Outer Space Mystery

by Charles Tang

  “We can take over,” Henry told Randy.

  “Great,” Randy said, handing Henry the earphones. “I have to set up the observatory for tonight.”

  “I forgot,” Jessie exclaimed. “Tonight is the party.”

  “People from town will be here, too,” Randy said. “Even if Rachel isn’t found, the show will go on.”

  “Don’t remind me,” groaned a voice from the doorway. Mark Jacobs came in, looking rumpled. “I’m the narrator.”

  “How did the search go?” asked Randy.

  Mark just shook his head.

  “Tough break,” said Randy as he left.

  Wearily, Mark collapsed into a chair. “What a terrible day. No sign of Rachel. And my latest notes are missing from the desk in my room. I’m supposed to present my paper tomorrow and I don’t have the data I need in order to finish it.”

  “Is it that important?” Violet asked.

  “Yes, it is. I’ve been working all year on my big discovery.”

  Benny pulled the tattered snakeskin from his pocket. “You can show them this. I found it, but you can have it.”

  Mark managed a smile. “Thanks, Benny. That’s a great specimen, but my discovery is in the field of astronomy,” Mark ran a hand through his rumpled hair. “I can’t help thinking how strange it is that my notes disappeared at the same time as Rachel. Did you kids know that Hazel thinks Rachel planned to leave? Some of her clothes are gone.”

  Henry considered this new information. It was odd that Rachel and Mark’s notes disappeared at the same time. But why would she have taken Mark’s notes with her? After all, she had no use for them.

  “Is there anything we can do?” Jessie asked.

  Mark smiled. “Thanks, but you’re already helping with the search. And Hazel told me you’re serving breakfast tomorrow. You don’t have to worry about my troubles. All is not lost.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Benny.

  “I keep a second set of notes hidden in the observatory. That set doesn’t have my latest data, but it’s a start,” Mark replied. “I’m going back out to search for Rachel until dinnertime. Then I’ll skip dinner and work on my paper at the observatory. And I’ll be there tonight for the meteor shower.”

  A noise outside the door caught Benny’s attention. It sounded like someone choking.

  Mark stood up. “Got to hit the trail. My team should have fresh provisions by now.”

  As Mark headed out the door, he bumped into Eugene.

  “There you are,” Eugene exclaimed in an overly loud voice. “We’ve been wondering where you were. Our team is set to go out again.”

  “Wish us luck,” Mark said.

  As soon as the young men were out of sight, Henry said, “There’s something weird about Eugene Scott.”

  “I think so, too,” Violet agreed. “He acts like he’s friendly, but he’s really not.”

  Henry nodded. “You’ve hit the nail on the head, Violet. Eugene is a big phony. He pretends to like Mark, but he’s really his rival.”

  “What’s a rival?” Benny asked. He rolled his snakeskin neatly and placed it in his pocket. He couldn’t wait to show it to Grandfather.

  “It means they are in competition with each other,” Jessie explained. “Like in a race.”

  Suddenly the radio crackled.

  Henry sat up straight, pulling the microphone toward him. “This is Eagletop,” he spoke anxiously into the microphone, remembering the code name. “Is anyone out there?”

  After more squawks and static, a voice said, “This is A Team, Eagletop. It’s getting dark. We’re coming in. I’ve already signaled the other teams to abandon the search.”

  “Eagletop reads you,” Henry said. “Over and out.” Slowly he pulled off the headphones.

  Dr. Porter came into the room. “I heard from the hall. You children have been a big help. My thanks to you.”

  Grimly, the Aldens left the main building. After cleaning up in their dorm rooms, they met in the dining room.

  A steam-table buffet had been set up along one wall. Hot dishes gave off delicious aromas.

  “Mmmm,” Benny said, first in line as always. “Macaroni and cheese.”

  “Don’t take more than you can eat,” Violet advised him.

  When their plates were filled, they headed toward a table. Grandfather was waiting for them.

  “I’m going to dine with my grandchildren tonight,” he said.

