Heart of Ice

  “Much better,” Anne said, tucking her turtle-neck into her jeans. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about Alpine Adventures,” Nancy said, seated in one of the brown swivel chairs. “I understand you’re signed up for the Rainier trip.”

  “That’s right,” Anne confirmed. “Logan Miller asked if I’d be willing to go on the climb to give the company a bit of publicity. I agreed.”

  “Well, unfortunately, there have been a number of mishaps on the day trips that Alpine Adventures has led lately. And I’m sure you’ve heard about the break-in the other night.”

  “Break-in?” Anne’s eyes grew wide. “I haven’t heard about any break-in.”

  “Really?” Nancy said, surprised. “Enumclaw is such a small town, I would’ve thought everyone had heard about it.”

  “I’ve been away, staying with friends in Seattle,” Anne explained. “I just arrived in Enumclaw.”

  “I see,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “Well, someone broke into the Alpine Adventures office on Wednesday night. They trashed the files and stole a computer and several pieces of expensive gear.”

  “Oh, how awful,” Anne said dramatically. “Do they know who did it?”

  “The police think it was just a teenage prank,” Nancy told her. “But in light of all the little accidents that have been happening, we’re not so sure.”

  “Alex and Kara are both such nice people,” she said in an overly sincere voice. “I can’t imagine anyone hurting either of them.”

  “I know, Anne,” Nancy said. “That’s why I’m trying to get to the bottom of all this.”

  “Of course,” Anne agreed.

  “So I hope you won’t mind if I ask you where you were on Wednesday night,” Nancy said.

  Anne’s mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes narrowed. “Why would that be any of your business?” she challenged.

  “It wouldn’t, actually,” Nancy admitted. “I’m just trying to prove that you’re not a suspect. Some people think you might hold a grudge against Kara because of that competition four years ago,” she said.

  “A grudge?” Anne asked incredulously. “I assure you that I do not hold a grudge. Besides,” she said, “Kara hasn’t climbed in four years. She’s no threat to me.”

  “I suppose she isn’t,” Nancy said out loud, while remembering what Anne had written in her letter.

  “So, where did you say you were on Wednesday night?” Nancy asked.

  “I didn’t,” Anne said coolly. “But if you really have to know, I was still with my friends in Seattle. We all went out for dinner that night.”

  “I see.” Nancy nodded. I can verify that with her friends if necessary, she thought. Deciding that she had all the information she was going to get out of Anne Bolle, Nancy was ready to wrap up her interview.

  “That’s all I wanted to ask,” Nancy said, getting up to go. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me,” she added.

  “Certainly,” Anne said, a bit sarcastically.

  The woman seemed thoroughly annoyed, Nancy realized, but that wouldn’t be unusual. The question was, was she up to no good?

  Nancy walked back to her room, considering her interview. Anne was obviously lying about not being threatened by Kara, but she did have a supposed alibi for Wednesday night, which Nancy decided to check.

  After picking up the phone, she dialed Directory Assistance to ask for Joshua Jones’s phone number.

  “Hello?” came a man’s voice after a few rings.

  “Yes, hello,” Nancy said in an official-sounding voice. “I’m trying to reach Joshua Jones.”

  “This is he,” the man said.

  “Mr. Jones, my name is Mrs. Loomis. I’m with the Enumclaw Police Department, and I was wondering if you could help me with a routine procedure.”

  “I’d be happy to, if I can,” Joshua said.

  “Could you tell me,” Nancy asked, “has Anne Bolle been staying with you?”

  “Is she in some sort of trouble?” Joshua asked worriedly.

  “No, no,” Nancy assured him. “I’m just trying to confirm her whereabouts.”

  “Oh.” Joshua sounded partly relieved. “Well, she was here until this afternoon, when she left for Enumclaw. Around three o’clock, I think.”

  “And was she with you on Wednesday evening?”

  “Until about seven o’clock,” Joshua confirmed. “We had a drink together, and then she went out.”

  “Did she tell you where she was going?” Nancy asked.

