Heart of Ice, Page 3

  “I know,” Tsu agreed. “But I’ve worked hard for this, and getting my certification on the Rainier trip will make it special.”

  There were several moments of silence, then Logan spoke. “I didn’t know it meant so much to you,” he said, “or I wouldn’t have asked.”

  “I know that it means a lot to you, too. But I really want to go,” Tsu answered.

  Realizing that the conversation was about to end, Nancy signaled for Ned to step away from the door quietly, then acted as if she had just come into the office. “Anybody here?” she called.

  “We’re back here,” Logan called back.

  “Oh, hi,” Nancy said casually as she stuck her head into the office doorway. “We just came from lunch.”

  “The Kitchen has great food, Logan,” Ned said as he leaned on the doorframe. “Thanks for recommending it.”

  “I’m glad you liked it,” Logan answered with a smile. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  Nancy stepped into the office. “Is Alex back yet?” she asked.

  “No,” Logan responded, checking his watch. “He said about three.”

  “Hmmm,” Nancy said, pausing as Tsu excused herself and left the office. Nancy would have preferred to ask Alex about the men at the diner, since he knew about her investigation, but Logan would probably know who the men were, too. “Hey, Logan,” she began, “could I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” he answered. “What’s up?”

  “Does Alpine Adventures have any serious competition here in town?” she asked.

  “Still thinking about Wednesday night’s break-in, eh?” he responded. “I guess we’ve all got our theories as to who did it.”

  “I suppose we do,” Nancy agreed. “Who do you think was responsible?”

  “Hank Moody,” Logan said, not hesitating for an instant.

  “Who’s Hank Moody?” Nancy asked, sliding into one of the two visitors’ chairs across from the desk and unzipping her jacket.

  “Oh, sorry,” Logan said. “I’m not used to having to explain who people are. Hank Moody owns Outrageous Adventure, the other guide service in town.”

  “Really?” Nancy raised an eyebrow in interest.

  “Yes,” Logan continued. “Only his company is going down the tubes. Hank knows Rainier like the back of his hand, but that’s the problem. He leads the same trips over and over, in exactly the same way. People don’t want that. They want new experiences. A lot of his clients have come to us.”

  “So you think he could be responsible for the break-in?” Ned asked from the doorway.

  Logan nodded. “He’s the only person I know who has a motive.”

  “Does Alex know you feel this way?” Nancy asked.

  “I told him last night,” Logan answered. “But he doesn’t think it’s Moody.”

  “I guess you don’t disagree very often,” Nancy said.

  “We usually see eye to eye on almost everything,” Logan answered, a fondness in his voice. “We were roommates in college—and always said we’d go into business together when we graduated six years ago.”

  “It’s great that it worked out,” Ned put in.

  “Well, it didn’t work out at first,” Logan responded. “When we got our diplomas, I became a mountaineer and Alex became a ski instructor. Then two years ago, Alex called and wanted to know if I’d help him open a guide service. Kara had had a baby the year before, and he needed someone to help him out for a while.

  “I was on the U.S. climbing circuit, just starting to get sponsors to climb in Europe. But Alex talked me into it. He said we’d be just outside Rainier National Park. Rainier’s the most respected mountain in the Lower Forty-eight, he said, and a volcano to boot. Alex had studied geology in college and has always had a thing for volcanoes. He’d even put in a bid on this office space. How could I refuse?”

  “That was quite a sacrifice,” Nancy commented.

  “Not really.” Logan shook his head. “I was ready for a break from heavy competition. Now that things have settled in here, I’m going back to climbing. I’ve just had an offer from Recreational Gear, a company that specializes in climbing equipment, to sponsor me, and I’ve accepted.” Logan’s face lit up with excitement as he spoke. “I’ll be leaving in about a month.”

  Just then they heard the front door open and Tsu speak to someone. A man in his midtwenties poked his head in the office. He was fairly short, with olive skin, slicked back hair, and dark eyes.

  “Can I help you?” Logan asked, getting up to assist him.

  “We’ll see,” the man replied gruffly, pulling off his shearling gloves. “I’m Eladio Martinez, from Great Outdoors magazine.”