  Just then Able Porter rushed up. “I have wonderful news! Rachel Cunningham just called.”

  “She did?” Jessie asked, astonished. “Is she okay?”

  “Where is she?” Violet wanted to know.

  Dr. Porter raised a hand to halt the questions. “She’s fine. She’s at her grandparents’ house on the other side of the mountain.”

  “Why did she leave?” Henry asked.

  “She would only say that she had personal problems,” Dr. Porter replied. “And that as soon as she worked them out, she’d return to the college.”

  Grandfather poured iced tea for everyone. “This is very peculiar, Able. Why couldn’t Rachel tell you before she left? We thought something had happened to her.”

  “I know,” Dr. Porter agreed. “I told her about the search team. She apologized but wouldn’t tell me anything more. But she sounded good. I’m so relieved she’s okay.”

  Jessie wondered if that was true. She couldn’t stop thinking about the gum wrapper she’d found in the abandoned cabin. Suppose Rachel had dropped the wrapper on purpose, as a clue? Maybe she had been kidnapped. Maybe her kidnapper forced Rachel to make that call to Dr. Porter.

  Before she could voice her concerns, Grandfather said, “It’s nearly time to go to the observatory.”

  “That’s right!” Henry said. “Tonight’s the shower.”

  “I already took one bath today,” said Benny, joking.

  The meteor shower was a big event. Students from Mountvale College hiked up the trail or drove up the mountain to the observatory. Families from the town rolled up in pickup trucks.

  People set up lawn chairs or spread blankets on the grassy knoll around the observatory building.

  “We won’t be using the telescope tonight,” Randy Merchant explained as he led the Aldens and Dr. Porter into the dome room. “The best way to view meteors is with the unaided eye. They move too fast to track with a telescope.”

  Lawn chairs had been set up in rows around the telescope. Faculty members and special guests were filling the seats.

  “Make yourselves comfortable,” Randy told the gathering crowd. “Lie back so your neck won’t get tired.”

  The Aldens sat down and tilted their chairs.

  “I feel like I’m at the beach!” Violet said with a giggle. She claimed the seat at the end of the row, next to Randy’s desk.

  Randy pushed a button on the wall. The domed roof slid open all the way.

  Stars glittered in the night sky. The show was about to begin.

  CHAPTER 7

  A Thief in the Night

  Violet leaned back with a contented sigh. Stars lay scattered against the velvety black like diamonds. She felt like she was part of the soft summer night.

  Benny sat up. “I don’t see anything,” he said. “Except outer space.”

  “You will,” Randy promised. “Keep your eye on the sky!” Then he added, “By the way, I have the scoop on a terrific story.”

  Now Jessie sat up, interested. “What’s it about?”

  But Randy merely put his forefinger to his lips. Then he left to join some other faculty members.

  “Everybody’s got a secret around here! I wonder what kind of a story he’s writing,” Jessie asked Henry.

  “Maybe it has something to do with Eugene’s and Mark’s discoveries,” Henry answered.

  “But those are secret,” Jessie said. “Mark and Eugene won’t tell anyone about their discoveries until tomorrow.” The next day was the last day of the conference. The young astronomers would present their pap
ers to the scientists.

  Benny scooted to the end of his lawn chair. For once he wasn’t interested in the mystery. He wanted to see a meteor! “I haven’t seen one single falling star,” he complained.

  “Where are they, anyway?”

  “Be patient,” Henry told him. He was wondering if Mark Jacobs would make it tonight after all. He spied Eugene Scott sitting at the end of the front row with some other students.

  Just then Mark rushed into the observatory. He carried a folder, which he placed on Randy’s desk.

  “Ah!” said Dr. Porter. “Our narrator has arrived.”

  “Sorry I’m late,” Mark said, clipping a small microphone to his shirt collar. When he spoke again, his voice was amplified so everyone could hear him. “Welcome to my Perseid meteor shower. Actually, this show appears every year about this time. I can’t really take credit for it.”

  The audience laughed.

