“You might say there’s a connection,” Frank said in a quiet tone. “I think I may have just figured the whole thing out.”
14 Finding Answers
* * *
Terry’s eyes were wide with anticipation, and Joe sat on the edge of his seat. Even Stella was staring at Frank as if waiting for an explanation.
“What happened?” Joe asked impatiently. “Do you think I was taken by aliens?”
“Sorry, I don’t think so,” Frank said.
“Did aliens come to earth?” Terry asked.
“I doubt it,” Frank replied.
“Then what happened?” Joe said. He pounded his fist on the table in mock anger. “The suspense is killing me!”
“This is still an unproven theory,” Frank said. “But it works out fairly well. Here’s what I think might have happened. Terry, you told Joe that twenty years ago Clay Robinson left Moondance Pass to do some land developing in New Mexico. You also said he didn’t have much money before then. Well, before he left, I think Robinson stole that moonstone necklace and probably some other things from the Sykes house.
“Now, let’s say Robinson sold the stuff he took and used it to help start up his business. But for some reason he held on to the moonstone necklace. That happens sometimes. Often crooks like to hang on to at least one thing they’ve stolen as a sort of trophy.”
“And it’s a really cool piece of jewelry,” Terry said.
“That’s probably why Bev and Myra chose the necklace to steal,” Frank said. “I think Bev and Myra were telling the truth when they said that’s all they took. But for some reason, Robinson was vague about what was actually taken. Maybe that’s because that necklace was the one thing in the world he didn’t want anyone to know about. His deepest secret, you might say.”
“But how did Sykes find out Robinson had the necklace?” Joe asked.
“Somehow Sykes must have seen it on Bev or Myra,” Frank said. “He would have recognized it and asked where they got it. But naturally Bev and Myra wouldn’t tell him. Maybe Sykes had always suspected it was Robinson who burglarized his house, or maybe he just went around asking questions everywhere. Anyway, when Sykes came to Silver Crest, he discovered from Terry that Bev and Myra had stolen some things from Robinson.”
“That would have told Sykes for sure that Robinson was the thief,” Terry said. “Robinson stole the necklace from the Sykes house, and the girls stole it from Robinson’s safe.”
“So Sykes confronted Robinson and told him he was going to the police,” Joe added.
“I don’t think so,” Frank said. “It would be difficult to prove anything in court. And the crime was so long ago, it would be difficult getting the police to care about the case in the first place. But maybe Sykes told Robinson he would take this information to the Moondance Pass council.”
Joe stood up and began pacing the room. “And they would revoke Robinson’s permission to build his condo/hotel complex. They granted him the right to build it because they trusted him. But if they knew Robinson was a thief, even if it was way in the past, they would see the man in a different light. This information would kill Robinson’s precious Golden Dream!”
“But why would Sykes tell Robinson he was going to the council?” Terry asked. “Why not just do it?”
“Because maybe Sykes wanted to blackmail Robinson,” Frank said. “Maybe he promised to keep his mouth shut if Robinson would hand over some of the large profits he was about to make.”
“To fund his research!” Joe exclaimed.
“Exactly,” Frank said. “But chances are Robinson didn’t want extortion or exposure. His only alternative was somehow to do away with Sykes.”
Terry twirled a few strands of her hair. “So he made it look as if there had been three alien abductions to cover the fact that he had done something with Alastair Sykes. Which fits with the theory you were working on earlier.”
“Yes,” Frank said. “And if my theory is correct, then the question becomes: Where is Alastair Sykes now?”
Joe put his hands on the table and leaned into Frank. “Either he’s dead, or Robinson hid him away until he knows what to do with him.”
Frank stood up. “And I’m thinking Robinson may be on his way either to skip town or to deal with Sykes right now. A few minutes ago he heard how we were getting close to the truth, which means we need to spring into action fast!”
Frank and Joe left the mess hall and headed into the HQ lobby. “Hey!” Terry called as she followed them out. “Hold your horses.”
