Heart of Ice

  Chapter

  One

  THIS IS GOING TO be the best vacation,” Nancy Drew said, brushing her reddish blond hair back. “A whole week of skiing in Washington State.” Nancy was weaving through the passengers at Chicago’s O’Hare airport with Ned Nickerson, her longtime boyfriend.

  Ned answered by squeezing Nancy’s hand as he dodged a man carrying an overstuffed garment bag. Since Ned went away to college, Nancy and he didn’t see each other often. Ned was on winter break now, and they had planned a whole week of skiing, just the two of them.

  When they reached the gate, their flight to Tacoma, Washington, was boarding. “Perfect timing,” Nancy murmured. A few moments later they walked through the jetway and onto the plane, but when they reached their seats, they found them occupied.

  “Excuse me,” Nancy said politely. “I think this is my seat.”

  “Is it?” The man who smiled up at Nancy was young and athletic looking, with bright blue eyes and a nice smile. He checked his boarding pass as the woman and little girl sitting next to him looked up from the Mickey Mouse coloring book. The little girl was adorable, with cinnamon curls and big blue eyes. The woman was a knockout, with long dark hair and deep green eyes.

  “You’re right,” the man said. “We’re supposed to be in Eight D, E, and F.” He pointed to the three empty seats on the other side of the aisle.

  The woman quickly put the crayons back into the box and gathered up her belongings. Within a few minutes, the young family had moved across the aisle.

  “Thanks,” Ned said.

  Nancy plopped down into the aisle seat next to Ned and stowed her carry-on bag under the seat in front of her. After buckling her seat belt, she opened her copy of Great Outdoors and began reading an article on skiing.

  Ned leaned over and squeezed Nancy’s hand in excitement. “This is going to be a great week,” he whispered, discreetly nuzzling her neck.

  Before long the plane had taken off and reached an altitude of 35,000 feet and was soaring over the plains of South Dakota.

  After an hour or so Nancy looked over and noticed that the little girl was snuggled up against her mom, sound asleep, a purple crayon still clenched in her small fist.

  “She’s adorable,” Nancy said, leaning across the aisle. “What’s her name?”

  “Allison.” The woman smiled tenderly at her daughter. “We think she’s a keeper.”

  Nancy laughed. “Do you live in Chicago?” she asked.

  “No,” the husband answered. “We’ve been visiting my wife Kara’s family for the holidays,” he answered as he swirled the ice in his soft drink.

  “We live in a little town about thirty miles east of Tacoma called Enumclaw,” Kara added.

  “I think we drive through Enumclaw on our way to Crystal Falls,” Nancy said thoughtfully, sipping her tea.

  “Oh, you’re going skiing?” Kara asked, her eyes bright. “Crystal Falls is a terrific resort. We went skiing there over Thanksgiving and they already had great snow.”

  Nancy smiled and daydreamed about the skiing. It felt great to leave her detective work behind for six glorious days. At eighteen, Nancy had already established herself as a formidable detective. The daughter of a well-known criminal attorney, Carson Drew, Nancy inherited many cases through her father. She loved solving mysteries, but she had vowed to steer clear of crime on this vacation.

  “Do you ski a lot?” Nancy asked, coming out of her dream.

  The man laughed. “You could say that. We run a small alpine guide service. Our specialty is alpining—you know, climbing mountains. But we also do rock climbing and skiing.”

  “Wow,” Nancy said. “That sounds like fun. How long have you been in business?”

  “Just over a year. But Kara has been climbing seriously for more than ten years.” He reached over and took his wife’s hand. “She was the top climber in the U.S. before she gave it all up to become a mom.”

  “Oh, Alex,” Kara said, embarrassed. “You always make my climbing sound like such a big deal.”

  “It sounds pretty impressive to me,” Ned commented, and Nancy agreed.

  “I just love to climb and happen to be good at it,” Kara said modestly.

  “So how’s business?” Nancy asked, changing the subject.

