"Open up," Frank told Joe, after he had knocked twice. "If you don't open up I'm coming in anyway," he warned, worried. He had decided Joe's behavioral change was due to his earlier accident. Still, the door remained closed. Frank pulled out the lock pick kit his dad had given him for Christmas last year and quickly opened the door.

Frank's concern turned to anger when he saw Joe sitting in the chair, an open soda on the table and his hand resting in a bowl of popcorn. "Why didn't you open the door?" he demanded, coming inside and closing the door.

"Joe?" he asked, concern once more wrinkling his brow. Joe's head was lying on the headrest and his eyes were closed. Frank rushed over and checked for a pulse. Feeling a faint one, he rushed out to the phone and called for an ambulance, then hurried back to Joe.

At the hospital Frank called his dad while he waited on news about Joe. An hour later, Frank was still waiting when Mr. Hardy and Mr. Harrison arrived.

''Jon dropped by as I was leaving,'' Mr. Hardy explained his presence. ''I thought it would be a good ideal to have him here so I brought him with me.''

''Because everyone thinks its Jonny who's here,'' Frank said, understanding what his dad was saying.

The doctor came out and walked over to the threesome. ''Are any of you Jonny's dad?'' asked the doctor.

''I am,'' asserted Mr. Harrison. ''How is he?''

''Can we talk a minute?'' the doctor parried, looking at Frank and Mr. Hardy.

''Surely anything you need to tell me you can say it in front of them as well,'' Mr. Harrison stated, knowing they had more of a right to know than him.

''Frank brought him in and was concerned that his earlier accident had caused Jonny to become comatose.'' Frank had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when he heard the way that the doctor was emphasizing the accident again.

''It wasn't?'' asked Mr. Hardy with a small frown.

''No,'' the doctor confirmed. ''Jonny has been poisoned.''

''Poisoned?'' asked Mr. Harrison, sitting down.

''Cyanide,'' said the doctor. ''You brought Jonny in just in time,'' he added to Frank. ''Any longer and Jonny wouldn't have made it.''

''Can we see him?'' asked Mr. Hardy.

''For a few minutes.'' agreed the doctor. ''But he is staying overnight,'' the doctor's tone left no room for argument.

''How are you feeling?'' asked Mr. Hardy once inside of Joe's room.

''Just rotten,'' Joe said sheepishly. He looked over to Frank, ''I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know what happened.''

''It's not your fault. Poison can mess with your mind. I'd just like to know how you got it.''

''Good question,'' stated Mr. Hardy. ''Joe?''

''I don't know. I ate dinner with Kelly at Burger King then went to my room and had a soda and popcorn.'' He paused. "You think something was put on the popcorn?''

''Where did you get the popcorn?'' Mr. Hardy asked.

''Kelly's dad gave me a tin of gourmet popcorn,'' Joe told the three.

''I think maybe we'd better get it analyzed,'' Mr. Hardy said. ''Meanwhile, I want you to come home. Both of you. This masquerade is getting too dangerous.''

''But Jonny,'' Mr. Harrison started, then stopped and sighed. ''Joe, your dad's right. You were almost killed because someone thought you were Jonny. I couldn't live with myself if anything ever happened to you or Frank.''

''But we still don't know what's going on,'' Joe argued. ''Look,'' he added quickly. ''I'll be okay and I'll be extra careful from here on out during the rest of the case. I promise.'' He looked at Frank, his eyes holding a pleading look in them as if to ask Frank to convince Fenton to let them finish the case.

''Sorry Joe,'' Frank turned him down. ''We can still investigate.'' he added.

''What about the DEA?'' Joe asked. ''I told them that I'd help with solving this case.''

''All right,'' Mr. Hardy finally gave in. ''But I am going to have a talk with Agent Samuels and I want you to stick close to Frank from now on.''

''Fine,'' Joe agreed. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Hardy and Mr. Harrison left. Frank stayed to discuss the case. Tomorrow Frank was going to try to get a job at the sanitation department and on their lunch break they would head over to Daniel World Trade.

Joe was getting sleepy so Frank said goodbye and headed back to the boardinghouse. Once there he went into Joe's room to get the popcorn.

Inside he noticed the bowl of popcorn was missing so he just looked for the tin. It was gone too. Nothing else appeared to have been taken. He checked for Jonny's notebook. It was still there. He decided to check for any popcorn that might have been spilled so he checked down in the chair and was rewarded for it. There were three pieces of popcorn in the chair pillows. After setting the alarm for four, he went to sleep.

The next morning he dropped the popcorn off at the lab where his dad had made arrangements for it to be analyzed. Then he drove to the hospital to pick Joe up.

''David, this is Fred,'' Joe introduced Frank to his boss. ''He needs a job here.''

''Fill out this application,'' David said, handing Frank a form. ''Jonny, Jim's out at the truck and waiting on you.'' Joe nodded and left for it.

''Can you drive a truck?'' David asked Frank after receiving the application form from him.

''Yes sir.'' Frank answered, ''I've driven everything from a bus to an eighteen wheeler.''

''Fine then. You start at six a.m. And don't stop until you finish your route. Go on out back and find a uniform. You can get the feel of this place for today. Tomorrow you'll ride with Mike. Tim's taking a vacation. Mike will acquaint you with your route and the next day you can drive half a day and Mike can drive for the other half. Got it?'' he asked Frank gruffly.

''Yes sir.'' Frank answered. ''Thank you.'' Frank left the office and went to the garage. There he rifled the uniforms nearest the trucks. He hoped to find what had grabbed Joe's attention the other day.

''Exactly what do you think you're doing?'' asked a baritone voice from behind him. Frank dropped the uniform he had in his hand and spun around. The guy he saw was six foot four, weighed close to three hundred pounds, and Frank would have bet his muscles had muscles. This was the same guy who had knocked him out a mere two days ago.

''I asked what you're doing?'' he demanded his voice was low and threatening.

''Looking for a uniform,'' Frank answered him. ''I just now started."

''But we're not hiring.'' the man declared.

''David said I was taking Tim's place for a while.'' Frank stated.

''Is that so?'' he asked. Frank nodded. ''Well, this should be interesting kid,'' he continued. ''My name's Mike. Looks like you and I are going to get to know each other.''

''Good,'' Frank said edging away. ''I'll just find something to wear and look the place over for today.''

''No way,'' Mike said with an evil grin. ''I'll show you your route now.''

''Tomorrow's good enough,'' Frank said backing up. "No need to make an extra trip now.''