Outer Space Mystery

by Charles Tang

  “What kind of a party is that?” Benny asked.

  “Oh, I think you should go,” a voice said behind them. Mark ruffled Benny’s hair. “They’re meteors. Falling stars!”

  They found a table by the window. Once more, Mark sat with them.

  “Actually, falling stars are not stars at all, but stone fragments,” Mark went on. “When these fragments break through our atmosphere, they leave a tail of light. It’s like watching fireworks.”

  Just then Grandfather came in. He pulled up a chair. “I finally got a break from the conference. May I join you?”

  “Please do, Mr. Alden,” Mark said. “I was just telling your grandchildren about the upcoming meteor shower.”

  “We’re going to see falling stars!” Violet said. “Can we stay up that late?”

  “Absolutely,” Grandfather promised. “It isn’t every day you get to see a meteor shower from an observatory.”

  Rachel Cunningham came by with menus. When everyone had ordered, she bustled off, but left the menus on the table.

  When she came back with a tray full of drinks, Jessie handed her the menus. “You forgot these,” she said.

  “I don’t know where my mind is today,” Rachel said. Then she began passing the drinks.

  “I didn’t want Coke,” Benny told her. “I ordered ginger ale.”

  “And I’m afraid I didn’t ask for iced tea,” Grandfather said apologetically.

  Rachel hastily snatched up the wrong drinks. “That’s right — you said you wanted lemonade. I’ll be right back.” She hurried away, nearly tripping over another diner.

  “She seems awfully nervous,” Jessie observed.

  “I can see why,” Grandfather said. “It’s a lot of extra work for her, taking care of conference people and the summer-school students at the same time.”

  “Still,” Mark put in, “Rachel volunteered for the job.”

  This time Rachel returned with a tray overloaded with the right drinks and their entrees.

  Henry saw the tray dip dangerously and jumped up to help but it was too late.

  Grandfather’s tossed salad landed upside down in his lap.

  “Oh, no!” Rachel stood rooted to the floor, her gray eyes horrified. “Look what I’ve done!”

  Grandfather plucked a radish off his shirt. “It’s all right, dear girl. Not to worry. I’ll go up to my room and change.” Trying to make her feel better, he joked, “I did ask for a tossed salad.”

  “You don’t understand!” Rachel cried. “I’ve ruined everything!” Wheeling around, she flung the tray on an empty table and ran across the room.

  Jessie started after her. “Rachel! Come back!”

  But Rachel was already out the door.

  Jessie stared at Henry. “I’ve never seen anyone so nervous.”

  Henry nodded. “I wonder what could be bothering her.”

  The children spent the afternoon exploring the stream that ran alongside the campus. Jessie showed Benny how to make boats out of sticks and leaves. Violet and Henry took pictures of the scenery.

  “These should be good enough to enter in a contest,” Henry told Violet. “You’ve got some really nice shots.”

  Benny launched a fleet of leaf boats down the rushing creek. “Here comes the navy!” he cried gleefully.

  Henry measured the progress of the sun over the treetops. “We’d better head back. It’s nearly dinnertime.”

  Scooping his “navy” from the water, Benny neatly lined up the soggy boats on a sandbar. “I’m ready now,” he declared. “I’m starving.”

  “Dinner is supposed to be another picnic,” Jessie said. “I wonder if Rachel will be there.”

  They found out later, when the conference people were gathered once more on the lawn. Rachel Cunningham was rushing between groups, serving drinks. Jessie noticed the young woman’s eyes were red-rimmed.

  “At least we can eat when we want to,” Benny said. The long tables were laden with an assortment of cold dishes, breads, and salads. The dessert table made Benny’s eyes pop.

  “Hey, there!” Eugene Scott bounded up to the children. “Haven’t seen you around today. What have you been up to?”

  Henry was surprised by the young man’s sudden friendliness. “We’ve been busy,” he said.

  “That’s good!” Eugene said jovially. “Are you coming to the closing ceremony on the last day of the conference?”

  “I don’t know,” Jessie replied. “Grandfather hasn’t mentioned anything about it.”