  “Great,” Alex answered, leaning back and stretching his legs out in front of him. “Clients have been coming to us through word of mouth. Sometimes we have to hire freelance guides because more people sign up for a trip than we expected. A staff writer from Great Outdoors magazine is coming on a winter ascent of Mount Rainier with us this week,” he said, pointing to the magazine Nancy was holding. “With a little luck, he’ll write some positive things about us and we’ll really be on our way.”

  “It’ll take more than luck, Alex,” Kara said affectionately.

  “What do you mean?” Nancy asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

  “Well, on a big, volcanic, glacial mountain like Rainier, you have a lot to worry about—snow bridges, crevasses, avalanches, not to mention your equipment,” Kara rattled off. “You really have to know what you’re doing.”

  “But getting to the top amidst all that incredible wilderness beauty must be worth it. It must be a real thrill at the top,” Nancy said.

  “Oh, there’s nothing like it,” Kara agreed. “It’s the most exhilarating feeling I know.”

  A little while later the pilot’s voice announced their approach to the Tacoma airport.

  “Wow, that was fast,” Nancy commented as a flight attendant passed by to collect their cups and napkins.

  At the baggage claim, Nancy and Ned waited for their luggage with their new friends the Wheelers. As they were gathering their things together Alex handed Nancy a business card. “If you want to stop in on your way back from Crystal Falls, let us know,” he said. “Enumclaw is about halfway between the ski resort and Tacoma.”

  “We’ve just finished building a little house in the woods. We’d love to have you visit,” Kara added warmly, picking up Allison.

  “Thanks,” Nancy answered, smiling. “We just might do that.”

  “Goodbye, Allison,” Ned called as the Wheelers left the terminal.

  Allison grinned and waved. “’Bye,” she called back.

  “What great people,” Nancy commented to Ned. “I feel like we’ve known them for years.”

  While Nancy waited for the luggage, Ned went to rent a car. When he came back with the contract and the keys, he noticed their ski equipment still hadn’t arrived. The carousel was nearly empty.

  “Oh, no,” Ned groaned. “Don’t tell me our skis are missing.”

  Nancy sighed. This wasn’t the great start to their vacation she had wanted. “That’s what it looks like,” she answered, frowning.

  Twenty minutes later Nancy and Ned learned that their skis had mistakenly been put on a plane to Arizona. The service representative told them that they probably couldn’t get the skis to them for a couple of days.

  “What should we do?” Ned asked. “We can’t exactly hit the slopes without skis.”

  “We could rent them,” Nancy suggested.

  Ned put an affectionate arm around Nancy and gave her a squeeze. “That’s why I love you, Nan,” he said. “You always think positively, and you always have a plan.”

  After hoisting their bags, Nancy and Ned made their way to the courtesy van that would take them to their rental car. An hour and a half later they had arrived at Crystal Falls Resort.

  After checking into their rooms and freshening up, they met again in the lobby of their hotel and headed across the compound to the ski rental shop. When Nancy walked through the door, she noticed right away that there was hardly any gear for sale. As it turned out, virtually any equipment they could ski
on was already rented because it was one of the busiest weeks of the year.

  Nancy sighed heavily. She and Ned had flown halfway across the country to a great ski resort and now they had no equipment!

  “What are we going to do?” Ned asked as they left the shop to go outside.

  “I have no idea,” Nancy answered. “Our perfect vacation is turning into a disaster.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Ned said, stopping to slip both his arms around Nancy’s waist. “My vacation is still wonderful, because you’re here with me.”

  “Oh, Ned, of course you’re right,” Nancy said, resting her hand lightly on the nape of his neck. She stared off at majestic Mt. Rainier with its snow-covered peaks, the only significant mountain for miles. “But what are we going to do for the next—Hey,” she cried, suddenly excited. “Let’s call Alex and Kara and see if we can go on that Rainier trip!”

