I’ve been slammed pretty hard in football. And once in the ninth inning of a cut-throat baseball game, the pitcher clocked me in the head with a wild throw. But right now, my head throbbed, my body felt so sore that if I took one more step, I’d literally fall to pieces. Didn’t I see that in a movie once?

“Joe?”

“Shh. I’m thinking.” I tried to think anyway. “In the Wizard of Oz, does the Tin Man fall to pieces?”

When Frank didn’t answer, I managed to look over at him without moving my head too much. He was giving me this weird look. “Do what?”

“Isn’t there a movie where the monster just falls to pieces? An arm here, a leg there?” I thought about it for a moment and realized that was a very odd question. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Joe, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I was better riding on the bike with Jenna.”

The elevator bell dinged and I winced. The doors slid open and I swear it sounded like witch’s nails on a blackboard. Frank steered me to the hotel room and opened the door. I was glad I’d picked the bed closer to the door because I just fell across it, face first. “Just leave me here, go on, live your life, I’ll see you across a crowded room...”

He rolled me on my side. “Joe, maybe we should go to the hospital. You didn’t give Abby the time to do a good look. You might have a concussion.”

“Who’s Abby?”

“The paramedic trying to check you out.”

“She was checking me out? Why didn’t you tell me?” I tried to sit up and felt as if my head was going to just roll off my neck and bounce around on the floor. “Let me sleep.”

Frank gave me another weird look. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Am I supposed to be hungry?”

Before he could answer, an earthquake hit. Well, felt like one. Maybe it was the door rattling. Frank sighed and went to answer it. Chet came back with him, babbling. “I checked several hotels so far and finally, I found you two.”

I held up a finger to my lips. “Shh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. I’m hunting wabbits.”

Chet arched an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Ask me again in the morning.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was ready to drift off into sleep when the whispering started. I cracked open one eye and saw Frank and Chet talking low, seated on the other bed. They were looking through scraps of paper. “I said, shh.”

They looked over at me and when Frank opened his mouth, I threw my pillow at him. “Shh.” I tried to lie back down and winced when my head hit the mattress. “Give me back my pillow.”

Frank rolled his eyes. “We’re discussing the case.” He threw my pillow back at me.

“Why are you discussing it with him and not with me?”

Chet looked over at me, puzzled. “Maybe because you’re a little looped?”

“Looped?” I started to shake my head and thought better of it. Thought of something else too. “Chet! I rode the Monster Loop!”

Frank sighed. “I think everyone in Bayport heard it that time.”

“We’re not that close to Bayport.” I stuffed the pillow under my aching head. I probably shouldn’t have yelled quite so loud. I could still hear the echo. Or was that the door?

It must have been the door because it opened. It wouldn’t have opened unless someone was knocking...right?

“Joe?”

I opened my eyes. Wow. She looks a heck of lot better in fluorescent light, much better than Frank does. He just looks washed out. “Jenna.”

“I brought you some medicine. Something to ease the soreness. I take it all the time, especially when I have a hard run. Or I have to bail.”

I blinked, not sure I heard correctly. “We have to bail?”

“Don’t mind him,” I heard Frank say. “He’s loopy.”

I started to tell her about the Monster Loop but decided maybe I shouldn’t tell it quite so loud. But Frank spoke up before I could. “Jenna, you’re more familiar with the skateboarding scene. We’ve got all these newspaper clippings Jeb sent us. Can you make sense of it?”

She shrugged, handed me a small white bottle and took an old clipping in her other hand. “Oh, this is when Ollie had his accident. For a long time that was the most horrible accident ever. It was told and retold, especially, how Ollie’s career was ended by it.”

I opened one eye when she fell silent. She was staring at the old photo, looking a little stunned. I sat up. My head was aching, but she was pretty. “Jenna?”

“He looks familiar.” She said, jabbing a finger at one guy leaning over Ollie. He was wearing a uniform that looked like what EMTs wear. It was in three-quarter profile. I frowned but stopped ‘cause it made my head hurt worse.

“Frank? Did you see this?”

Frank leaned over. “It looks like Carter Bean from this angle.”

I blinked and took another look. “Hey, this references another article. About a hotshot paramedic.” I looked over at Frank. “You were right.”

“I usually am.”

“I may have a headache but I’m not deaf. Wipe that smirk off your face.”

Frank rolled his eyes. “I’m not smirking.” He took the clipping from Jenna. “So how do we catch him?”

