“All right.” Alex shook the officers’ hands before they left.
As soon as the door had closed, Kara spoke. “I don’t believe their theory for a second,” she said, and Nancy nodded in agreement. She was intrigued by this crime.
“If you don’t need us here anymore, Tsu and I have some errands to run,” Logan said to Alex.
“Fine,” Alex said.
“Would you like to come over for dinner?” Kara asked. “We’re having pasta. Ned and Nancy will be there, too.”
“I’d never pass up the chance to eat one of your home-cooked meals, Kara,” Logan replied with an easygoing grin.
“Me, neither,” Tsu agreed. “I’ll bring dessert.”
“Great.” Kara nodded.
“So tell me,” Nancy began when she and Ned were alone with the Wheelers. “Why don’t you think it was kids who broke into your office?”
“It could be,” Kara admitted. “It’s just that we’ve been having an awful lot of bad coincidences lately.”
“You know,” Nancy said quietly, “I do some private investigating back in River Heights. I might be able to help you find the cause of all this if you give me the details.”
“We couldn’t ask you to do that on your vacation,” Kara answered, and Nancy watched the look of relief pass across Ned’s face.
“But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to fill you in,” Alex added, waving everyone into the office to sit down.
Nancy and Ned pulled chairs up to one of the two desks and sat down as Kara, who was holding Allison now, began to tell them what had been going on. “About a month ago strange things started happening to me on day trips. Ropes snapped under light conditions and crampons came loose,” she explained.
“Did you say crampons?” Ned asked.
“Yes, the metal spikes that are attached to the bottom of your boots,” Kara explained. “They give traction on the ice. Anyway, I thought the incidents were just bad luck, but now I’m not so sure.” Allison squirmed off her mother’s lap and ran back into the waiting room to play.
“On top of that,” Alex put in, “this isn’t the first break-in we’ve had. Just before we went on vacation, someone jimmied the lock on the front door, came in, but didn’t take anything. I thought it was just a teenage prank. But now these incidents seem more serious. What do you think, Nancy?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Nancy answered.
“Alex, could you hand me my cosmetics case? Kara asked, pointing to the top desk drawer. “I could use some lip balm.”
Alex pulled open the top drawer and handed Kara a small flowered pouch.
“Listen,” Kara said, unzipping the case and pulling out a snakelike piece of paper. “We don’t want to ruin your vacation, so let’s not harp on this.” She glanced down at the paper. “It could just be—”
Kara interrupted herself with a sharp cry. Her face went white as she handed the paper to Nancy.
Things might look bad for Alpine Adventures, but they look a lot worse for you!
Chapter
Three
OH, NO,” NANCY SAID, peering at the note in her hand. This definitely wasn’t a prank.
“Are you all right?” Ned asked Kara as Alex put an arm around his wife after scooping up Allison, who had come to see if her mother was all right.
“I’m—I’m fine,” Kara stammered, putting on a bright face for Allison. “It looks like these incidents aren’t just bad luck after all.”
“This is rapidly escalating into a serious problem,” Alex said. “Nancy, will you take on our case? I know this is supposed to be your vacation, but the police don’t seem very concerned, and I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to Kara or Allie.”
“Of course I will,” Nancy answered, giving Ned a quick smile. She read the disappointment in his eyes, but he overrode that with a reassuring squeeze of her hand.
Nancy studied the note and considered the paper and handwriting. Unfortunately, the note was hand printed on regular notebook paper in plain block letters. Not much of a clue.
“Okay. What about suspects?” Nancy asked, getting down to business. “Do you have any enemies?”
“No,” Kara answered. “Well, wait. Maybe I do.” She turned to Alex, her eyes wide. “Do you think it could be Anne Bolle?”
“Anne Bolle,” Alex repeated the name.
“Who is she?” Ned asked.