  “No. I think she was meeting a friend for dinner,” Joshua replied.

  So she was lying, Nancy thought. “Good,” she said into the phone, trying to sound casual. “That’s what our records show.”

  “Is there anything else?” Joshua asked.

  “No, that’ll be all,” Nancy replied. “Thank you for your help.”

  After hanging up the phone, Nancy sat down on her bed. Anne had lied. But why?

  Nancy glanced at her watch. It was seven-fifteen. Just enough time to shower and get ready for dinner. She chose an emerald green knit dress, with jade beads, matching tights, and silver earrings.

  At seven fifty-five Ned was at Nancy’s door. “You look gorgeous,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and planting a leisurely kiss on her lips.

  “Thanks,” Nancy said, enjoying the shiver she always felt whenever she and Ned were close. “You’re pretty slick yourself.” Dressed in khakis, a black blazer, and colorful batik tie, Ned was especially handsome.

  A few minutes later Nancy and Ned were seated at a cozy table in the corner of the restaurant. The white linen tablecloth glowed from the light of a flickering candle, and a vase held a small bouquet of carnations.

  As they sipped their sodas, Nancy told Ned about her afternoon. “Hank Moody and Anne Bolle are my main suspects,” Nancy explained, ready to continue.

  “Nan,” Ned said, leaning across the table and peering into her eyes. “Can we not talk about the case tonight? Please?”

  Nancy bit her lower lip. The case was just beginning to take shape and she needed to talk things through. “I’ll try,” Nancy promised with a nod. “But there’s so much happening, it won’t be easy.”

  Just then the waiter brought their appetizers. While Nancy squeezed some fresh lemon onto her shrimp cocktail, Ned dipped his spoon into a crock of French onion soup, swirling a strand of melted cheese around it.

  “Kara said that she’s going to climb in the Northwestern Finals in March,” Ned said excitedly. “Isn’t that great?”

  “Sure,” Nancy said, dipping a shrimp into the cocktail sauce. She was pleased for Kara, but she wished Ned wasn’t so excited about it.

  “I think it’s great that she’s getting back into climbing,” Ned went on. “A lot of women would give up that level of competition after having a baby. But she’s committed to it.”

  “Ned,” Nancy said slowly. “Let’s not talk about Kara, either.”

  “Why not?” Ned asked, sounding offended.

  “You spent most of the afternoon with her, and I’d just rather talk about something else,” Nancy answered quietly.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ned’s voice was tight.

  “You were awfully quick to offer to go with her to Buckley,” Nancy said.

  “She was upset, and I thought it would be a good idea for someone to ride with her,” Ned said hotly.

  “Well, I’m glad I had the case to work on, so you could offer your services,” Nancy shot back before she had a chance to think about what she was saying.

  “I don’t want to listen to this, Nancy,” Ned said, pushing his chair back from the table. He stood up, throwing his napkin over his soup bowl. “And to tell you the truth, I’ve lost my appetite!”

  Chapter

  Seven

  NANCY WAS TOO SURPRISED to speak as she watched Ned leave the’dining room. What had happened? Calling the waiter over, she asked him to pu
t the check on her room tab. Then she went back to her room to get a jacket and hat. She needed to think things through, and a walk in the cold night air seemed the best solution.

  Outside, Nancy slowly made her way down a quiet street. How could Ned be so insensitive? she asked herself. Why did he get so defensive when Nancy said she didn’t want to talk about Kara? It was a reasonable request, especially after his.

  Nancy sighed, finally reasoning herself to an understanding of Ned’s point of view. They had planned a romantic dinner, and Nancy had immediately talked about her case. Of course Ned was feeling frustrated.

  As for Kara, Ned really was just trying to help her. He loves me, Nancy thought, and I’ve got to trust him.

  Nancy saw that she and Ned had misunderstood each other. He deserved an apology, she knew. Feeling better, she headed back to the hotel.

  Nancy found Ned in the lounge. “Hi,” she said softly.

  Ned smiled shyly. “Hi to you, too,” he said.

  “I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” Nancy began, twisting her beads around her finger. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of wanting to be with Kara more than me.”

