Free Darkness Falls by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

herself.
    â€œYes, sir,” Joe said. “We’ll be ready.”
    â€œFine,” MacLaughlin said, calming down a little. “Now go do something useful. I have important work to do.” With that, he dismissed them. Frank and Joe left the room without another word.
    â€œWell,” Frank said when they were outside on the stairs again. “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day. How about you? Ready for a quick bite and a long swim?”
    â€œDefinitely,” Joe said. They stopped at a coffee shop for a late lunch and then hopped into their rental car.
    â€œLet’s find the most deserted beach we can,” Joe said as they drove along the city streets in the hot afternoon sun.
    â€œHey,” Frank said, as he glanced in the rearview mirror, “I think we’re being followed. Check out the black sedan behind us.”
    Joe took a quick glance over his shoulder as Frank made a right, then a left at the next corner. The black sedan was still there. “Oops,” Joe said. “I think you’re right, Frank. What do you say we give them a run for their money?”
    â€œGood idea,” Frank said, gunning the engine.Away they went, with the black sedan burning rubber to keep up with them. Frank tried speeding up, then jamming on the brakes, taking quick rights and lefts, even a U-turn at a not busy intersection. Nothing worked. “Hang on, Joe!” Frank shouted as he made a sharp right onto a side street.
    â€œFrank! Wait!” Joe shouted—too late.
    â€œWhat is it?” Frank asked.
    â€œYou missed the sign back there,” Joe informed him, as a high brick wall loomed straight ahead of them. “It said DEAD END.”

Chapter 9

    F RANK SLAMMED on the brakes, and the convertible fishtailed to a stop inches from the brick wall. No sooner had the brothers started to breathe normally again than the black sedan turned into the alley, blocking the only exit.
    Frank and Joe slid low in their seats, not knowing what they were about to face. Then they heard the voice of Captain Kanekahana shouting to them.
    â€œWhat do you two think you’re doing?” he raged, walking over to them as they stood up and got out of their car. “I ought to throw you both in jail for leading me on a chase like that. Somebody could have been killed!”
    â€œWell, sir,” Joe said, trying not to explode,“if we’d known you were the police, we might not have tried to lose you.”
    Kanekahana, flanked by two burly men in uniform, gave Joe a withering look. “All right, I’ll let it go this time,” he grumbled. “But while I’ve got you here, let me warn you again—this is no game. I got a call from Michele Ebersol, who told me how she’d taken a sedative and fallen asleep on a surfboard. She said you came along and saved her. Now I know you’re skilled detectives—but this murder investigation is dangerous. I want you out of this show
now—
understand?”
    With that, he got into the car with his men and backed out. Frank and Joe stood there for a little while, waiting to cool down. “I can’t stand that guy,” Joe remarked as they got back into the convertible and backed out of the alley.
    â€œI’m not too fond of him myself,” Frank said.
    â€œWell, there’s just one thing to do,” Joe said, a sly smile lighting up his face. “Let’s catch the killer and present him—or her—to Captain Kanekahana.”
    â€œGift wrapped and tied with a bow,” Frank said, nodding his agreement.
    The next morning, after showers and a huge breakfast, the brothers took the film canisterout of their refrigerator and drove up the mountain to the observatory.
    There were a surprising number of people still there. Some were taking down their tents and packing their equipment, while others were using the observatory’s extensive facilities to process their data or