Darkness Falls Read online

  There was a moment of silence as Dr. Ebersol’s inspiring words faded. Then, a smattering of applause began, followed immediately by enthusiastic clapping.

  Acknowledging the acclaim with a modest smile. Dr. Ebersol added, “Now I’ll be happy to take questions from the press. I’m sure you’re all curious about the coming eclipse. You, there,” he said, pointing to a reporter waving her pencil in the air.

  “Could you explain your ‘exploded planet’ theory for us, sir?” she asked. “And also, what do you hope to achieve during the coming eclipse?”

  “Certainly,” Dr. Ebersol said warmly. “My theory holds that at the birth of our solar system, there were more than nine planets. But one of them, or possibly even two, were pulled into the sun’s gravitational force, where they blew apart.

  “My theory could only be proven by finding a ring of cosmic rubble around the sun,” he went on. “Now, why have we never spotted this ring? Simply because the sun is too bright. But with the new infrared detectors developed by my team, Michele Ebersol and Everett MacLaughlin, and with the two young Hardys, my guess is that we’ll be able to spot the rings during the eclipse.”

  “But, Doctor,” another reporter said, “we’ve had eclipses before. What makes this one special?”

  “This eclipse is far and away the longest in our lifetime,” Ebersol replied. “Imagine! The sun’s rays will be totally obliterated for a full seven minutes! If I may add a small historical footnote—I find it ironic that in ancient times a solar eclipse was considered an evil omen, foretelling the death of kings. Now we view an eclipse as a scientific opportunity. Our perspective has certainly changed, hasn’t it?”

  The science editor of the local TV station rose and waved his hand. “Where will you be taking the photographs, Doctor?” he shouted.

  “I’ve chosen the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii for my experiment,” Ebersol replied. “It’s extremely fortunate that the eclipse will take place over one of the greatest astronomical research facilities in the world. And the mountain’s elevation—over thirteen thousand feet, above half of the earth’s atmosphere—reduces interference from dust and water vapor. If there are no more questions, I want to thank you all for coming, and wish us luck.”

  Ebersol waved to the crowd, then turned back to the row of chairs behind him. Before the applause could begin, a voice shouted out from the back of the auditorium.

  “Dr. Ebersol! Tim Wheeler of Astronomy Today. Just one quick question. Which is more important to you, Doctor—finding this destroyed planet, or getting your next book onto the best-seller lists?”

  Frank watched as Ebersol’s back stiffened. Clenching his fists, the Great Explainer made his way back to the metal podium to answer the impudent question. He grabbed the microphone in one hand.

  As he did so, there was a sudden sizzling sound, and a shower of sparks flew out from the mike. Ebersol screamed in agony, and several others in the audience screamed, too.

  Frank couldn’t believe it—Dr. Ebersol was being electrocuted right in front of their eyes!

  Chapter 2

  FRANK SPRANG toward the podium, but Joe was quicker. Knowing that if he touched Ebersol with his feet on the ground, he, too, would be electrocuted, Joe leaped high with both feet, kicking Ebersol free of the mike. The two toppled to the floor.

  There was pandemonium in the hall as the group on stage crowded around. Frank checked Ebersol’s pulse. “Get an ambulance!” Frank shouted. Then, as Joe got up, he asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I think so,” Joe said, rubbing his back.

  Frank bent down and loosened Ebersol’s tie; the great man’s eyes opened. “Are you all right, sir?” he asked. Ebersol nodded, but Frank could tell he was woozy. Just then Michele knelt by her husband’s side. “Jim, darling,” she whispered.

  Frank stepped back to make room for her and gestured for Joe to come with him. The two brothers went straight to the podium to check the wiring visually. “Don’t touch anything,” Frank warned. “We’ll have to make sure the circuit breaker is off first.”

  P.J. came up to them. “You can touch it,” she said. “I just shut it off.” She bent over to check out the mike, too.

  “Who turned on the mike?” Frank asked as Joe traced, the wiring.

  “It was all set up when we arrived,” said the woman. “The university keeps it ready.”

