Darkness Falls Read online

  MORE THRILLS … MORE EXCITEMENT … MORE MYSTERY … THE MOST DYNAMIC TEEN DETECTIVES TEAM UP FOR ALL-ACTION ADVENTURES!

  By Carolyn Keene

  DOUBLE CROSSING

  A CRIME FOR CHRISTMAS

  SHOCK WAVES

  DANGEROUS GAMES

  THE LAST RESORT

  THE PARIS CONNECTION

  BURIED IN TIME

  MYSTERY TRAIN

  BEST OF ENEMIES

  HIGH SURVIVAL

  NEW YEAR’S EVIL

  TOUR OF DANGER

  SPIES AND LIES

  TROPIC OF FEAR

  COURTING DISASTER

  HITS AND MISSES

  EVIL IN AMSTERDAM

  DESPERATE MEASURES

  PASSPORT TO DANGER

  Available from Archway Paperbacks

  Published by Pocket Books

  DARK DEEDS

  “Whew,” Frank said, putting the canister into a cooler on the floor. “That was great, Joe, but I’m glad it’s over. I was afraid something might go wrong, and it’d be our fault.”

  “Well, relax,” Joe said as they moved out into the light lock, giving each other tired high fives. “Nothing can go wrong now.”

  Just as he said the words, a scream rose from outside, from the direction of the main tent.

  “He’s dead!” Michele Ebersol’s anguished voice cried out. “You killed him!”

  Joe and Frank rushed to her in the growing light. Frank pulled her away from the tent opening as Joe peered inside. There he saw Tim Wheeler kneeling over the prone, blood-soaked body of Dr. Ebersol!

  Books in THE HARDY BOYS CASEFILES™ Series

  #1 DEAD ON TARGET

  #2 EVIL, INC.

  #3 CULT OF CRIME

  #4 THE LAZARUS PLOT

  #5 EDGE OF DESTRUCTION

  #6 THE CROWNING TERROR

  #7 DEATHGAME

  #8 SEE NO EVIL

  #9 THE GENIUS THIEVES

  #10 HOSTAGES OF HATE

  #11 BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER

  #12 PERFECT GETAWAY

  #13 THE BORGIA DAGGER

  #14 TOO MANY TRAITORS

  #15 BLOOD RELATIONS

  #16 LINE OF FIRE

  #17 THE NUMBER FILE

  #18 A KILLING IN THE MARKET

  #19 NIGHTMARE IN ANGEL CITY

  #20 WITNESS TO MURDER

  #21 STREET SPIES

  #22 DOUBLE EXPOSURE

  #23 DISASTER FOR HIRE

  #24 SCENE OF THE CRIME

  #25 THE BORDERLINE CASE

  #26 TROUBLE IN THE PIPELINE

  #27 NOWHERE TO RUN

  #28 COUNTDOWN TO TERROR

  #29 THICK AS THIEVES

  #30 THE DEADLIEST DARE

  #31 WITHOUT A TRACE

  #32 BLOOD MONEY

  #33 COLLISION COURSE

  #34 FINAL CUT

  #35 THE DEAD SEASON

  #36 RUNNING ON EMPTY

  #37 DANGER ZONE

  #38 DIPLOMATIC DECEIT

  #39 FLESH AND BLOOD

  #40 FRIGHT WAVE

  #41 HIGHWAY ROBBERY

  #42 THE LAST LAUGH

  #43 STRATEGIC MOVES

  #44 CASTLE FEAR

  #45 IN SELF-DEFENSE

  #46 FOUL PLAY

  #47 FLIGHT INTO DANGER

  #48 ROCK ’N’ REVENGE

  #49 DIRTY DEEDS

  #50 POWER PLAY

  #51 CHOKE HOLD

  #52 UNCIVIL WAR

  #53 WEB OF HORROR

  #54 DEEP TROUBLE

  #55 BEYOND THE LAW

  #56 HEIGHT OF DANGER

  #57 TERROR ON TRACK

  #58 SPIKED!