  Logan extended his hand to Eladio. “Of course, Eladio,” he said. When Eladio shot him a nasty look, Logan added, “You don’t mind if I call you Eladio, do you?”

  “I suppose not.” Eladio gave Logan and Nancy the once-over.

  His piercing stare seemed to bore right through them, and Nancy felt an involuntary shiver. The man was giving her the creeps.

  “I’m Logan Miller, Alex’s right-hand man,” Logan explained as Eladio turned back to him. “Alex had to make an unexpected trip to Tacoma to purchase some equipment, but we expect him back soon.”

  Eladio looked at his watch. “He asked me to come at three o’clock,” he said. “And I don’t appreciate it when people waste my time.”

  “I apologize, but we’ve had a bit of an emergency,” Logan explained calmly. “If you’d like to wait—”

  “I don’t think so,” he answered, and walked out. “Just be sure to tell Mr. Wheeler that / kept our appointment,” he tossed back.

  “Wow,” Nancy commented when the main door closed behind him. “What a weirdo!”

  They were still shaking their heads at the stranger’s behavior when Kara burst through the front door, her face white.

  “It’s Alex,” she cried. “He’s been in a car accident!”

  Chapter

  Five

  OH, NO,” TSU SAID in disbelief. “What happened?”

  Kara took a deep breath. “The police called to tell me that he crashed on a mountain road near Buckley. The car was pretty crunched, but Alex wasn’t badly injured.”

  “Where is he now?” Nancy questioned.

  “At the emergency room at Buckley General Hospital,” Kara answered. “Apparently he was hurt badly enough to need an exam. . . .”

  “It’s probably just routine,” Ned said, a comforting arm around her shoulder.

  “Ned’s right,” Logan put in. “I’m sure Alex is fine.”

  “Right,” Kara said, trying to sound cheerful.

  “Where’s the car?” Nancy asked.

  “They’ve towed it to a garage,” Kara answered, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. “Frank’s Auto Body, on Route Four-ten.”

  “I’ll call to check on the car,” Nancy said. “So you won’t have to worry about that.”

  “Great. I’m driving over to Buckley to pick up Alex,” Kara continued. “Could you pick Allison up at preschool, Logan?”

  “Of course,” Logan answered.

  “Would you like some company on the drive? I’d be happy to come with you,” Ned offered Kara.

  “That’d be great,” Kara answered gratefully.

  Ned gave Nancy a quick kiss goodbye. “Let’s have dinner together at our hotel tonight,” he said softly. “Just the two of us.”

  Nancy smiled and gave his muscular arm a light squeeze. “You’re on,” she responded warmly.

  As the door closed behind Ned and Kara, Nancy went into action. She suspected that the car had been tampered with and wanted to ask the mechanic to check. She’d have to come up with some sort of cover, since she didn’t have the authority to request that kind of information.

  “Can I use the phone?” Nancy asked.

  “Sure,” Logan answered. “There’s one in the back office.”

  “Thanks.” Nancy went into the office to call. As the phone rang, she
cleared her throat.

  “Frank’s Auto Body,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

  “Ah, yes,” Nancy spoke confidently. “My name is Kara Wheeler. I’m calling about the red station wagon that was recently towed to your shop.”

  “It just came in,” the man answered. “I haven’t had a chance to really look at it yet, but I can tell you that it doesn’t look good.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible,” Nancy said dramatically. Then she lowered her voice. “We just had that car serviced here in Enumclaw, at Busy Bee Auto,” she confided. “And ever since then that car hasn’t driven right. The mechanic insisted that the car was fine.”

  Sorry, Busy Bee, Nancy said to herself. She didn’t like giving the auto shop a bad rap, but her little white lie was for a good cause.

  “Not surprised,” the man on the phone said.

  “If you could keep an eye out for anything that Busy Bee might have done wrong, I’d really appreciate it,” she finished.

  “No problem, Mrs. Wheeler. I’ll keep my eye out,” the man said.

  “Thank you, Mr. . . . um, I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name,” Nancy said.

  “It’s Joe,” the man said. “I’m head mechanic here at Frank’s.”

  “Thank you, Joe,” Nancy said. “I’ll call later to check on things.”