  “Hmmm,” Joe said, holding a wire in his hands. “Here’s the problem. This wire’s been stripped down.” He showed them the spot where the insulation had been worn away.

  “Do you think it was cut deliberately?” Frank asked, examining it.

  Joe frowned. “If it was deliberate, somebody took great care to make it look natural.”

  “But why would anyone want to electrocute Dr. Ebersol?” P.J. asked. “Accidents do happen, after all.”

  “I hope you’re right,” said Joe. “All the same, Frank, we’d better keep an eye on Ebersol from now on.”

  * * *

  The next afternoon Joe and Frank boarded the plane to Hawaii. “No matter how many times I’ve flown, I still get excited,” Joe admitted as he and Frank showed their passes to the crew.

  “You’re excited,” Frank said, smiling. “Did you see how keyed up Mom was when she said goodbye? I think she’s already planning the celebration party she’ll throw when we get back.”

  Before they turned to the right into coach, they saw Dr. Ebersol and his wife, standing in first class, getting ready to sit. Fortunately, Ebersol had recovered from his shock, except for a bandage on one hand. “I’m bored already, and I can’t even write!” Joe heard him complain. “Get me The New York Times, Michele.”

  When he turned and saw Frank and Joe, Ebersol transformed his grumpy expression into his familiar, brilliant smile. “It won’t be long now, boys!” he said.

  “Excuse me, I need to get by to get to the magazine rack,” Michele said to Joe, who had stepped into first class. Joe noticed that she seemed tired and stressed.

  “Hi, remember me?” Joe said. She glanced up at him and gave a little laugh.

  “Sorry,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not very together today. Jim’s hand was bothering him last night and neither of us got any sleep.”

  The Hardys left to find their seats in coach. Across the aisle from them, Everett MacLaughlin was gazing out the window, a serious expression on his face.

  “Hey, there,” Joe said, sliding into his seat.

  The graduate assistant reacted as if he was startled. “Oh. Hi,” he said. Quickly, he picked up a scientific journal on his lap and began reading.

  The plane stopped in San Francisco, then landed in Honolulu, where the group changed planes for their flight to Kona Airport on the island of Hawaii—Big Island, as the locals called it. By the time they landed, the summer sun was setting over the ocean in an orange and pink blaze of glory.

  As they got off the plane, Joe took a deep breath. Even at the airport, the evening breeze carried the scent of orchids.

  “It’s weird going back in time, isn’t it?” Frank said, resetting his wristwatch. “Just think, in Hawaii they see the evening news in the morning.”

  Dr. Ebersol called Frank and Joe over to him. “Michèle and I have to meet with some of the foundation’s sponsors at the beach house we’ve rented,” he told them. “Please help Everett unload the equipment. Then he’ll take you to your hotel. I’ll see you up at the observatory tomorrow morning, and we’ll set up shop.”

  “You got it,” Frank said cheerfully.

  The Hardys and MacLaughlin stowed the gear in a rented van. Frank and Joe decided to rent a car of their own, in case there was time for exploring the island. They followed MacLaughlin’s blue van in a shiny red convertible, past lava fields that looked like moonscapes in the growing twilight and on to the resort town of Kailua.

  Their hotel was a budget one on the noisy main drag. Joe’s eyes widened when he got a load of the surfboards for rent in the shop next door. “Let’s make time for those bef
ore we leave here,” he said to Frank, who nodded his agreement.

  After unpacking, the boys knocked on MacLaughlin’s door. “Join us for dinner?” Frank asked.

  “I can’t,” the assistant answered nervously. “I’m going over the data, preparing for tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Frank said. “Maybe next time, then.”

  “Does that guy ever take a break?” Joe asked as they headed for the nearest restaurant.

  Frank shook his head. “Maybe he should try surfing!”

  Seated at a sidewalk café with a perfect view of the beach, Frank told the waiter, “We’ll have two Hawaiian burgers with pineapple rings.”

  “Right,” Joe agreed, shutting his menu. “I’ll try anything once.”

  The waiter had just left when the Hardys were approached by a dark-haired man Frank guessed to be in his thirties. “You’re the Hardys, aren’t you?” he asked. “I’m Tim Wheeler of Astronomy Today. I was at the award ceremony last night. Congratulations.”