Both Hardys turned. “Look, you guys have done this detective stuff before, and I guess you know what you’re doing,” Terry said. “But the Clay Robinson I know isn’t such a bad guy, and you’d better be real sure you’re right before you go around accusing him of being a thief and maybe something worse!”
As Terry held the Hardys with her eyes, Frank realized she was right. “Call Wilkins,” Frank told Terry, “and see if Robinson has gotten there.”
Terry went to the check-in desk. The Hardys watched her as she looked up a number, picked up the phone, and carried on a short conversation.
Soon Terry set down the phone and called to the Hardys. “Wilkins said Robinson hasn’t come by or called. But he also said those papers should be signed by Monday. Maybe Robinson really is planning to go to the lawyer’s house, but he just hasn’t gotten there yet.”
Joe ran over to the check-in desk. “I’ve got an idea. Maybe we should talk to someone who knows all about this town. Someone who might know the truth about Alastair Sykes and Clay Robinson. I’m talking about Max Jagowitz.”
“Good idea,” Frank said.
Joe looked up Jagowitz’s phone number, then dialed it. He let the phone ring ten times, but there was no answer. “He must be asleep. And I’m not the least bit surprised he doesn’t have an answering machine.”
Frank thought for a moment. “Okay, let’s do this. Terry, call the police and ask if they’ll look for Mr. Robinson. Just tell them to keep an eye on him. Don’t give the real reason why, though. Say it’s for Robinson’s own protection.”
“Okay,” Terry said.
“After you call the cops,” Frank continued, “stay right here and detain Robinson if he comes back. Can I borrow your car, Terry? Joe, write down Jagowitz’s address. We’re going to pull old man Jagowitz out of bed.”
“He’s not going to like it,” Terry said. “Not one bit.”
• • •
Wearing red long Johns, Max Jagowitz glared as he pointed a Winchester rifle at Frank and Joe. The Hardys had come to his cabin a mile outside of Coalville and banged on his front door.
“It’s not enough you steal my potato chips,” Jagowitz growled. “Now you got to come waking me up in the middle of the night like a pair of wild mountain men! What do you want this time? The potatoes in my pantry?”
“We’re really sorry to bother you,” Joe said, “but a man’s life may be at stake. We need to ask you a couple of questions about Clay Robinson.”
Jagowitz lowered the rifle and beckoned the Hardys to come inside. They entered a kitchen with a black cast-iron stove that looked a century old.
“It’s all right, Clara!” Jagowitz called out as he leaned the rifle in a corner. “Keep the bed warm for me!”
“All right, Max,” a woman’s voice called back.
“Robinson can stay disappeared as far as I’m concerned,” Jagowitz said, sitting at a table.
“Well, he’s resurfaced,” Frank said. He and Joe also took seats. “And we think he may be up to something dangerous.”
“About twenty years ago,” Joe asked, “was there a robbery at the Sykes house?”
Jagowitz leaned back in his chair as his thoughts drifted twenty years back in time. “Sure was. That family had a lot of money back then, and Elsie Sykes, Alastair’s mother, had quite a collection of jewelry. One summer when the family was away in Europe someone broke into the house and made off with some of the jewels. Everything was in
sured, but Elsie was upset all the same. Apparently the jewels had sentimental value.
“They never did figure out who the burglar was. That was the first and last big crime I can remember in Moondance Pass. That is, until you came along and nabbed my potato chips.”
“I did not steal them,” Joe insisted.
Frank didn’t want to get back into the potato chip incident right now. “There must have been guesses about the burglar’s identity,” he remarked.
Jagowitz rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Some people thought it was a funny fellow used to work down at the post office. But, nah, he didn’t look like a thief to me.”
“We have reason to believe the thief was Clay Robinson,” Joe said. “What do you think of that?”
“Clay’s parents were good churchgoing people,” Jagowitz said. “I think they’re down in Florida now. But I never did like that Robinson kid, even before he started building that monstrosity over near Silver Crest. There was always something scheming about him. It was just an instinct I had, the way my leg always tells me when a big snow is coming.”