  “You should come,” Eugene said. “I want everybody to come. I’ve made a terrific discovery! The world will find out what it is that day!”

  “Mark has a discovery too,” Benny put in.

  A cloud seemed to drop over Eugene’s eyes. “You can believe that my discovery is a thousand times better than his!” With that, he stomped off.

  Violet shook her head. “Boy, he’s kind of weird.”

  Jessie pointed to a stage that had been set up near the trees. “There’s Rachel with a guitar. I bet she’s going to sing! Let’s go listen.”

  After a brief introduction by Dr. Porter, Rachel stood before a microphone.

  “Tonight,” she said shyly, “I’m going to sing a ballad my granddaddy taught me. The song was passed down from his granddaddy, so it’s really old.”

  She strummed the guitar a few times, then began to sing. Jessie had never heard such a sweet, lilting voice. The words told a story of a family who had to leave their mountain home forever.

  When Rachel was through, everyone applauded. Bowing briefly, the young woman left the stage, brushing away compliments from the guests.

  “I wish I could sing like that,” Violet commented to Jessie later, when they were in their dorm room.

  “Rachel is like these mountains. She seems different every day,” Jessie mused, pulling down the covers.

  Later on, after the girls had fallen asleep, they heard a knock at the door.

  It was Hazel Watson, the housekeeper.

  “Have you seen Rachel?” she asked the girls. “I can’t find her anywhere!”

  CHAPTER 5

  Where Is Rachel?

  “What do you mean you can’t find her?” Violet asked.

  “She’s not in her room,” Hazel said. “I just went in there to thank her for singing for us tonight. Her bed is still made up. She’s nowhere to be seen, and it’s getting very late.”

  “Maybe she’s taking a walk,” Violet suggested. “She’ll probably come in later.”

  Hazel shook her head. “Rachel is usually in her room studying as soon as the evening meal is over. This isn’t like her at all.”

  “We’ll probably find out tomorrow where she went,” Jessie said reassuringly. But she was concerned, too. Rachel had seemed so upset earlier.

  When Hazel left, Jessie went over to the window. A thick canopy of trees blocked most of the stars, but a thin, silver moon rose in the east. Was Rachel Cunningham out there somewhere?

  Violet always knew when her big sister was worried. “Rachel’s from these mountains,” she said. “She’ll be all right. I’m sure she’ll show up tomorrow.”

  “I hope so,” said Jessie, turning away from the window.

  The next morning, Rachel had not returned, and the whole campus knew she was missing.

  Grandfather spoke briefly to the children just outside the dining hall. “I’m running the entire conference now,” he told them. “Able Porter has his hands full with the disappearance of that young woman.”

  At that moment a sheriff’s car wheeled into the circular driveway. A stocky man in a brown uniform and hat climbed out and went inside the administration building.

  “Able is probably giving the sheriff a full report,” Grandfather said. He checked his watch. “I’d better run. The seminar starts in four minutes.”

  Benny walked over to the sheriff’s car. He admired the golden badge painted on the side. When he grew up, he wanted a car just like this.

  “I wo
nder what’s going to happen,” Violet said. “How will they ever find one person in these mountains?” She waved at the vast territory surrounding the campus.

  The sheriff came outside again, followed by Able Porter and Randy Merchant. The men looked worried.

  Mark Jacobs saw the group as he crossed the campus and ran over. He, too, looked concerned.

  From where the children were standing, they could hear the men talking.

  “I hear you’re forming a search party,” Mark said to the sheriff.

  “That’s right,” said the officer. “We’re afraid she might be lost in these woods. We need all the help we can get if we want to cover these woods by nightfall.”

  Jessie shuddered. She remembered the wild animals Randy had mentioned that lived in the woods.

  “We can help,” Henry said.

  The sheriff looked at him dubiously. “We’re grateful for your offer, young man, but we need people who know these hills. We don’t need someone else getting lost.”

  “We can do other things,” Benny said. “Like talk on walkie-talkies.” Next to owning a car with a gold badge on it, Benny longed to have a set of walkie-talkies.