  Joe and Frank were surprised. “You’re the one who asked Dr. Ebersol about being a publicity hound,” Joe said, his eyes narrowing.

  “Guilty,” Wheeler admitted offhandedly.

  “When did you get to Hawaii?” Joe asked, surprised to see the reporter. “I didn’t see you on the plane.”

  “I took the red-eye,” Wheeler said. When Joe seemed confused, he smiled. “That’s what you call an overnight flight. I flew to Los Angeles last night and arrived in Honolulu this morning.”

  “But why did you come?” Frank asked.

  “I’m writing the script for a documentary film about the eclipse,” Wheeler explained.

  When the waiter came with the Hardys’ food, the reporter asked to join them and ordered a papaya smoothie.

  “You’re detectives, right? I’ve read about you in the Bayport News,” Wheeler said. “Hey! Maybe you can figure out who tried to fry the Great Explainer last night.”

  “Is that what you think happened?” Frank asked, scrutinizing the reporter.

  Wheeler winced and shook his head. “Anything’s possible,” he replied. “You’ve got to admit, Jim Ebersol is not particularly well-liked—not by anyone who knows him, that is.”

  “What makes you say that?” Frank asked. “I thought he was widely respected.”

  “Respect is one thing,” Wheeler said. “Being liked is another.”

  “Well, Ebersol would never have gotten that electric shock if you hadn’t provoked him to come back to the podium,” Joe said accusingly.

  “Whoa,” said Wheeler, holding up both hands. “I don’t go around hot-wiring mikes!”

  “But you don’t like Ebersol,” Joe said, playing it straight. “Why not?”

  Wheeler scowled. “I think the guy is a bombastic old windbag. But that doesn’t mean I’d hurt him.”

  “Why do you feel that way about him?” Frank asked.

  Wheeler let out a sigh. “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you,” he said. “I was once engaged to the sweetest, prettiest astronomy student this side of M.I.T.—Michele Mendez, now Michele Ebersol.”

  “What happened?” Joe asked softly.

  Wheeler shook his head and took a sip of the smoothie the waiter had placed in front of him. “Oh, it’s a typical story,” he said, making light of what he was saying. “Two young astronomy students fall in love, until an established genius shows up and sweeps one of them off her feet. When Ebersol fell for Michele, there was no way I could compete with his money, his power, or his fame. Before I knew it, she had given me back my ring.”

  “But you’re a reporter, not an astronomer,” Joe pointed out, confused.

  “Ebersol iced me out of the astronomy department, so I transferred to journalism and tried science writing,” Wheeler said with a sigh. “I’ve done okay, but I still can’t forgive him for stealing Michele. It was six years ago, but it feels like yesterday.”

  “That’s sad,” Joe said quietly.

  “And it’s a long time to be carrying a torch for someone,” Frank added.

  “You know, I’d make myself forget her in a minute if I thought she was happy,” Wheeler said thoughtfully. “But when I see her, well—the sparkle’s missing from her eyes.” Wheeler shook his head, then stood up. “I think I’ll get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day. See you.” After putting money on the table, he waved and walked away.

  “Well, he sure gave us something to think about,” Joe said.

  “I liked him,” Frank said. “I can’t blame him for not liking Ebersol. If he stole my girl and iced me out—”

  “But, Frank, do you think—?”

  “That Wheeler stripped that wire to hurt him?” Frank finished for him. “I guess it’s possible. But if he had, why would he tell us about his past history?”

  “Maybe he’s just weird,” Joe said, watching the reporter wander away. “In any case, we should keep an eye on him.”

  The next morning the Hardys hooked up with Everett MacLaughlin after breakfast and began the drive up the coast to Saddle Road, which crossed the island to the extinct Mauna Kea, with its observatory.

  “Funny—I don’t feel any jet lag,” Frank said.

  “It’s probably because you’re so excited about the eclipse,” Joe suggested. “I know I am. How about you, Mr. MacLaughlin? Are you excited?”