Joe leaned forward. “Does your leg think he could have pulled that robbery?”
“I wouldn’t swear to it in a court of law,” Jagowitz said, “but it would make a certain sense. Just a month or two after that robbery, Clay left here and started developing land out in New Mexico. Apparently he had some success. I always wondered where a poor boy like Clay Robinson got the money to get a business like that off the ground. No, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear he stole those jewels and fenced them for some start-up money.”
Joe ran a hand through his blond hair. In a way Jagowitz was confirming Frank’s suspicions, but the proof was still not there. Joe’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Stella barking.
Back at Silver Crest, the dog had seemed reluctant to be left alone, so the Hardys had brought her along, She was supposed to be waiting in the car, but it sounded as if she had now jumped out and was extremely agitated about something.
“We’d better go,” Frank said as he and Joe headed for the door. “Thanks for the help, Mr. Jagowitz.”
The Hardys hurried outside to see Stella racing across a field toward a nearby mountain.
“Stella!” Joe called. “Come back here!”
The dog turned briefly to Joe, then continued running. Frank grabbed a flashlight from the car, and the Hardys chased after Stella. “She must have seen or smelled something,” Frank called as he ran. “Why else would she jump out of the car?”
Joe spotted a vehicle parked a short distance from the mountain. “That’s Robinson’s Jeep,” Joe said. “Stella is probably barking because she senses Robinson is here!”
In the distance Frank saw someone running toward the base of the mountain. Then the figure seemed to vanish in the darkness. Stella kept barking as she galloped straight for the spot where the figure had disappeared.
Soon the Hardys caught up with Stella, who was standing at the base of the mountain, barking as if she wanted to be let inside. Frank ran his flashlight over the mountain and found a door made of weathered wood. A broken padlock was lying nearby on the ground.
As Joe held on to the struggling Stella, Frank pulled the door open. Frank heard footsteps trampling through a long dark tunnel. “It must be a shaft from an old coal mine,” Frank said. “We need to go in there. Don’t let Stella come, though. She could get hurt.”
Frank stepped into the tunnel.
“Stella, stay!” Joe commanded. The dog obediently sat down.
Joe followed Frank into the tunnel, closing the wooden door after him.
The Hardys moved through the darkened shaft, which sloped gently downward. By the beam of his flashlight, Frank could see that the walls were a mixture of rock, dirt, and a glossy black substance Frank assumed was coal. Here and there the walls were supported by beams of rotting timber, and there was a faint smell of gas in the air.
“I hear him running now,” Joe whispered as he followed Frank. Joe heard a thud as if something had been kicked. The sound echoed in the hollowness of the tunnel.
The Hardys picked up their pace, but soon a chunk of something hit Frank on the shoulder. All around there were sounds of shifting and crunching and things falling to the ground.
Frank stopped. “Careful. He must have kicked down one of the support beams.”
Then the roof began caving in, pelting Frank and Joe with chunks of dirt, coal, and rock. Dust was filling the air fast, and Joe felt it floating into his eyes and mouth. There was a rumble, and Joe jerked out of the way as a chunk of rock big enough to kill him crashed to the ground.
“It’s an avalanche!” Joe cried out. “It’s on both sides of us. Either way we go, we get buried alive!”
15 Danger Underground
* * *
“Cover your head and keep going!” Frank called as he held up both arms and trotted down the slope. “If that person was trying to kill us, then there must be something here he doesn’t want us to find!”
Joe winced with pain as he was bombarded by hard objects. A jagged piece of rock hit the hand he was holding over his head, but he kept moving down the slope. A spray of dirt flew into Joe’s mouth, but he just spit it out.
Soon the avalanche was safely behind the Hardys. They both rubbed the crud from their eyes as they continued down the seemingly endless slope. They had made it over the first hurdle, Frank thought, but what would they find next?