  “Fine, Mrs. Wheeler,” he answered.

  After hanging up Nancy went back into the front room, where Tsu and Logan were talking.

  “I’d been telling Alex to get new tires put on Kara’s car for weeks. The tires on the car now are really bald,” Logan was saying.

  That’s right, Nancy mused. Alex took Kara’s car to Tacoma. Added to the threatening note and her equipment problems, it looked like someone was out to get Kara, not Alpine Adventures.

  Having done all the investigating possible at Alpine Adventures, Nancy wanted to head over to Outrageous Adventures and ask Hank Moody a few questions. “I’m going to run some errands,” she said. “See you both later.”

  Nancy drove across town past a mixture of old and modern buildings, mostly all wood. The Outrageous Adventures office was in a small building at the end of a block, separate from the row of shops that lined the rest of the street. Taking a quick peek in the rearview mirror, Nancy smoothed her hair before walking up to the front door.

  Stepping inside, Nancy was greeted by a woman in her midforties. “Can I help you?” the woman asked.

  “Yes.” Nancy smiled. “I’m looking for Mr. Hank Moody.”

  “Mr. Moody is in his office,” the woman said, pointing to a door. “You can go on back,” she said.

  “Thank you.” Nancy stepped through the doorway and saw the stocky, middle-aged man she had seen at The Kitchen earlier.

  “Mr. Moody?” Nancy asked politely.

  Hank Moody nodded, and Nancy continued. “I’m Nancy Drew, and I’d like to talk to you about Alpine Adventures.”

  At the mention of the company’s name, Hank Moody stiffened slightly. “Of course,” he responded smoothly. “I’ve heard they’ve had a run of bad luck lately.” He gestured to a chair in front of his desk, and Nancy sat down.

  “What exactly have you heard?” Nancy inquired.

  “As I understand it, they’ve had a few minor falls on some local trips. And, of course, there was the break-in the other night. But why are you so interested in all of this?” he asked.

  Nancy wasn’t exactly thrilled to tell Hank Moody she was investigating the case, but she didn’t see any way to put him off.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m a private investigator, and I’m trying to determine the cause for the accidents and the break-in,” Nancy said. “The police believe that the break-in was just a teenage prank, but with the other mishaps I think there may be some foul play.”

  “In Enumclaw?” Hank Moody chuckled. “You’re not from around here, are you? I’m sure that the occurrences over at Alpine Adventures are just coincidence, Miss Drew.”

  “I hope you’re right, Mr. Moody,” Nancy said, watching him closely for his reaction to her next question. “Where were you on Wednesday night?”

  The muscles in Hank Moody’s jaw tightened as he realized what Nancy was suggesting. “Are you saying that you think / broke into Alpine Adventures?” he bellowed. “I don’t feel threatened by Alex Wheeler. I had my own guide service when he was in grade school! He’s just a kid with fancy gear!”

  “Where did you say you were?” Nancy repeated the question patiently.

  “It’s none of your business, but if you insist on knowing, I was at a Lions Club meeting until about ten o’clock. Afterward I went home to bed.”

  Nancy nodded. It would be easy enough to find out if Hank Moody was telling the truth.

  “Well, thank you for your time,” Nancy said graciously as she got up to leave. “I hope you understand that I’m only doing my job,” she added.

  “I suppose so,” Hank answered gruffly. “But I hope you understand that I have better things to do with my time than pester Alpine Adventures.”

  Nancy walked back to her car in the cold, thinking. Hank Moody hadn’t appreciated her accusation, but that didn’t make him a guilty man. Sighing, Nancy started the car. Speculation wasn’t going to solve her case.

  While Nancy checked for messages at her hotel, she noticed a petite, athletic-looking woman standing at the check-in counter. Her long, honey-colored hair was pulled back from her pale face in a french braid, and her small mouth was curved down in a pout.

  “What did you say your name was?” the receptionist was asking.

  “Anne Bolle,” the woman answered in a slightly annoyed tone. “I made the reservation yesterday.”

  Nancy’s ears perked up when she heard Anne’s name, and she smiled. Tracking down Anne Bolle was going to be easier than she’d thought.

  “No messages for you, Ms. Drew,” the attendant said.