  #59 OPEN SEASON

  #60 DEADFALL

  #61 GRAVE DANGER

  #62 FINAL GAMBIT

  #63 COLD SWEAT

  #64 ENDANGERED SPECIES

  #65 NO MERCY

  #66 THE PHOENIX EQUATION

  #67 LETHAL CARGO

  #68 ROUGH RIDING

  #69 MAYHEM IN MOTION

  #70 RIGGED FOR REVENGE

  #71 REAL HORROR

  #72 SCREAMERS

  #73 BAD RAP

  #74 ROAD PIRATES

  #75 NO WAY OUT

  #76 TAGGED FOR TERROR

  #77 SURVIVAL RUN

  #78 THE PACIFIC CONSPIRACY

  #79 DANGER UNLIMITED

  #80 DEAD OF NIGHT

  #81 SHEER TERROR

  #82 POISONED PARADISE

  #83 TOXIC REVENGE

  #84 FALSE ALARM

  #85 WINNER TAKE ALL

  #86 VIRTUAL VILLAINY

  #87 DEAD MAN IN DEADWOOD

  #88 INFERNO OF FEAR

  #89 DARKNESS FALLS

  Available from ARCHWAY Paperbacks

  The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK Original

  An Archway Paperback published by

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 1994 by Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Produced by Mega-Books of New York, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN: 0-671-79473-6

  ISBN-13: 978-0-6717-9473-6

  eISBN: 978-1-439-12161-0

  First Archway Paperback printing July 1994

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  THE HARDY BOYS, AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  THE HARDY BOYS CASEFILES is a trademark of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Cover art by Brian Kotzky

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  IL 6+

  Chapter 1

  “AND NOW, approaching the podium to receive his Ebersol Foundation Science Award, is Mr. Frank Hardy!” Joe Hardy pretended to hold a microphone to his mouth as he roared like an overexcited TV announcer. Joe’s brother Frank didn’t react, but continued to stride toward the full-length mirror on his bedroom door and knot his tie.

  “The girls in the audience are swooning, ladies and gentlemen!” Joe continued. “The very sight of the young genius is more than they can take!”

  Sitting on the bed, Biff Hooper and Chet Morton, two of the Hardys’ oldest friends, grinned at Joe. Biff leaned back on his powerful arms to relax and enjoy the show while Chet leaned forward to peel off the wrapper from his fourth candy bar.

  “You look good in a suit, Frank,” Biff said. “I didn’t even know you owned one.”

  “But wait!” Joe cried, stepping between Frank and the mirror. “What’s this flurry of excitement in the back of the hall? Why, it’s Frank’s brother, Joe Hardy, co-winner of the prize! Joe’s dazzling good looks have completely eclipsed those of his older—though not wiser—brother. The crowd is going absolutely wild!” Joe spun around to gaze into the mirror, obviously admiring himself.

  Biff and Chet laughed as Frank elbowed Joe away. “Excuse me,” Frank said with a wry grin, “but don’t you have some packing to do?”

  “It’s obvious that Joe got the lion’s share of good looks in the Hardy family, folks,” Joe shot back in his TV voice. He ran a hand
over his brother’s brown hair, messing it up totally. “Comb your hair, Frank. It’s a disaster.”

  Frank took out a comb and carefully put his hair back in place. “Get the talking out of your system now, Joe, because when it’s time to speak to the press, I’ll do the talking. I did most of the work on the project, so it’s only fair.”

  Joe turned to face Chet and Biff. “You don’t believe that, do you? I’m the brilliant one, right?”

  “No comment,” Chet said around a mouthful of caramel and chocolate.

  “Double no comment,” Biff echoed. “Hey, when did you guys become scientists, anyway? I knew you were detectives, but scientists?”

  “It just happened,” Frank confessed. “We’d been tinkering with a new kind of infrared film for taking pictures at night—”

  “And then I figured out a way to treat the film to make a better image,” Joe interrupted.

  Frank yawned and picked a piece of lint off the sleeve of his new suit. “But,” he said, “who suggested that we try it out on a night sky? If we hadn’t taken shots of the stars and entered them in the state science fair, Dr. Ebersol would never have seen our new film and invited us to go to Hawaii with him to help photograph the solar eclipse.”

  Fenton Hardy, Frank and Joe’s detective father, had stepped into the doorway in time to hear what Frank said. “It’s a good thing I taught you boys to be modest,” he remarked, putting an arm around Frank’s shoulders. “It’s almost six-thirty, and your mother and aunt Gertrude are already on their way to the award ceremony. If you keep arguing about who deserves the credit, we’ll miss it.”