“A woman I used to climb with,” Kara answered. “We were neck and neck on the climbing circuit for years. Then, about four years ago, she was disqualified in a rock-climbing competition for relying on the rope too much during a tricky move. I won the match—and the title of top female climber in the United States. Anne was furious and blamed me for her carelessness. She could never admit that it was her own mistake that cost her that match.”
“Is she still on the climbing circuit?” Nancy inquired.
“Yes,” Kara answered. “She’s been doing very well since I stopped competing.”
“So what would she have against you now?” Nancy wasn’t sure she understood the connection.
“Well, the word is out that I’m getting back into competitive climbing,” Kara explained.
“You are?” Ned interjected. “That’s great.”
“Where does Anne live?” Nancy asked, getting back to the issue at hand.
“In Utah, but she’s in Washington now,” Alex said. “We’ve asked her to come on the Rainier climb because she’s so well known. And because she’s a friend of Logan.”
“It’s not easy to get professional climbers to come on commercial trips. Their schedules are too hectic,” Kara added.
“Where is Anne staying?” Nancy asked.
“With her friends Sarah and Joshua Jones in Seattle. She’s been there about a month,” Kara answered.
“When exactly did things start going wrong?”
“About three weeks ago,” Alex said, suddenly understanding what Nancy was implying. “Do you think she’s the culprit?” he asked excitedly.
“Possibly,” Nancy said. “But it’s only speculation. It takes solid proof to declare someone guilty of a crime. Have you seen her since she’s arrived?”
“A few times,” Kara answered. “And she’s been super nice. She’s always been so competitive—I can’t imagine why she wants to be friends now.”
Nancy was quiet for a minute, taking all of this in, but Alex interrupted her thoughts.
“Why don’t we call it quits for now and head to the house for supper? It’s been a long day.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Nancy said, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t eaten anything all afternoon. She was famished.
• • •
An hour later Nancy and Ned were seated in the dining area of the Wheelers’ house, which was wonderfully cozy and comfortable. A three-bedroom A-frame on the outskirts of town, the house afforded a view of the Cascade Mountains from the front, and the back was nestled into a grove of pine trees. It was decorated with country-style furniture, colorful throw rugs, and lovely watercolors on the walls.
“We try to eat as many complex carbohydrates as we can before a trip,” Kara explained as she served whole-wheat pasta with a pesto primavera sauce for each of her guests.
“On Saturday you’ll have a day of snow school,” Alex told Nancy and Ned as he served the salad. “You’ll learn about the equipment, falling techniques, and what to do in emergency situations.”
“Emergencies?” Ned asked, concerned.
“When you’re on a winter expedition, lots of unexpected things can happen,” Kara explained. “But you’re both in good shape and have basic climbing skills. You’ll do fine.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worried,” Ned said, forcing a smile. But Nancy could tell by the look in his handsome brown eyes that he was a little nervous about the whole adventure.
“How long will it take to get to the top?” Nancy asked, twirling pasta around her fork.
“It depends on the weather,” Alex answered. ?
??We’re going up the southern side of the mountain, which is fairly well traveled, even in the winter. If all goes well, we’ll spend two days hiking to base camp and then climb to the summit and back to base camp on the third day.”
“Are you sure a couple of novices like us can handle it?” Ned asked.
“Of course,” Alex replied. “Our trips don’t require any technical experience. As long as you pass snow school and demonstrate that you’re a team player, you’ll do just fine.”
“And standing on top of a fourteen-thousand-foot mountain is like nothing else in the world,” Tsu added. “It’s an incredible thrill.”
“If you don’t get blown off,” Logan joked, bouncing Allison on his lap between bites. She giggled excitedly, hanging on tightly to his shirt.
“I’ll be hanging on to you,” Ned said, kidding.
“Then you’ll be standing here in Enumclaw.” Logan laughed. “I’m not going on the Rainier trip.”
“You’re not?” Nancy asked.
“No,” he answered. “Too many guides and not enough novices,” he joked. “Besides, somebody has to keep an eye on the office,” he said.
There was no conversation for a few minutes while everyone ate.