  “Thanks for checking.” Nancy nodded, giving the man a sunny smile.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Nancy saw the receptionist pull the key to Room 453 off its hook and hand it to Anne.

  Up in her room, Nancy decided to finish unpacking. She still had a couple of hours before meeting Ned for dinner, which would give her time to pay Anne Bolle a visit. Just then the phone rang. The voice on the other end wasn’t warm or friendly.

  “Stay out of the problems at Alpine Adventures,” said the hoarse, muffled voice. “Or I’ll make sure that you do!”

  Chapter

  Six

  NANCY CAUGHT HER BREATH as the phone line went dead. Someone wanted her off the case, but who knew she was on it? Hank Moody came to mind first. He could easily have followed her when she left Outrageous Adventures to find out where she was staying.

  Well, if Hank Moody thought he could scare her off the case, he had another think coming.

  Tossing her head defiantly, Nancy went back to unpacking. When the phone rang again a few minutes later, she hesitated a second before picking it up. It was Ned, calling to tell her that Alex was fine. “We’re bringing him home,” Ned told her. “I should be back in time for dinner at eight.”

  “Fine,” Nancy said. “Could you tell Kara that I’ve been in touch with the mechanic who has her car? I think someone may have tampered with it, and I used her name to get some information out of him.”

  “I’ll let her know,” Ned answered.

  “Thanks, Ned. See you soon.”

  After hanging up, Nancy made a follow-up call to Joe at Frank’s Auto Body.

  “Your car sure was messed up, Mrs. Wheeler,” Joe told Nancy. “The steering mechanism came loose. It wasn’t attached to the wheels properly. That’s why your husband ran off the road.”

  So someone did tamper with the car, Nancy thought. Now if she could just figure out who, she’d have made and solved the case. “That’s terrible,” Nancy exclaimed.

  “The mechanic at Busy Bee should’ve seen it. When the car is up on the lift, it’s pretty hard to miss something
like that.”

  “What about the damage to the car?” Nancy asked, remembering that she was supposed to be Kara.

  “The front end is pretty crunched and the frame is bent,” he answered. “I’d estimate the repairs at about two thousand.”

  Nancy gulped. Two thousand dollars! Alex and Kara weren’t going to be happy about that. “I’ll have to talk to my husband about this,” Nancy said. “Can you hold off on the car until I call back tomorrow?”

  “Sure thing,” Joe said.

  “You’re next, Anne Bolle,” Nancy said out loud as she picked up her room key from the dresser.

  Nancy was on the fifth floor, so she took the stairs down to Anne’s room. Knocking on the door, she arranged her face in a friendly expression.

  The woman Nancy had seen in the lobby came to the door, her head wrapped in a towel, a thick terry cloth robe on.

  “Are you Anne Bolle?” Nancy asked politely.

  “Yes,” the woman said reluctantly. She obviously didn’t like to be disturbed.

  “It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” Nancy said, and extended her hand. “You’re my favorite climber.”

  Anne’s face broke into a wide smile. “Thank you,” she responded. “And you are?”

  “Nancy Drew,” she offered. “I’m a friend of Alex and Kara Wheeler,” she explained. “Could I please ask you a few questions about Alpine Adventures?”

  “Well, I don’t know what I can tell you,” Anne answered, moving aside to let Nancy into her room. “But if you’ll give me a few minutes to dress, I’ll be happy to talk to you.”

  “Great,” Nancy said, stepping into the room.

  Anne gathered up a change of clothes and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  “Perfect,” Nancy murmured under her breath as she scoped out the room. Anne was obviously neat, because her things were in order.

  Moving to one of the bedside tables, Nancy noticed a small leather organizer. It was lying open, and the corner of a lined piece of paper was sticking out. Picking it up, Nancy saw that it was a letter that Anne had started to someone named Jim. Probably a boyfriend, Nancy guessed. Nancy started skimming the letter. “Kara looks good for someone who hasn’t climbed much in the past four years,” Nancy read. “She might turn out to be something of a threat after all. . . .” Nancy was only halfway through the letter when she heard the bathroom door being opened. She stuffed the letter back where she found it, just before Anne came into the room.