  “Oh, Nan.” Ned’s voice was full of tenderness as he reached for Nancy’s hand. “You’re the only girl for me.” He smiled, and Nancy’s heart melted. “And I’m sorry, too,” he continued. “I know you’re trying to solve this case, and it didn’t help when I refused to listen. I’ll try to be more considerate.”

  Nancy’s heart soared. This was the Ned she loved, the caring, sensitive Ned. “I promise as soon as this case is over, we’ll do something special for just us,” she vowed.

  Ned stood and held Nancy close. They peered into each other’s eyes for a moment, and their lips met in a quick, sweet kiss. Arms around each other, they marched off to the elevator, enjoying the warmth of being close.

  • • •

  The next morning Nancy and Ned grabbed some muffins and coffee from the breakfast buffet and drove to Alpine Adventures. Dressed in layers, they were ready for a day of grueling snow school.

  “I hope this gorgeous weather holds,” Nancy commented.

  “I do, too,” Ned agreed as he drove the car into the parking lot.

  Inside, Alex and Kara were preparing the gear for the day.

  “How are you feeling?” Nancy asked Alex as she and Ned took off their gloves and unzipped their parkas.

  “Fine,” he said, and Nancy was relieved that he was in good spirits. She only hoped that her news wouldn’t change that too much. “I’m just a little stiff.”

  “What did the mechanic tell you?” Kara asked Nancy, her voice full of concern.

  “His estimate for repairing the vehicle is two thousand dollars,” Nancy answered slowly.

  Alex groaned. “That’s what I was afraid of,” he said. “But our insurance will cover most of it.”

  “There’s something else,” Nancy said. “It looks like someone tampered with the steering mechanism on your car.”

  Kara put a hand on her husband’s arm in alarm. “You mean, on purpose?” she asked.

  “Exactly. Apparently someone loosened the tie rods between the wheels and steering mechanism. I think you have to tell the police,” Nancy added.

  The color drained from Alex’s face. “I’d like to avoid that at all costs,” he said firmly. “Our reputation is already on the line, and this trip is important.”

  “All right,” Nancy agreed reluctantly. “We won’t report anything—for now.”

  “Thanks,” Kara said sincerely.

  “I need to ask one more thing,” Nancy said. “Was there a Lions Club meeting last Wednesday?”

  “Yes,” Alex replied, without hesitating. “They meet every Wednesday at the town hall.”

  “And do you happen to know if Hank Moody goes to those meetings?” Nancy questioned.

  “He does.” Alex said, nodding. “He’s the club treasurer.”

  Then I guess his alibi holds, Nancy thought as the door opened and Eladio, Anne, and Tsu came in.

  Decked out in his alpine gear, Eladio didn’t look quite so creepy, and Nancy noticed that he wasn’t as rude to Alex as he had been to Logan the day before.

  Although Anne was a professional climber and didn’t need any climbing instruction, she was at snow school to get to know the group better. She greeted Nancy stiffly, and again Nancy wondered what she was hiding.

  Another young woman, Lisa Osterman, had signed up for the trip at the last minute. Lisa was of average height, with auburn hair and hazel eyes. She seemed nervous as she waited to get her gear. Nancy wondered where she was from and if she was an experienced climber.

  Each person was given the necessary gear, including an ice ax, a harness, goggles, crash helmets, and crampons.

  “These look dangerous,” Lisa commented as she squinted at a crampon. It was a metal frame with nylon straps and twelve sharp metal spikes protruding downward.

  “They give you traction on the ice,” Kara explained. “I guarantee you’ll be glad to have them on the mountain.”

  “Will they hurt my boots?” Lisa asked.

  “Of course not,” Kara said with a smile. “They’re designed to work with boots.”

  Just then, Logan arrived to watch over the office. When all the climbers had their gear together, the group piled into the van for the drive to Mt. Rainier National Park.

