Collision Course Read Online Free PDF Page B

floor.
    Frank Hardy struggled through a fog to see his brother's face staring down at him. "Joe?" he croaked. "What happened?"
    Joe was sitting cross-legged on the floor, cradling Frank's head in his lap. "You almost got yourself killed from the looks of it," he said.
    "Somebody knocked me out!" Frank exclaimed, struggling to sit up as the mist started to clear from his brain.
    "Yeah," Joe agreed. " You did." He pointed to a heavy duty hoist and a racing engine lying on its side on the garage floor, under a single light that he had switched on. "You must have tripped the hoist release by accident, stumbling around in the dark like a blind cat burglar. If you'd been standing a little more to the left, that engine would have done more than just knock you out before it crashed into the floor."
    "How did you know where to find me?" Frank asked as Joe helped him get up.
    "It wasn't too hard," Joe snapped. "Phil couldn't tell you if there was any connection between that hunk of electronics you found and McCoy's accident, so you came back here, hoping to dig up some other evidence. But you're on the wrong track this time."
    Frank rubbed his aching head—and remembered something. "There was somebody else in the garage. I heard him—just before my lights bent out. He whacked me on the side of the head, and then he must have released the engine from the hoist to make it look like an accident." "Just look at that engine," Joe said. "We'll be lucky to get it fixed before the race. You can't blame this on Scott."
    ' He scowled and stared around the garage. You know, Frank, there are other drivers besides Scott in this race. Maybe somebody did sabotage McCoy's car, but it wasn't Scott." "Maybe I was getting too close to the truth," "Frank persisted, "and Scott trashed his own engine to put me out of commission and throw me off the trail at the same time." Joe's anger blew away his concern for his brother. "You don't give up, do you?" he snouted. "I know Scott Lavin, and I'm telling you he didn't do it!"
    "And I might have known I'd find the two of you here," another voice interrupted. Frank and Joe whirled around to see police officer Con Riley. "If there's trouble in Bayport, the Hardy brothers can't be far away." Riley hoisted the service revolver that he had pointed at the Hardys a moment before. "But somehow I can't see the pair of you as car thieves," he continued. "Someone reported seeing a prowler break in here, and I arrive on the scene to find Frank and Joe Hardy. I can't wait to hear the explanation."
    If the Hardys had a friend on the Bayport police force, it was Con Riley. Riley would be willing to cut them a little slack, but he wouldn't let them walk away from a breaking and entering charge—at least, not without a really good explanation.
    Before Frank could say anything, Joe started talking. "I'm working for Scott Lavin, helping him get ready for the race," he said quickly. "I came back to finish up some work." '
    Riley glanced at the damaged engine lying on the floor. "Scott's really going to appreciate your dedication," he observed dryly. He looked around some more and said, "I don't see any signs of forced entry, but why don't we give Scott a call and check out your story?"
    "Sure." Frank abruptly changed the subject. "Say, Con, do you know if the divers have recovered Angus McCoy's body yet?"
    "Not yet, and they probably never will."
    "Why? What do you mean?"
    "They finally did find the car, but the body wasn't there. They think the currents must have carried it out to sea."
    "I don't get it." Joe frowned. "He was strapped in with a double shoulder harness, a lap belt, and leg straps. How could the body go anywhere?"
    Riley shrugged. "He was a race car driver and trained to react quickly in emergencies. Maybe he popped the belt releases, hoping he could survive the crash if he didn't go down with the car. Now I think you boys had better make that call to Lavin."
    But before they could find a phone, Riley was