After a few more yards the tunnel opened into a large, cleared area. Frank and Joe stopped, and Frank played his flashlight around the area. The brothers gasped at what they saw.
The beam fell on the face of Clay Robinson. He was standing at the far end of the room, watching the Hardys.
“I see you made it,” Robinson said coolly.
Frank moved his flashlight. The beam picked out Alastair Sykes. He was sitting on the ground, his hands tied behind him around one of the timber beams. Sykes looked worn down, as if he had not slept or eaten much in the last day.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Sykes said wearily. “He’ll never let you out of here alive.”
“We’re taking Sykes with us,” Joe declared.
Frank turned the beam on Robinson. “You’ll stay right where you are,” Robinson said in a low voice. He reached a hand into his pocket, then he pulled out a gold lighter, flicked it, and briefly showed a flame.
“You may have noticed a funny smell in here,” Robinson said. “That’s methane gas escaping from the coal. This place hasn’t been ventilated for decades, and quite a lot of that gas has built up. If I set one of these rotting beams on fire—kapow—the whole place explodes. In other words, you’d better not try anything I don’t like.”
Frank had heard about terrible explosions in coal mines, and he knew Robinson might now be desperate enough to make one happen. If the Hardys got out of here alive, Robinson knew they would have him arrested. But then an explosion would kill Robinson, too. Unless the man had an escape plan.
The beam on Frank’s flashlight went out. The room was thrown into darkness.
“Aw, you can never count on these things,” Frank said with disgust.
“Stay where you are,” Robinson warned.
In the darkness, Frank touched Joe’s arm. The Hardys had been working together so long they could communicate in very small ways. Joe knew Frank had put out the light on purpose. Frank would now get Robinson talking, and this would give Joe a chance to creep close enough to grab him.
“You’re a good businessman, Mr. Robinson,” Frank said. “Too bad you built everything on a foundation of stolen goods. Just one question. Why did you keep the moonstone necklace?”
“I liked it,” Robinson answered.
Joe held his breath in the dark.
“That was your big mistake,” Sykes said from the ground. “I saw that woman, Myra, in town, leaning over to fix her bike. The necklace was dangling down from her neck, and I got a good look at it. She gave me some story about where she
got it, but I could see she was lying.”
“And you, Sykes,” Frank said, “you tried to blackmail him, didn’t you? If you didn’t tell the city council about Robinson being a robber, he would finance your research.”
As Frank spoke, Joe took two steps forward.
“Blackmail is a black hole of deceit,” Sykes said. “I realize that now. But I knew if I could just get my hands on some more money, I would be able to find out what really lies up there in the stars. What an irony that now I shall end my life here, deep in the bowels of the earth.”
Robinson chuckled. “You must be pretty sharp, boys, to have figured all this out.”
Joe took another step forward.
Frank detected a hint of pride in Robinson’s voice. Most criminals Frank had met liked to boast about their brilliance, and Frank saw this as a good way to keep Robinson talking.
“We are sharp,” Frank said. “But your plan was masterful. How did you think of it?”
“Well,” Robinson said as if beginning a good story, “after considering Alastair’s offer, I decided I wasn’t going to give him a nickel. Nor was I going to let him ruin my development project. That meant I had to kill him, but I needed to do it in a way so the crime would never get pinned on me.”
“Then an answer came to you from the sky,” Frank told Robinson.
“That’s right,” Robinson said. “When that orange thing appeared and everyone started talking about UFOs, it dawned on me plain as day. I’d read a bit about these alien abductions and right then I told myself, ‘Clay ol’ boy, tonight those aliens are coming for you.’ I brought you boys with me that night so my disappearance would be discovered immediately.
“When I left my Jeep, I came here to the mine and spent the night. The next morning I walked to Parnassa, picked up a paper, and saw Sykes was playing right into my hands, telling everyone that aliens had taken me.”
By the time Robinson paused, Joe was halfway across the room. But he knew that the closer he got to Robinson, the more careful he would have to be.
The Rocky Road to Revenge Page 9