  “The point of snow school is to learn how to go into crampon-and-ice-ax arrest, which means stopping yourself if you start to fall,” Tsu told the group as the van turned onto a snow-covered road. “We’ll also show you how to pressure-breathe, which helps eliminate altitude sickness. I realize that for some of you this will be old hat,” Tsu continued. “But it’s also a good chance for us to learn to work together as a group.”

  “This is so exciting,” Nancy whispered to Ned, who was sitting beside her. Ned put an arm around her, giving her a squeeze. “I can’t wait to get out there and give this falling stuff a shot.”

  “I’m sure you’ll put me to shame,” Ned answered, laughing.

  A few minutes later the van pulled into a small parking lot and the group climbed out. Everyone put on crampons before beginning to hike up a moderate slope lined with towering firs. The sky was bright and clear and the air was crisp and cold.

  “We’re going to follow the Carbon River for a while and then hike up onto the lower sections of Mother Mountain,” Kara explained as the line of hikers made their way up beside the winding, snow-covered river.

  “When you pressure-breathe,” she continued, “exhale forcefully, but slowly.” She took a breath and made a phhhhshhhhh sound as she let the air out. “It sounds weird, but it really helps your body adjust to the altitude. Down here it’s not necessary. But once we get past seven thousand feet or so, it will be really important.”

  Nancy and the others practiced the breathing. The only trouble was that the breathing made it difficult to hear what the others were saying. Nancy was hoping to get a handle on Eladio and pick up more information about Anne and Lisa. She took a few quick steps forward to try to listen in on a conversation between Lisa and Kara.

  “I climbed the Latok last summer,” Nancy overheard Lisa telling Kara. “You know, in Nepal.”

  “You mean Pakistan,” Kara answered naturally.

  “Of course,” Lisa muttered, embarrassed. “That’s what I meant. I always get that mountain confused with the Unnamed Tower.”

  “It’s the Nameless Tower,” Kara corrected. “And it’s in Pakistan, too.”

  “Right, well, anyway,” Lisa stammered, “it was so difficult I almost didn’t make it.”

  Lisa sounded like she was trying to impress Kara, but she constantly put her foot in her mouth! She didn’t sound as knowledgeable about mountaineering as she pretended.

  After about forty minutes of hiking, the group came to a fairly steep slope. “This is it,” Kara said, putting her climbing rope down on the ground. “We’re all going to practice climbing up to that r
idge, falling as we go.” She pointed to a ledge about forty feet above where they were standing.

  “I just hope all of this falling doesn’t hurt my parka,” Eladio commented.

  “For the first part of this class you won’t be attached to a rope,” Kara continued. “It’s not that steep, and we want each of you to get used to the feel of falling. But when we reach ten thousand feet on Rainier, we’ll be roped together in two groups.”

  “When you feel yourself slip,” Tsu said, “hold your ice ax in one hand, with the sharp end facing out. I’ll demonstrate.” She took about ten steps forward, holding her ice ax in a ready position as she moved up the slope.

  “When you fall,” she went on, “you should always shout ‘Falling,’ so the people around you know what’s happening. I’ll demonstrate.”

  Tsu took a few more steps forward, then pushed her arms and legs out from under her. “Falling!” she shouted as she went into a spread-eagle position and jammed her ice ax and crampons into the icy slope.

  “Who wants to go first?” Kara asked when Tsu stood up again.

  “I will.” Anne stepped forward. She walked several feet up the slope, then did a graceful spread eagle, calling out, “Falling.”

  “Notice the way Anne dug her crampons into the ice at an angle,” Kara said. “That’s the best way to get traction.”

  “Who’d like to go next?” Kara asked.

  Nobody responded.

  “Nancy?” Kara asked. “What about you?”

  “Sure.” A shot of adrenaline pulsed through Nancy as she stepped forward, her ice ax in position for a fall. She began walking up the slope. “Here goes,” she muttered under her breath. “Falling,” she shouted, pulling her crampons out of the ice and letting herself slide down the slope. Her body slammed against the hard ice, but soon she was able to force her arms and legs into a spread-eagle position and dig her ice ax and crampons into the ice. In a matter of seconds she had stopped herself.