  “Benny is right,” said Mark. “We’ll need radio contact here. If we’re all out searching, who will we report in to? Dr. Porter has enough on his hands, running this college. I trust these children.”

  “Okay!” the sheriff said, happy to have a few more helpers.

  The seminar was dismissed for the day and a search party was organized. The people would work in teams so no one would get lost. Team leaders were issued walkie-talkies, maps, water, and food.

  Randy Merchant showed the Aldens how to use the radio equipment in the main office. Then they all went back outside again to see the search party off.

  As the teams were about to leave, Mark looked around.

  “Where’s Eugene Scott?” he asked. “I haven’t seen him all day.”

  “I bet I know where he is,” Randy answered in disgust. “In the kitchen.”

  Mark suddenly looked furious. He stalked into the dining hall and came out a moment later with Eugene.

  “What do you need me for?” Eugene was saying defensively. “You have plenty of people to search.”

  “Everyone has volunteered,” Mark said, tight-lipped. “Even the children. The Aldens are manning the radios.”

  Reluctantly, Eugene loaded up with gear. When the searchers finally headed into the deep woods, Eugene trailed behind. He clearly did not want to go.

  “What’s with him?” Violet wondered. “You’d think he’d want to help.”

  “Maybe he’s afraid of bears and wildcats,” said Benny, as they walked back into the main office.

  They settled at the desk in front of the radio equipment. Jessie flipped on the switches. Static crackled from the speakers, so they knew the system was operating.

  Henry stationed himself in front of the microphone, ready to receive the first message.

  “I wonder if there’s any good food in the kitchen,” Benny wondered wistfully. “We didn’t have much to eat this morning.”

  It was true. Everyone on the college staff was upset over Rachel’s disappearance. Breakfast had been a skimpy meal of cereal and fruit.

  As if she heard his comment, Hazel Watson came to the door. She looked worried. “Have you heard anything yet?” she asked the children.

  Henry shook his head. “Nothing. But the searchers only left a little while ago.”

  Hazel heaved a sigh. “I have a problem,” she said. “I’m hoping you children can help me.”

  “We’ll be glad to, if we can,” said Violet.

  “I’m short-handed in the dining room,” Hazel said. “With Rachel gone, I have no waitress.”

  Jessie guessed what was coming next. “You want us to fill in for Rachel?”

  “Only during breakfast,” Hazel explained. “I’ve arranged to have buffet-style lunches and dinners. But the conference people expect a hot, served breakfast. I’ll be happy to pay you. What do you think?”

  “Do I get to carry one of those big trays?” Benny asked eagerly.

  Hazel laughed. “No, I have a special job for you, Benny. Rolling silverware into napkins. Can you do that?”

  “You bet!” Anything that put him closer to the kitchen was fine with him.

  Jessie and Henry looked at each other.

  Violet grinned. “We’ll do it!” she said.

  “And you don’t have to pay us,” Henry told Hazel.

  “Except a snack once in a while,” Benny put in.

  Hazel laughed. “It’s only for one day, the final day of the conference. After that, Rachel — ” Her blue eyes were suddenly sad.

  Violet patted the older woman on the knee. “Don’t worry. They’ll find Rachel soon.”

  But the radio was silent the rest of the morning. At noon, Able Porter came in to relieve the Aldens.

  “Go have lunch,” he told them. “And then go outside for a walk. It’s a beautiful day. You shouldn’t let our problems ruin your vacation.”

  “We don’t mind,” Jessie told him. “We like Rachel a lot. We want to do anything we can to help find her.”

  Dr. Porter smiled ruefully. “I’m sure Rachel would be glad to know she has such loyal friends.”

  As Hazel had promised, lunch was a buffet, with a choice of cold salads, meats, cheeses, and relishes. Everybody served themselves.

  The dining room was nearly empty. Most of the conference attendees and all of the summer students were out searching the woods.

  Grandfather stopped by the children’s table. Violet begged him to eat with them.

