Frank groaned and sat up. "Are you okay?" Jonny asked, worried.

"I think so," Frank answered and raised a hand to his head. It wasn't bleeding. "How did we stop?" he asked. "And where did our friends go?"

"They took off when you hit your head," Jonny told him. "I grabbed the steering wheel but I couldn't reach the brakes so I killed the motor," Jonny said. "We coasted to a stop."

They got out of the car and looked at the damage. "Mom's going to love this," Frank said with a grimace. "We didn't want anyone to spot our van and Joe at the same time so we borrowed her car," Frank explained to Jonny.

Jonny flagged down a car and the driver offered them a ride to the nearest gas station.

Frank used the station's phone to call his dad and explain about the accident. "Dad, I know it's late, but you'd better call Mr. Harrison and have him come over," Frank said.

"Why?" asked Mr. Hardy.

"I'll tell you when you get here," Frank promised.

When Mr. Hardy arrived, Frank and Jonny were waiting outside. "It looks like we'l have to find another way of locating Jonny," Mr. Hardy said on the way home. "Since your cover's blown, it isn't safe for you to go back."

"We've already located Jonny," Frank said with a faint smile. "Dad, meet Jonathan Harrison, the Third."

Mr. Hardy quickly glanced into the back seat where Jonny sat. "What happened?" he asked. "And where's Joe?"

"I'm afraid they've kidnapped him," Jonny informed him. "They think he's me."

"And if Joe can keep up the charade until we find him we may be able to save him," Frank added. He then launched into detail about the day's events.

When they reached the Hardy household, Mr. Harrison was waiting on the front porch. Mrs. Hardy had left early that evening and was staying over with a friend.

"My word," exclaimed Mr. Harrison as he spotted Frank with a bruise on his forehead. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Frank assured the man with a smile.

Jonny stepped out from behind Frank. "Hello," he said softly.

"Hello Joe," Mr. Harrison said. "Any word yet on Jonny?" he asked hopefully.

"I am Jonny," Jonny said and ran to his father and hugged him.

Mr. Hardy unlocked the front door and ushered everyone inside. He and Frank went to the kitchen and made coffee allowing the Harrisons a brief private reunion.

Upon the Hardy's return to the living room, Jonny launched into the events that had led to his disappearance. Frank took over from there and brought them up to date, ending with the accident.

"What are you going to do about Joe?" Mr. Harrison asked, concerned.

"Jonny has to be Joe," Frank told him. "If they find out who Joe really is, they'll kill him."

"But they're trying to kill both of you now," Mr. Harrison argued.

"Because they think I'm Joe," Jonny reminded his dad.

Mr. Harrison nodded his head and took a deep breath. He looked over at Mr. Hardy. "What's your next course of action?"

"We need to find out what Sommer Daniels has against you," Frank answered for his father.

"And how that ties in with what's happening now," Mr. Hardy said, then added, "I think Agent Samuels should be called in for this meeting. If he or his men were involved then Temple and the others wouldn't have mistaken Joe for Jonny at the boarding house."

Mr. Hardy put in a call to Agent Samuels while the others waited. "He'll be here at six in the morning," he told them after he had hung up. "There's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's all get some rest."

Mr. Hardy put Mr. Harrison in the downstairs guest room and Jonny took Joe's bed.

The next morning found everyone having a light breakfast when the doorbell rang. Frank went to answer it and by the time he and Agent Samuels reached the living room, Jonny, Mr. Hardy, and Mr. Harrison were all ready there.

Mr. Hardy brought Samuels up to date. "Now we need to come up with a motive," he concluded.

"I've got that," Samuels surprised everyone by saying, then he explained about Harrison's foreign contract on regulated goods.

"I would never trade in drugs," Harrison erupted. "I didn't even approve that contract."

"No," agreed Samuels. "One of your employees did. A man named Sven Sorrenson."

"He was at the Martin's dinner party Joe attended," Frank said, surprised.

"He's also on Daniels' payroll," Samuels informed the group.

"Dad, what does Sommer have against you?" Jonny asked his father in bewilderment. "You two always seemed like such good friends."

"The only quarrel Sommer and I ever had was over Maria," Mr. Harrison said thoughtfully.

"Jonny's mother?" Frank asked.

"No," denied Mr. Harrison with a shake of his head. "Maria is a yacht I purchased about a year ago. It was auctioned off by the government. Sommer and I both bid on it but he was angry because my bid was higher."

"The Maria was caught smuggling in cocaine," Samuels spoke up. "We had a few escape our net at the time. Sommer Daniels was one of those who got away clean."

"And they've been watching him ever since," Jonny said. "They listened in on Sommer when he offered me the job and thought I could help."

"I'm proud of you," Mr. Harrison said, beaming at his son. "But you should have told me in the first place."

"We still have a problem," Frank said. "How do we go about finding Joe and whoever's behind this mess?"

