit now. If they think Chet is investigating then I really don't want him there alone at night. Besides, working at night on the weekend is one thing but doing it when he has to go to school is just too much."
"Joe, report to the office," Mrs. Bertrand, Joe's study hall teacher, told him when he entered the classroom.
Joe hurried to the office and found Frank already there waiting to see the principal. The door to his inner sanctum opened as the bell rang announcing the beginning of third period. "Come inside," he invited the boys.
"What's wrong?" asked Frank seeing the worried look on the principal's face. "Has someone else been hurt?"
"Yes," snapped Dylan. "Joe," he said. "Repeatedly. Coach Anderson just informed me of the reason Joe missed practice and homeroom today. I know you are detectives and you are very adept at what you do but this is happening because of a school-sponsored event and I can not allow it to continue."
"You have to give us a couple of more days," begged Joe. "We have a major breakthrough."
"What?" Dylan demanded.
Frank told Principal Dylan about Joe's theory and about how it seemed to be panning out. "We have a great lead that I am going to follow up on this afternoon," Frank concluded.
"And Joe?" demanded Dylan. "I don't think your brother can take many more of these attacks."
"He is staying in Bayport," Frank said. "The guys will keep an eye on him."
"Please?" Joe pleaded again. "Dad is working on this as well."
"He is?" queried Dylan in surprise.
"Once one of us gets hurt, Dad tends to take it personal," Frank informed him.
"And your father is going to let you two keep on investigating?" Dylan inquired looking at the boys thoughtfully.
"Yes, Sir," Frank acknowledged as Joe nodded his head.
"Very well," Dylan said with a sigh. "You may continue. But if after two more days you have not found the party or parties responsible then Bayport High will pull out of the competition."
"That was close," Joe murmured once they were out of the office.
"You're telling me," Frank concurred. "But I do agree with him."
"About what?" asked Joe curiously.
"You can't take many more attacks," Frank replied. "Be extra careful today, huh?"
"I will," Joe promised. "But you're the one walking into the line of fire. I wish you weren't going to see Wilson."
"I'll watch my step," Frank promised. "I better run," he said. "I won't get to have lunch with you today. I need to get my homework done before school is over."
"Okay," Joe said. He was kind of glad Frank wasn't going to be at lunch because he wasn't going to be there either. His stomach was hurting and although he knew he was supposed to eat the lunch his dad had fixed and brought to the hospital for him to bring, he just couldn't do it.