“Bathtime,” Alex said when they’d finished. Allison slid off Logan’s lap and reached for her dad’s hand.
“Can Uncle Logan come?” Allison asked, raising her eyes to her dad’s.
“Of course.” Alex grinned. “We know he can’t resist your bath toys.” The threesome made their way down the hall to the bathroom.
While Nancy helped Kara clear the table and do the dishes, Tsu and Ned lit a fire in the living room. Then Kara served pie and coffee. Sitting next to Ned and sipping the warm beverage in front of the fire, Nancy relaxed for the first time since she’d arrived in Washington.
“So, why are you getting back into climbing?” Ned asked Kara.
“Now that Allie is three and in preschool, I have a little time for myself. I really miss climbing. I thought I’d stop missing it, but I miss it as much as ever—especially the solo ascents. There’s nothing like standing on top of a twenty-thousand-foot mountain by yourself.”
“You must be incredibly good,” Ned murmured, and Nancy again saw the awe in his eyes.
“We’ll see how I am after four years away from it,” Kara answered.
Before long Alex and Logan had rejoined the group and helped themselves to dessert. The group sat around the cozy fire, enjoying one another’s company.
By ten o’clock, Nancy and Ned were exhausted. Kara had invited them to stay there, but Nancy insisted it would be better to go to a hotel.
• • •
Outside Nancy’s door at the Park Center Hotel, Ned wrapped his arms around her and planted a soft, sure kiss on her lips. For a moment the world dropped away as their senses whirled. Then they pulled apart, and Nancy said good night and let herself into her room.
After flipping on the light, Nancy saw that the room was large and comfortable. Setting her duffel down on the suitcase rack, Nancy sighed. It had been a long day, and she was ready for a good night’s sleep.
• • •
The next morning Nancy woke early and took a quick shower. After breakfast with Ned, she was eager to search through the ransacked mess at Alpine Adventures.
At the office Tsu was already at work trying to sort out the paperwork. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the sleeves of her sweatshirt were pushed up to her elbows.
“Hi, guys,” Tsu said. “Alex is in the equipment room with Logan. It looks like we’re short some gear for the Rainier trip.”
“Will the trip be canceled?” Nancy asked, concerned.
“Normally we’d postpone it, but we can’t. Great Outdoors magazine wouldn’t be too pleased to find out that their writer made the trip to Enumclaw for nothing,” she said with a wry smile.
“I suppose,” Nancy agreed. “But what will you do for equipment?”
“If there’s a lot missing, Alex will make a trip to Tacoma to buy some things,” Tsu replied.
“I think I’ll go check out the gear,” Ned murmured, giving Nancy a peck on the cheek. “Maybe I’ll learn something,” he whispered.
Nancy smiled, realizing that Ned was giving her an opportunity to talk to Tsu. She did want to ask some people a few questions, and Tsu was one of them. If she sifted through some of the papers at the same time, she might come up with a clue.
After Ned disappeared through the storage room doorway, Nancy asked, “How can I help?”
“If you could put the labeled piles into their files, it would be great,” Tsu said, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. “I feel like I’m swimming in paper.”
“I can see why,” Nancy commented as she sat down on the floor. “What is all of this stuff?”
“Mostly trip information,” Tsu said. “You know, different routes for climbs, route histories, information on the latest gear, and things like that.”
Nancy glanced around, then picked up a pile of papers. “What’s Cadaver Gap?” she asked, noticing the name on the top sheet of paper.
“It’s a notorious gap between the Cowlitz and Ingraham glaciers on Mount Rainier,” Tsu answered, making a face. “It’s a pretty hairy area of the mountain.”
“If the name means anything, I believe it,” Nancy said as she began to skim an article. It was about all the accidents that had happened at Cadaver Gap—most of them fatal.
“Will you be coming on the trip?” Nancy asked, slipping the articles into their file and getting back to her questioning.
“Yeah.” Tsu’s face lit up. “It’s going to be my last trip as an assistant guide. I’ve been working toward my certification for almost six months, and after this Wednesday I’ll be a full guide.”