  “I guess you guys inherited your brains from your dad,” Chet said, getting up off the bed.

  Biff stood up, too, and soon all of them had piled into Mr. Hardy’s sedan, driving to the state university campus on the edge of Bayport.

  “I don’t know what I’m more excited about,” Frank confessed, “the award or the trip to Hawaii that goes along with it.”

  “Are you kidding?” Joe teased. “Have you forgotten the waves, the beaches, the beautiful girls?”

  “Have you forgotten that we nearly got ourselves killed there?” Frank replied, reminding his brother of their problems the last time they’d been in Hawaii.

  “That was different,” Joe said. “We were on a case, chasing down a major crime boss.”

  “Have you guys ever noticed,” Chet said, “that wherever you go, cases follow you?”

  “Well, it’s not going to happen this time,” Fenton Hardy said. “There’s not much room for criminal mischief when you’re at the top of an extinct volcano, surrounded by scientists who are studying the longest solar eclipse of the century.”

  “You never know with Frank and Joe,” Biff insisted.

  Frank was barely listening. His mind had drifted back to the award ceremony. He could hardly believe that they were about to meet Dr. James Ebersol—the man who had done more than any single person to make astronomy a household word. At the height of his fame, five years earlier, Dr. Ebersol had had three books on the best-seller list at the same time. One was about black holes, another was about space travel, and the third was about other life forms in the galaxy. His weekly TV show, “The Universe Explained,” had been on for years. Going to Hawaii with him and his research team was the opportunity of a lifetime.

  “Dreaming of sun and surf, Frank?” Chet asked, breaking into Frank’s reverie.

  “More like sun and stars,” Frank said. “We’ve been joking about it, but the truth is, I’m still in shock. We may actually help discover the first new planet in our solar system in a hundred years!”

  “Does Ebersol really believe there’s another planet out there?” Biff asked dubiously. “Wouldn’t it have been discovered by now?”

  “That’s just the thing,” Joe broke in. “Until recently, there was no way to prove it. According to Ebersol, this planet—if it ever existed—was blown to bits billions of years ago, and it’s only with advanced infrared photography that the Ebersol team may be able to capture the remaining debris on film. That’s why when he heard about our infrared film project winning first place at the science fair, Ebersol asked us to come along.”

  When they arrived at the campus, Fenton Hardy parked behind the ultramodern building that was the home of the school’s astronomy department. They entered through a rear door and found themselves in a long corridor. “We’re looking for Room one-oh-nine,” Fenton reminded the boys.

  The room, just a few yards away, was a fairly large lecture hall with a dais and podium, and curved, arena-style seating. The front row had a few reporters loading film in their cameras and making notes. Laura Hardy, Frank and Joe’s mother, sat in the fifth row with the boys’ aunt Gertrude. When the two women saw the Hardys appear in the doorway, they smiled proudly and waved.

  “I hope you’re our winners,” a plump young woman in a plaid dress said, approaching the group. “I’m P. J. O’Malley of the Ebersol Foundation. I’m looking for Joe and Frank Hardy.”

  “These guys, right here,” Chet said, proudly patting each of his friends on the shoulder.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said with a smile. “Unfortunately, Mr. De La Rosa, the manager of the foundation, couldn’t be here to welcome you in person, but he asked me to extend his sincere congratulations. He’ll be joining you in Hawaii the night after the eclipse, so you’ll meet him then.”

  “Good luck, fellas,” Fenton said, leaving with Chet and Biff to join his wife. “We’ll be watching.”

  “Your seats are the last two on the right,” P.J. told Frank and Joe, pointing to the dais.

  “Thanks.” Frank felt a rush as a large set of spotlights came on. A local TV news crew was setting up to film the ceremony.

  Frank and Joe had just taken their places when a tall man with piercing blue eyes and a charismatic manner strode up to them. With him was a woman in her late twenties with large brown eyes and flowing auburn hair. “You must be Joe Hardy,” the man said, brushing back his long mane of gray hair and offering his hand. “I’m Jim Ebersol. We spoke on the phone.”