  “While I’m talking,” Mark said, “please direct your attention to the east-southeast portion of the sky.”

  “That way,” Henry whispered, pointing for Benny.

  Mark continued his speech. “As you know, meteors are sometimes called shooting stars or falling stars. They aren’t really stars, but particles of rock or metal. We see them as a bright streak when these particles enter our atmosphere and burn up.”

  “But they don’t always burn up,” Eugene put in.

  “Right,” said Mark. “Sometimes a fragment can strike the earth. These are called meteorites. Meteorites are usually small, like pebbles, but they can be large. Once, a meteorite hit a house in Illinois. It went through the roof of the garage, the roof of the car, and was found embedded in the front seat.”

  Benny had been staring at the sky so hard that his eyes were watering. Suddenly he saw a greenish flash.

  “I saw one!” he cried, leaping from his seat.

  “The first sighting of the evening goes to Benny Alden,” Mark said in an announcer tone. “Congratulations!”

  Benny was pleased. He bounced excitedly in his chair.

  “There’s one!” exclaimed Violet. “And another!”

  “There’s a whole bunch over there!” Henry cried.

  At once, the sky was filled with streaks racing across the sky in shades of orange, yellow, and emerald green.

  “I never knew there’d be so many colors!” said Jessie.

  “The Perseid meteors appear to come from the constellation Perseus,” Mark explained. “That’s how they were named. They are dust fragments from the tail of a comet. Of all the meteor showers throughout the year, the Perseids are the most spectacular.”

  Jessie had to agree. The graceful streaks swooping across the sky were prettier than fireworks.

  “How far away are they?” Henry asked Mark.

  “Closer than you think,” Mark replied. “Some are only sixty miles overhead.”

  “That’s not so far!” Benny said. “When the next one falls, I’m going to go out and get it!”

  Grandfather laughed. “Sixty miles is a long way to walk, Benny. And remember, Mark said most meteors don’t make it to Earth.”

  But Benny wasn’t discouraged. A meteorite would be a terrific souvenir to go with his snakeskin.

  The show continued for another hour. The children tried to guess which falling star would disappear below the horizon first.

  Violet found herself nodding off. It was so comfortable in the lawn chair. . . . Suddenly someone bumped the back of her seat. Whoever it was didn’t apologize for jostling her chair. And it was dark in the observatory. Anyone moving around could easily stumble.

  She settled back once more. Through half-closed eyes, she was aware that someone was near the desk. Then the figure melted into the shadows.

  When she felt a hand on her arm, she jumped again.

  “Sorry to startle you,” Grandfather said soothingly. “But it’s very late. You children should go to bed before you fall asleep right here.”

  “I think I was snoozing,” she confessed, climbing out of the low chair.

  Several people were getting to their feet. The meteor shower was nearly over. But a few were staying to look through the telescope.

  In the lit hallway, the Aldens waited for Grandfather, who was discussing business with Dr. Porter.

  Mark came down the hall, his folder under his arm. “Well, kids, how did you like it?”

  “It was great!” Henry said.

  “Tomorrow I’m going to go look for one of those meteor-things,” Benny said, yawning hugely. “A whole bunch fell tonight. I ought to be able to find at least one.”

  “You just might,” said Mark.

  “Did you finish your paper?” Jessie asked.

  He tapped his folder. “In the nick of time.”

  As Eugene Scott walked toward them, Mark smiled at him. “Well, tomorrow is our big day. Good luck, Eugene.” He stuck out his hand.

  Eugene stared at Mark’s outstretched hand. Reluctantly, he shook it. “Same to you,” he said brusquely. He left without saying good night.

  “He certainly isn’t very nice,” Jessie remarked.

  Mark merely shrugged. “Some guys are like that. They’re afraid somebody will steal their work or make a bigger discovery. I believe we should all work together for the good of science.”

  Henry admired Mark’s attitude. “I think I’d like to be an astronomer,” he said. “When you look through the telescope, you could see something nobody’s ever seen before!”

