Outer Space Mystery by Charles Tang Page A

at the observatory. Once, Eugene tried to stop Mark from doing his research by changing the log. Mark had to reschedule. I’ve never liked Eugene,” Rachel said. “And I’d never lift a finger to help him. But this spring the college raised their tuition rates. I needed money. And Eugene knew it.”
    “What did he do?” Jessie asked.
    “He wanted to break into Mark’s dorm room and find Mark’s notes. Eugene was dying to find out what Mark had discovered. He paid me to lend him my key ring.” Rachel’s voice became soft and regretful. “So I gave him my keys one night.”
    Henry caught on. “It was the night of the cookout, wasn’t it? Eugene broke into our room instead.”
    “I told Eugene which room was Mark’s,” Rachel said. “But he made a mistake and broke into the wrong room. By the time he figured it out, people were coming in from the storm. It was too late to search Mark’s room.”
    “It gets worse,” Rachel continued. “Eugene offered me even more money to make a copy of Mark’s notes.”
    “And did you?” Henry prompted.
    “I was so busy working at the conference this week,” Rachel admitted. “But I finally got into Mark’s room one night and made a copy of his notes.”
    “Was that the day you were really nervous?” Jessie guessed. She remembered Rachel dropping the tray at lunch.
    “Yes! I spilled salad on your grandfather! I felt terrible, stealing from a nice guy like Mark. But was Eugene satisfied? No! He wanted me to write a draft of the paper! He offered me so much money I couldn’t say no.”
    She told the rest of the story quickly. Eugene concocted a scheme. Rachel would disappear so she could write Eugene’s paper, using the stolen notes. Eugene joined the search party, even though he knew where Rachel was. He let everyone believe Rachel had truly vanished.
    But on the day of the meteor shower, Eugene discovered that Mark had a second set of notes. He overheard Mark say he was going to redo his paper after the search.
    Rachel went on. “Eugene figured Mark wouldn’t let his paper out of his sight once he finished it. He expected Mark to bring his folder to the observatory. So Eugene had another plan. While everyone was looking at the meteors, he switched Mark’s paper with blank sheets.”
    “I saw him when he left,” Benny said, nodding. “His jacket looked lumpy.”
    “How could Eugene ever pass off Mark’s discovery as his own?” asked Henry. “Surely Mark would recognize his own paper.”
    “That’s right.” Rachel nodded. “We stayed up all last night. We had to change some of the sentences so it would sound like Eugene’s work.”
    “I still don’t understand.” Henry was puzzled. “Mark could just say that Eugene took his paper.”
    “But it would be Mark’s word against Eugene’s,” Rachel explained.
    She hung her head in shame. “In just a little while, Eugene will present Mark’s paper and get credit for Mark’s discovery. And I helped him do it.”
    Jessie stood up decisively. “Not if we hurry.”
    The other Aldens leaped to their feet, always ready to take action.
    “What are you going to do?” asked Rachel.
    Henry confronted her. “If we’re going to get Mark’s paper back, we need your help. You’ll have to tell my grandfather and the others at the conference what you told us. Will you come with us?”
    Rachel wrung her hands. “I don’t know. It’s only right, I guess. Why should Mark pay for my mistakes? But I’ll be thrown out of school! My grandparents will be so let down.”
    “Not if you own up to it and tell the truth,” Jessie encouraged gently.
    With a sigh, Rachel reached for her sweater hanging on the wooden peg.
    Just then they all heard a noise outside.
    Benny thought it sounded like feet scuffling in leaves. He raced to the door in time to see Eugene Scott tearing up the path. The folder was tucked under his arm.
    “It’s Eugene!” he cried to the others. “He’s been listening to us the whole