  “Yes, sir. I recognize you,” Frank said, standing up. “But I’m Frank. This is Joe.”

  “Pleasure to meet you both,” Ebersol said, shaking Frank’s hand, then Joe’s. “I’m looking forward to having you on our expedition. Oh, by the way, this is my wife.”

  “My name is Michele,” she said with a smile almost as dazzling as her husband’s. “Your photographs were spectacular. Congratulations!” Michele’s peasant-style dress with embroidered flowers emphasized her youthful appearance. She had to be at least fifteen years younger than her husband, Frank thought.

  “Michele fancies herself an expert in infrared,” Dr. Ebersol said, putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a little squeeze. “Her master’s thesis was on it. Wasn’t it, dear?”

  “Have you forgotten already?” his wife protested with a smile, though Frank noticed a slight edge to her voice.

  “Where’s Everett?” Ebersol asked, peering out over the assembly. “I want to introduce him, too,”

  “Right here, sir,” said a man who’d been sitting quietly on the other side of the dais, his nose buried in a scientific journal. He was pale, with thinning blond hair and dark-rimmed glasses. Frank guessed he was about thirty.

  “Come over and meet the Hardy brothers!” Ebersol told him. “Boys, this is my longtime assistant, Everett MacLaughlin, who’ll be with us in Hawaii. Some day, I predict he’ll make quite a name for himself with his own discoveries.”

  “You’re very kind, sir,” the assistant said, acting uncomfortable with the praise. He gave the Hardys a terse smile and returned to his seat.

  “Excuse me, Dr. Ebersol,” P.J. said, tapping him on the shoulder. “If we’re going to get a clip on the evening news, we have to get started.”

  Frank gazed out at the auditorium, which was nearly filled now. A woman in a navy blue suit rose from her seat and approached the podium. Fran
k recognized her as Hillary Burns, the president of the university.

  “Tonight,” Ms. Burns began, “we’re privileged to have a great scientist with us. He is perhaps the best-known astrophysicist since Galileo, thanks to the power of the media and the brilliance of his discoveries. Please give a warm welcome to the Great Explainer, Dr. James Ebersol!”

  Everyone rose and applauded as Dr. Ebersol exchanged places with Dr. Burns. Frank’s hands stung from clapping as he sat back down to listen.

  “Thank you,” Ebersol began. “It’s an honor to be at this university, which was so supportive of my work while I was here and continues to support me at the Ebersol Foundation. I’m extremely proud to be able to give something back tonight—an Ebersol Foundation grant to establish a new library of astronomy and astrophysics.” This announcement was met with more enthusiastic applause.

  “I’d like at this time to acknowledge the two young men seated up here with me. Frank and Joe Hardy discovered an important component of accurate infrared film development and used this film to shoot the night sky and stars. The Ebersol Foundation would like to honor them and their achievement tonight with the Ebersol Science Award. Frank? Joe?”

  Frank flushed as flashes went off and he and Joe rose to accept their bronze plaque.

  “Thanks very much, Dr. Ebersol,” Frank managed to say, taking the plaque. The bright lights suddenly felt intensely hot and blinding to him.

  “My brother and I would also like to thank our parents and the people at the university photography lab who let us use their equipment,” Joe said as smoothly as a professional speaker. Frank was impressed. During another small burst of applause, the brothers shook Dr. Ebersol’s hand and returned to their seats.

  “Search for the stars,” Dr. Ebersol continued, his voice softening dramatically as he repeated the phrase slowly. “Search for the stars—it’s almost an unwritten commandment, isn’t it? And it began the moment our ancestors first raised their eyes from their caves to the complex, starry night sky. It’s a pursuit that has motivated me since I can remember. And now I stand on the brink of what may be my greatest discovery—the Exploded Planet.”

  Staring out into the audience, Frank saw that everyone seemed enthralled by Ebersol’s dramatic exposition.

  “A quest of this magnitude takes a lot of effort, and a lot of resources, and I’d like to thank my supporters for making the search possible,” the scientist continued. “It has long been my belief that to be complete humans beings, we must always feel the awe our ancestors felt as they studied the stars. Yes, my friends, our true human destiny—to discover—can only be fulfilled when we search for the stars!”