  “That’s right,” Mark agreed. “The possibilities are endless. You’d be good at astronomy, Henry, but it takes a lot of patience.”

  “What about me?” asked Benny. “Would I be good at it, too?”

  Mark said with a laugh, “You’d be good at anything you set your mind to, Benny Alden!”

  Benny puffed his chest proudly. “You hear that? I’d be good at anything!”

  “Except going to bed,” Grandfather said as he came up behind them, smiling. “I’ve been delayed, so you children go ahead to your rooms.”

  “I’ll walk them down the mountain,” Mark offered.

  “I’d appreciate it,” said Grandfather. “I’ll see you all in the morning. Bright and early — it’s the last day of the conference. And you all have a job!”

  By now the rest of the spectators had left the observatory.

  Mark led the way out the door. As he opened it, he dropped his folder. Papers scattered across the floor.

  The children bent to help pick them up.

  “Thanks,” Mark said, stuffing the papers back into the folder. “I’ll sort them out when I’m in my room.”

  Henry gave him the last sheet. “This one’s blank,” he said. “I guess it’s an extra piece of paper.”

  Mark held the paper into the light, frowning. “I don’t think I put any extra paper in here — just my document.”

  Quickly he spread the other sheets on the floor.

  “They’re all blank.” Violet gasped. “What happened to your paper?”

  Mark looked thunderstruck. He was speechless.

  “Maybe you picked up the wrong folder,” Jessie suggested. “Randy probably has a lot of folders on his desk. Let’s go back and look.”

  They dashed back into the empty observatory. Mark flicked on the light switch.

  But Randy’s desk was neat. Only the sign-in logbook was centered on the blotter.

  Henry checked around the desk, in case Mark’s folder had slipped behind. He found nothing.

  Mark moaned. “My work!”

  “Maybe it was an accident,” Violet offered. “There were a lot of people here tonight — someone could have put another folder on the desk and picked up yours by mistake.”

  But even as she said the words, she didn’t believe it.

  “Somebody must have stolen your paper,” Benny said direly.

  Mark nodded, like someone in a trance. “I’m afraid you’re right, Benny. Someone stole my paper.”

  “But why?” asked Jessie.
“Who could have done such an awful thing?”

  “It could have been anyone,” said Henry. “People were walking in and out all evening.”

  “The invitation wasn’t just for the college,” Mark said. “People from the town were here, too.”

  Jessie examined the stack of blank sheets in Mark’s folder. “One thing is for sure,” she said. “The crime was planned ahead of time.”

  Henry nodded in agreement. “The person was smart enough to bring blank paper to the observatory tonight. So he — or she — could leave it in Mark’s folder as a substitute.”

  Mark’s face crumpled with despair. “My notes were in that folder, too. My whole discovery is lost!”

  CHAPTER 8

  A Pale Blue Clue

  The next morning, the Aldens reported to the dining room a half hour before the breakfast crowd.

  Hazel Watson was waiting for them. “Good morning,” she greeted. “I’m so thankful you children are pitching in.”

  “We’re glad to help out,” said Jessie.

  Hazel handed the three older children aprons. A special pocket stitched on the front contained a small notepad and pencil. “Your uniforms,” she said.

  “Where’s my uniform?” Benny asked.

  “Remember? You and I are going to roll silverware in napkins. Let’s see who can roll the most.”

  “Me!” said Benny.

  A tray was pushed through the window that divided the kitchen and the dining room.

  “Here are your breakfasts,” Hazel told them. “Eat up, before the rush comes.”

  The children sat down and dug into bacon and eggs. While they ate, Hazel instructed the new servers.

  “A pot of coffee and a pitcher of juice is on each table. Menu cards are already by each place. There are only three meals a diner can choose.”

  “Number one is the Mountaineer Breakfast,” Jessie said, reading a menu card. “Hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. So if a customer chose that, I’d write Number 1 on my notepad.”

  “Exactly!” Hazel said. “You will simply write down breakfast number one, two, or three.”

  “How do we know when the food is ready?” Jessie asked.