“Catch him?” Jenna looked from Frank to me and even over to Chet. “What’s going on? Why do you want to catch him?”

“Carter Bean is the one behind the accidents.” Frank held up a hand, started counting on his fingers. “Lopez, Green, McIntyre.”

“But why?” Jenna shook her head. “Why injure people for no reason.”

“He had a reason,” I told her, hoping if I sat completely up, my head wouldn’t explode. “He wanted the fame and recognition back. He got famous for helping Ollie, saving Ollie. He wanted it back.”

“But what about Ollie? Who killed him?”

I looked over at Frank. “You think it was Carter?”

“It’s possible. Monroe said Ollie called him, wanting to talk. What if he recognized Carter in the photos. What if he realized who was behind the accidents.”

Jenna stared at me for a long moment. “You guys talk like cops.”

“Their dad used to be one,” said Chet, helpfully.

I wanted to throw the pillow at him. I watched Chet smile at Jenna. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Chet. You must be Jenna.”

She nodded. “Hi, Chet. You like extreme sports?”

“I like motocross. One day, I’d love to do what those guys do. That Monster Loop is so awesome it’s scary.”

Oh, I know what I wanted to tell Jenna. I opened my mouth to say it but Frank threw a pillow at me. “Shut up, Joe.”

He threw his pillow at me! I went to throw the pillow back at him and nearly hit Jenna. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry. I was aiming for him.”

She laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Take two caplets...” Her grin widened and she winked. “And call me in the morning.”

“I can do that.” She walked around the bed and I watched her until she was out of the room. “Ahh...”

I moved to lie down and remembered the bottle of acetaminophen in my hand. I looked at Frank. “Frank, do me a favor. Go back home, get my favorite soda of all time and bring it here. I need to take this so I won’t be so sore tomorrow.”

Chet looked at me. “You do realize you’re a few hundred miles from Bayport, right?”

“We are? Where are we? Why are we here?”

Frank frowned. “Joe, you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” I stretched out on the bed and closed my eyes. “Just fine.” It was quiet and after a few minutes it got dark. Perfect, the lack of light seemed to make my headache kind of fade. But I know it was all of two seconds and the light came back on. I groaned and tried to pull the covers over my head but couldn’t find them.

“Joe, you need to wake up.”

“Please, Dad. No school today. Didn’t I give you the note last night? I gotta headache and my stomach feels all rumbly. I can’t go to school today. Mom wouldn’t make me go.”

“Joe, wake up.”

I opened one eye to see Frank standing by the bed. “You’re not Dad. And what are you doing in my room?” I moved to sit up and thought better of it. “What truck ran over me?”

Frank sat on the edge of the bed. I saw why I couldn’t find my covers. I was sleeping on them. “Joe, do you remember what happened yesterday?”

“Why? Did I forget? I have amnesia? Oh no.” I stared at him and then frowned. “If I had amnesia, I wouldn’t know you, right? Or that Jenna was here last night, and kissed me on the cheek.” I slowly shook my head, relieved when it didn’t explode. “You rode the Monster Loop with me, didn’t you. Hey do you know your hair’s blue?”

He sighed. “Your hair’s orange.”

I stared at him harder. “It is? Why is it—?” I swallowed hard. “Oh. You talked me out of a mohawk.”

He shrugged. “Look at it this way. Mom won’t kill you when she sees you. She’ll just ground you for life.”

I shook my head carefully and nudged him off the bed. “Not funny. I have to go.”

“Joe, you slept in your clothes last night. Where do you have to go?”

I pointed to the bathroom. “Where else?” I swung my legs over the side of the bed, took a deep breath and pushed myself to my feet. And sat back down again, hard. “What was the number of that truck, anyway?”

Frank looked like he was going to ask me something and I bopped him with my pillow. It works very well. “Don’t you dare ask me if I’m okay.”

“Fine.”

I made it to my feet and to the bathroom just in time. I came back out and leaned against the doorframe. “You really think Carter killed Ollie, hurt those skaters and McIntyre?”

“I do.”

“So what do we do about it?” The minute I said it, I knew that was my first mistake.

Frank gave me a grin. “I have a plan.”

I groaned and collapsed on the bed. “I hate your plans. I always have to do something totally stupid.”

“You’ll love this one.”

“I hate it. I already hate it.” I sat up and winced at the soreness in my arms and legs. “Have I told you how much I hated your last plan?”

Frank’s grin widened. “Trust me.”

I hate it when he does that.

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.