  He held up a tray filled with sandwiches. “I’m afraid I have to entertain the guest speakers over there. They understand why the seminars are being postponed, but I still can’t leave them alone.”

  “We’re manning the radios,” said Benny proudly.

  “We’re on a break right now because Dr. Porter is handling the radios,” Jessie explained. “I wonder if he’s had any calls.”

  “I’m sure the searchers are doing everything they can,” said Grandfather. “Let’s hope they find that young woman before nightfall.”

  When he left, Violet stared at Jessie. “I never thought of that! Rachel might be in the woods again tonight. It must be so scary!”

  “Then what are we sitting here for?” Henry asked. “Instead of taking a walk, let’s go look for her!”

  The children cleared their table and rushed outside.

  Jessie pointed toward the main trails. “Most of the team went that way.”

  “And some others went up there,” Henry said, nodding toward the observatory above them.

  “What about that trail we found?” Violet suggested. “The one that’s not on the map.”

  “Good idea,” Henry said. “Well head in that direction.”

  Today the woods were hot and muggy. Not a leaf stirred. But gnats and mosquitoes provided plenty of activity.

  “Next time, bring bug spray,” Benny said, slapping his neck.

  Violet was in the lead. “Here’s where we lost the trail before.”

  Sure enough, the faint path seemed to disappear into the woods. But the children had broken enough branches the last time to mark the way.

  “Look, there’s the stone chimney,” said Henry. “Let’s go check out that cabin.”

  Jessie led the way down the twisting path. “Maybe Rachel is in there!”

  Going down the steep mountainside was hard. Branches smacked them. Benny tripped over a root. Once Jessie thought she saw a snake, but it was only a thick vine.

  At last they stumbled into a clearing.

  The log cabin was cloaked in shadows. The sky was scraps of blue between tall trees.

  The stone chimney jutted crookedly upward. One of the porch posts was broken. The porch roof sagged and seemed ready to fall down.

  The children cautiously stepped on the rickety porch. Henry pushed on the front door. It creaked open on
rusty hinges.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Phone Call

  “This place looks like our boxcar,” Benny remarked as he stepped inside the cabin.

  “It does!” Violet agreed. “It’s got a shelf with dishes, same as our boxcar.”

  “Only we didn’t have a fireplace,” Henry said.

  “Our boxcar was cleaner, too,” Jessie added. Cobwebs draped the rafters and the plank floor was littered with leaves. The place needed a good sweeping!

  “I wonder who lived here,” Henry said, wiping a circle of dust from the single window.

  Benny was exploring the stone fireplace. He stuck his head up into the chimney.

  “Benny, get out of there!” Jessie scolded. “You’ll get filthy.”

  “Hey, look what I found!” Benny said.

  He came out from the chimney holding a long, gray strip of something. It looked like a piece of fragile, old paper.

  “What is that?” Jessie asked curiously.

  Henry took the strip from Benny. “What a beauty! It’s a snakeskin.”

  Violet jumped backward, alarmed.

  “The snake is long gone,” Jessie assured her. “He just used the rough rocks in the chimney to help shed his skin.”

  Violet shuddered. “Let’s go. Rachel isn’t here. I don’t think anyone has been here in a long time.”

  But Jessie wasn’t so sure. As they hurried out the front door, her foot kicked a cane-bottomed rocker. Always neat, she bent to straighten the piece of furniture.

  Her hand brushed a square of pale blue paper.

  “Henry, Benny!” she exclaimed. “This looks like that gum wrapper you found in your room.”

  Henry examined the scrap. “It’s the same brand of gum. And it’s not dusty. Someone has been here. And recently!”

  “Maybe it was Rachel,” Jessie said. “She chews a lot of gum.” But if Rachel had been here, Jessie wondered, why did she leave? And where was she now?

  Back at the college, the Aldens hurried into the main office. Randy Merchant was manning the radio. He held the earphones cupped over one ear.

  “Has Rachel been found?” Violet asked him anxiously.

  He shook his head. “One search team returned for supplies, but the rest are still out there.”