The Great Airport Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon Read Free Book Online

startled at the request. There was silence for a moment, then Frank spoke up. “What kind of case?”
    Peterson spoke in a hushed voice. He repeated the story about the crash at sea in which Clint Hill had been lost.
    â€œI was copilot on that trip, and the only survivor,” he said.
    â€œWe know all that,” Joe said impatiently.
    Peterson’s voice dropped almost to a whisper. The boys had difficulty hearing him.
    â€œAs pilot in command,” he said—almost plead ingly, the boys thought—“Hill was responsible for the accident.”
    Peterson grew even more tense. Perspiration began to show on his face.
    â€œBut for some reason”—he went on in a quavering voice, then paused as he got up and came to stand directly in front of the boys—“Clint Hill has started to haunt me!”
    â€œHaunt you?” Frank exclaimed. “In what way could a dead man haunt you?”
    â€œClint used to whistle a lot,” said Peterson. “His favorite tune was ‘High Journey.’ Now I keep hearing him whistle it—here, at home, over my plane radio. Sometimes he breaks off and laughs!”
    â€œAre you sure somebody isn’t just playing a joke on you?” Joe suggested.
    â€œNo!” the pilot answered. “A few days ago I heard him radio the tower for landing instructions. Then he flew off, saying, ‘The dead can tell no tales.’ It all came in clearly on my office radio receiver over there,” he said, pointing to a box-shaped unit which stood on a table across the room. “I realize now you boys weren’t joking.”
    â€œThis is very unusual,” said Frank. “But what can Joe and I do for you?”
    â€œI know I’m not hearing things,” Peterson stated. “Somebody is trying to drive me out of my mind, probably to get my job. I want you boys to find out who it is!”
    â€œChasing ghosts is a bit out of our line,” Frank said. “We’ll have to think it over.”
    Peterson appeared desperate. “I wish you would start on the case now,” he said. “But if you must think it over, let me know as soon as you decide.”
    The Hardys left Peterson’s office and started back to the Ace Air Service parking ramp. As they walked, the brothers discussed this new and puzzling development.
    â€œI’d say he was off his rocker,” commented Joe, “if it weren’t for the fact that we too heard the voice of Clint Hill’s ghost.”
    â€œCould be,” said Frank. “But I don’t go along with Peterson’s idea that someone is trying to drive him out of his mind in order to get his job.”
    Joe agreed and asked Frank if he thought they should take the case. Frank replied that it would be best to discuss the matter with their father before making any decision.
    As they arrived at the parking ramp, the young sleuths saw Randy Watson standing near the airplane with a mechanic.
    â€œFind the trouble?” Frank called.
    â€œIt was the fuel pump that caused the engine to fail!” Randy replied.
    â€œThanks to your skill,” Frank said with a smile, “we avoided becoming a permanent part of the landscape!”
    Randy said he hoped the trip had not been a waste of time.
    â€œOh, no. We managed to get plenty of pictures before the engine quit,” Frank answered. “Incidentally, we’d better get the films developed just as soon as possible,” he said to Joe.
    The young detectives climbed into the cabin of the plane. They were puzzled not to find the camera and containers of film where they had left them.
    Frank shouted to Randy, who was standing on the ramp, “Did you take the camera and films into the operations building?”
    â€œNo,” the pilot responded with a startled air. “Are you certain they’re not in the cabin?”
    The boys searched again, becoming more frantic with each second.
    â€œWere you