“That’s great,” Nancy congratulated her. “Is that how long you’ve worked here, six months?”
“Yeah,” Tsu replied. “But it seems like much less. I guess because I like it so much.”
“Tsu,” Nancy said. “Did anything suspicious happen the night of the break-in?”
“You know, I keep going over and over that night in my mind, but I always come back to the same idea—it was just like any other night.”
Nancy believed her. Tsu didn’t have any more clues about the ransacking than Nancy did.
Just then Alex came into the room. “I’m going to have to go to Tacoma to buy some new gear,” he announced. “We just can’t take this trip without new ropes and carabiners.”
Picking up the phone, Alex dialed home and told Kara his plans. “I’ll take your car since I already have it,” he said. “I’ll be home around three.” He apologized to Nancy for not having more time to talk with her.
“Don’t worry,” Nancy responded, trying to hide her disappointment. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk when you get back.”
• • •
At twelve-thirty Nancy and Ned walked into The Kitchen, a comfortable cafe in Enumclaw that Logan had recommended. The smell of home-cooked breads and soups floated past Nancy’s nostrils as she scanned the dining room for an empty booth.
Spotting one, she reached for Ned’s hand and together they weaved past chatting customers and waitresses carrying huge metal trays filled with plates of food.
“Wow, what a place,” Nancy commented as she slid into the booth. “I guess it’s Enumclaw’s hot spot for lunch.”
“No kidding,” Ned agreed with a grin. “If their sandwiches are half as good as they look, I’ll be satisfied.”
Nancy ordered a BLT and a bowl of minestrone. Ned requested the turkey club, and within a few minutes their food had arrived.
“So how was your talk with Tsu?” Ned asked, biting into his sandwich.
“Not so great. I mean, she’s nice, but I don’t think she knows anything. I want to find Anne Bolle. From what Kara tells me, she just might be my prime suspect.”
“Right,” Ned nodded. “But how can we track her down?”
br /> Nancy gave Ned a sly grin, then concentrated again on the case. “Kara thinks she’s staying in Seattle—with some climbing friends named Joshua and Sarah Jones,” Nancy said, dipping her spoon into the piping-hot soup. As she raised the spoon to her mouth, the conversation at the next booth caught her attention.
“I won’t have that little know-it-all climber and his wife run us out of town. We were here first, and we’ll get our business back on track—no matter what it takes!”
Chapter
Four
INSTINCTIVELY NANCY PUT A finger to her lips, signaling for Ned to be quiet. She turned her head so she could hear more of the conversation, but the two men had lowered their voices. Thinking fast, Nancy dropped her fork and gazed up at the men as she picked it up. One was fairly stocky, with gray hair and an unshaven face. He appeared to be in his midfifties. The other was younger, clean-cut, and of average build.
As Nancy sat up again, the waitress came by to ask if the food was all right.
“It’s delicious,” Ned responded.
When the waitress left, Nancy turned her head to listen in on more of the men’s conversation. When she didn’t hear anything, she turned and saw that the two men were walking out the restaurant door.
“Shoot,” Nancy murmured, exasperated. “I was hoping they’d stick around a little longer so I could hear a little more.”
“I’m sure Alex or Kara will know who they are,” Ned offered. “It sounded as if they’re a competing company. How many other guide companies can there be in Enumclaw?”
“You’re right,” Nancy answered, sitting up straighter. “I’ll ask Alex as soon as he gets back from Tacoma.”
After finishing off their lunch with slices of pie, Nancy and Ned headed back to Alpine Adventures. There was no sign of life in the waiting room, but from the noise coming out of the office, Nancy guessed that Logan and Tsu were working there. As she approached the door, Nancy heard that they were in the middle of an intense discussion.
“There’ll be lots of other trips,” Logan was saying. “You’ll have plenty of chances to get your certification. But when I take that new job, I’ll be leaving for good. This is one of my last chances to climb with Alex and Kara.”