Free High-Speed Showdown by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

have a right to be very angry at me,” Pavel began. “While I was working on the engines, I needed a torque wrench I had left in the car. I went back for it, and I think I might have left the engine hatch open while I was gone.” Pavel ran his hands through his blond hair. “I guess you’ll want to fire me for this.”
    Dennis stared at him. “Fire you? Don’t be silly, Pavel. You’re a mechanic, not a watchdog. How could you know?”
    â€œWhat time was this?” Frank asked.
    Pavel shrugged. “Half an hour before Dennis and Miguel returned? More? I didn’t notice.”
    Joe looked around. All the neighboring slips were empty. Their occupants were either out watching or taking part in the time trials. “Was anybody else around at the time, Pavel?” he asked.
    â€œI didn’t notice,” Pavel repeated, almost choking on his words. “I was working on the engines! That was all I paid attention to.”
    â€œLook,” Dennis said to Joe and Frank, “I know you’re just trying to help, but that’s enough. Pavel’s got a big job ahead of him, and I don’t want him upset. Why don’t you guys go out and watchthe time trials, while we try to figure out if we can fix my engines?”
    â€œI guess we’ll do that,” Frank said after glancing at Joe for his agreement. “We’ll see you later. Good luck with the engines.”
    The Hardys returned to Sleuth and started out again. Even before they had cleared the harbor, they could hear the distant snarl of high-powered engines running at peak revs. On the other side of what looked like a solid wall of spectator boats, the rooster tails of spray thrown up by the straining rivals glistened in the sunlight.
    â€œWe’re not going to see a thing,” Joe complained. “And even if we do, we won’t know who won unless we find out the lap times of all the entries.”
    â€œWe’ll find out who won soon enough,” Frank replied. “We’re here to soak up atmosphere and keep an eye out for anything that might help us break this case. Besides,” he added with a grin, “practically everybody we might want to question is out here. Why just sit around on the dock, waiting for them to come back, when we can have a fun afternoon on the water? See if you can find the sunblock, would you?”
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    It was almost six o’clock when the trials came to an end and the flotilla of boats started back to Bayport. Frank and Joe went back to shore with the crowd. Once they’d docked Sleuth, theywalked around to Dennis’s slip. They found him on the dock next to Adelita , sitting in a folding chair, reading a computer magazine. He looked up alertly as they approached.
    â€œOh, hi,” he said. His shoulders relaxed. “You guys got some sun this afternoon.”
    Frank winced and said, “I know. We left the sunblock in the van. What’s the story with your boat?”
    A grim smile appeared on Dennis’s lips. “Pavel says he was able to fix the damage,” he reported. “We’re running in the second elimination heat tomorrow. And we’re going to be taking turns sitting right here until then. Nobody goes near Adelita .”
    Frank was on the point of telling Dennis that he and Joe were detectives and offering to help Dennis track down the saboteur. Then he reflected that Magnusson had asked them to keep their role secret. Unless he changed his mind, Frank and Joe had an obligation to follow his wishes.
    â€œAny word on how the time trials came out?” Joe asked. “Who won?”
    Dennis made a face. “It’s Mine took first,” he said. “That’s the name of Barry’s boat. Fits, doesn’t it? But Carl Newcastle came close to edging him out. If I’d had a chance to try, it would have been a real race. But you know what they say. It’s not over till