"Perhaps it's time to try the straight forward approach," Mr. hardy said. "They know you've been investigating, so go back as yourselves, that is Jonny will be Joe, and ask around. Be sure people believe Jonny is Joe."

"That might not work," Frank said thoughtfully. "Joe does look like Jonny with the hair and beard, but Jonny's eight years older. It's going to show if he shaves."

"How about if I keep the beard and just wear Joe's clothes? And I can drive your van," he added. "When people see us together they'll just think Joe's changed the way he's doing his hair and grew a beard."

"We really have nothing to lose," Mr. Hardy said, agreeing. "It's the best chance Joe has." Frank and Jonny went upstairs to find something for Jonny to wear. Frank gave Jonny a crash course on being Joe. When they had finished, they returned downstairs.

Going downstairs, Frank came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. Standing there was a rotund, blond youth with green eyes. "Hi Chet. What are you doing here?" he asked without being rude.

"Your dad called. He said he had something important to discuss with me," Chet said a bit nervously.

"You don't think I'm in trouble do you?" he asked, his brown eyes wide as he looked at Frank.

"I doubt it," Jonny assured him, stepping from behind Frank. "If that were the case then your dad would be in on it."

"Hey! You're right," Chet said, brightening. "I thought you were going to shave that thing," Chet added, looking at Joe's beard. "It makes you look older."

"I thought I'd show it to Iola before I did," Jonny said, grinning. "Think she'll like it?"

"Not a chance," Chet told him. "So, where's your dad?" he asked. "And who was that guy who let me in?"

"Chet, my friend," Frank said, taking him by the arm and leading him into the living room. "I'm afraid you were our guinea pig." Frank introduced Chet to the DEA agent and Jonny's father.

"Guinea pig for what?" Chet asked, confused. Jonny burst out laughing and slapped Chet on the back.

"All right, Joe, what's so funny?" Chet demanded. Frank started laughing and the three men smiled.

"We needed to see if you would recognize Jonny," Mr. Hardy told Chet.

"Who's Jonny?" Chet asked.

"I am," Jonny said, smiling at Chet's bewildered look.

"Joe took Jonny's place for a few days and now he's been kidnapped by people who think he's Jonny," Mr. Hardy explained.

"And if they find out he's not Jonny, they'll kill him," Frank added grimly.

"How can I help?" asked Chet. He wasn't normally one to volunteer for anything that might be dangerous but he would do anything to help a friend.

"Come on in and take a seat," Frank said, smiling.

Later that morning, two young men began looking for work at the Southport Sanitation Department. Chet had suggested calling Biff Hooper, another friend of the Hardys, to help out. Biff's six foot two muscular frame made him a formidable enemy and his blond hair, blue eyes, and general good looks made him a rival for Joe with the girls.

"Morton, you can ride with Jim. Hooper, you go with Mike," David told them after they had been hired.

Chet and Jim had already left when Joe stopped in to speak with Mike. Biff looked on with a puzzled frown as Joe slipped Mike a piece of paper.

"Who was the sullen guy?" Biff asked Mike before they started.

"A friend," Mike said and climbed into the truck's cab.

At lunch, Biff caught up with Chet. "I saw Joe," he told Chet excitedly. "He's still got them convinced he's Jonny."

"Great!" Chet exclaimed. "Where were they taking him?" he asked, shoving another fry into his mouth.

"That's the weird part," Biff said. "Joe came by himself, gave Mike a piece of paper, and split. He got in a blue Ferrari and drove off."

"What was on the paper?" Chet asked.

Biff shrugged his broad shoulders and shook his head. "I never did get a look at it."

After work, Biff and Chet drove over to Sarah's boarding house. Frank had been by earlier and cleared out. They ended up with Frank's old room. Sarah gave them a cot so they could share.

Biff called Frank to tell him about Joe but Mrs. Hardy said he and Jonny had gone to Daniels World Trade to do some investigating, so he left the message with her. She was relieved to hear Joe was all right but worried because he hadn't phoned.

Biff had just hung up when Joe came into the hallway. He was heading for Jonny's room.

"Joe," Biff called out softly. Joe looked up at Biff and frowned. "Where have you been?" Biff demanded.

"Around," Joe responded cautiously.

"You had better call your folks," Biff told him. "They're going crazy."

"I'll do that," Joe promised and walked over to the phone.

"We're in Frank's old room," Biff said. "Come on in after you call," he added, going inside.

Five minutes later, Joe knocked on the door. Chet grabbed him and gave him an enthusiastic hug. "We were sure worried about you pal," he said, pulling him over to a chair. "Now tell us what happened."

"Maybe we should wait for Frank," Joe said. "No sense in repeating it." Chet and Biff discussed their jobs at the sanitation department until someone knocked at the door.

"It's probably Frank," Joe said, jumping up. "I'll get it." Chet and Biff sat still waiting for Frank to come in. But when Joe opened the door, there were four guys standing there. Three they didn't recognize, but the fourth was Mike from work.

They jumped to their feet in a defensive gesture. "Move!" Chet shouted at Joe.