  “Me?” the assistant asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. “I suppose I’m experiencing a fair degree of excitement.” Frank couldn’t help thinking that MacLaughlin seemed uncomfortable or unused to any attention. The perfect image of a science nerd, he thought.

  In a matter of minutes they had driven from the island’s dry western coast, through lush jungle vegetation near Mauna Kea, and then up into scrub and grassland at a higher elevation. The wind howled as they passed through the thick layer of fog that blanketed the mountains a thousand feet below their summits. They found the turnoff to the observatory and zigzagged up hairpin turns, emerging from the clouds to see the majestic peak of Mauna Kea, with the domed observatory a hundred feet or so below it.

  The huge parking lot was filled with scientists and their assistants unloading equipment. A sign read Observatory Closed to General Public Day of Eclipse. Research Teams Proceed to Assigned Viewing Spaces.

  “Wow,” Joe said, letting out a whistle. “This place is intense.”

  “And busy. Have you ever been here before, Mr. MacLaughlin?” Frank asked, hoping to draw the graduate assistant into conversation.

  All he got was a quiet no.

  Surrounding the observatory were several smaller buildings, equipped with tall antennae and radar dishes. There were also at least a dozen large trailers, along with an assortment of tents positioned all around the mountaintop.

  Dr. Ebersol met them as they emerged from the van. “Good morning,” he said brightly, ready for action. “You’ll be setting up two tents this morning—one for me and the computers, and a silver aluminized, light-tight tent, for you, your cameras, and the infrared detectors. Come, I’ll show you.”

  Ebersol led them to a spot about twenty-five yards away, where his wife stood next to a pile of silver aluminized tent pieces. Michele’s hair was bound up in a bun on top of her head, but Frank noticed that even in her lab coat, she still looked great. She was definitely a woman two men might fight over, he thought to himself.

  “The observatory has loaned us these tents,” Ebersol said.

  “Here are the instructions,” Michele told them, handing a booklet to Everett. “The tents should be fairly easy to construct. Once they’re up, you can load in the gear from the van.”

  “Aren’t you going to stay to help?” Everett asked, sounding surprised.

  Dr. Ebersol put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Michele and I have to meet with the observatory scientists now. We’ll check in with you after lunch, though.”

  After the Ebersols left, it took about an hour and a half for the Hardys and MacLaughlin to build the tents and connect all the instruments, cameras, a
nd computers to the cable hookup from the observatory telescopes.

  “What next?” Frank asked MacLaughlin when the last cable was connected.

  The graduate assistant pursed his lips and looked around the inside of the aluminized tent. “I think everything’s under control,” he said, sounding more cheerful than he had earlier. “You two can take a break for about an hour while I double-check the equipment.”

  “You’re sure we can go?” Frank asked. The assistant didn’t answer as he already had his back to them, tinkering with cable connections.

  “Come on, Frank,” Joe said. “Let’s check out this scene.”

  They stepped out under the spectacularly bright Hawaiian sky, skirted the parking lot, and noticed several trails leading down the mountainside. Next to one, a paved path, they spotted Tim Wheeler talking to a young dark-haired man in a denim shirt.

  “Hey, guys! What’s up?” Wheeler called when he noticed them. “Are you working hard?”

  “We were, but we’re done for the moment,” Frank explained.

  “Me, too,” Wheeler said cheerfully. “But my pal Jake and I just thought of a way to have some fun. Jake, this is Frank and Joe Hardy.”

  “Hi,” the man said before he turned back to Tim. “You got it wrong, man. No way am I going to ride a bike down that road. I’m not that crazy.”

  Tim’s eyes were twinkling mischievously. “How about you, guys? Are you up for some excitement?”

  “What kind of excitement?” Joe asked dubiously.

  “There are a bunch of old bikes lying around,” Wheeler said. “I guess the scientists up here use them to get around. I think it might be a blast to coast down the road all the way to Saddle Road. Want to try—kind of a race?”

  Frank and Joe grinned at each other. The road, with its hairpin turns and thick fog, would be a real challenge on a bike. And Wheeler had dared them to a race. “You’re on, mister!” Joe said, giving Wheeler a high five.