  “Are you sure, Nan?” Ned asked. “I mean, it’s January. And Rainier is a big mountain and could be very dangerous to climb.”

  “Oh, come on, Nickerson. We’ve both done serious climbing, and we’re in good shape.”

  Ned studied Nancy’s face against a backdrop of snow and pines. “All right,” he agreed. “If it’s what you really want to do, I’m game.”

  In her room Nancy dialed the number for Alpine Adventures. When Kara answered the phone, Nancy immediately heard the anxiety in her voice. “Kara, it’s Nancy Drew.”

  “Oh, Nancy,” Kara said with a sigh.

  “Is everything all right?” Nancy asked.

  “No,” Kara replied. “Somebody has broken into Alpine Adventures—the place has been ransacked!”

  Chapter

  Two

  WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?” Nancy asked.

  “Last night, we think,” Kara answered. “Someone smashed a window and stole one of our computers and some of our most expensive gear. The thief also dumped our files—the office is a complete mess.”

  “Have you called the police?” Nancy asked, wrapping the phone cord around her finger.

  “Yes,” Kara answered. “Alex called them, and they’re on their way.” She paused. “Why are you calling? Are you okay?”

  “We’re fine,” Nancy answered, feeling awkward. It certainly wasn’t a good time to ask if she and Ned could go on the Rainier trip.

  “Are you in town?” Kara prodded.

  “No. We’re at Crystal Falls. The airline lost our skis, and the rental shop has rented everything worth skiing on. So we were wondering if there might be room for us on the Rainier trip.”

  “Absolutely,” Kara answered, without hesitating. “We’d be thrilled to have you. Why don’t you drive over this afternoon. There’s no point in paying for your rooms at the resort if you can’t ski.”

  “Are you sure it’s not an imposition?” Nancy asked. Even as she spoke, questions about the break-in whizzed through her mind. “We could come tomorrow morning if that’d be better.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Kara answered. “It will be nice to have a little moral support. And please plan on having supper with us tonight.”

  “Wonderful,” Nancy agreed. “Should we meet you at the office?”

  “Yes, I think that would be best. Just take Route Four-ten to Highway One sixty-four and turn right onto Harding. We’re two blocks down on the right. You’ll see the sign.”

  “Great,” Nancy responded. “We’ll see you in an hour or so.”

  • • •

  Fifteen minutes later Nancy and Ned had packed their things and checked out of their hotel. Nancy had even persuaded the inn to refund their money. She’d had to argue with the manager for ten minutes, saying that if the rental shop couldn’t provide skis, guests should have the option to check out with a full refund. The manager had finally agreed.

  “I feel like we’ve been traveling for days,” Ned grumbled as he settled into the passenger seat of their car.

  “Me, too,” Nancy answered, and pulled the car onto the highway. “And now we’ve got the break-in at Alpine Adventures to worry about, too.”

  Ned sighed. “We’re two thousand miles from home and you’ve managed to find us a crime, Nan,” he said.

  “I’m sure it won’t be anything big,” Nancy assured him, “and I’m not going to let anything spoil our fun together.”

  “Good.” Ned smiled, relieved. “Because this is one vacation where I want you all to myself.”

  After a fifty-minute drive, Nancy and Ned parked in front of 120 Harding in Enumclaw.

  The Alpine Adventures office was in a one-story brick building with a handsome wooden sign above the door.

  Nancy and Ned walked through the door into a large waiting room. Rustic wooden benches lined one wall, and a few pieces of outdoor equipment hung on pegs behind the counter.

  An attractive young woman was sitting on the floor of the room with Allison Wheeler. The little girl was paging through a picture book as the woman sifted through the mess of papers strewn everywhere.

  “Hi,” she said to Nancy and Ned. She stood up and brushed off her jeans. She was about five feet four and solidly built, with shoulder-length black hair and almond-shaped eyes.

  Taking Allison’s hand, she walked over to where Nancy and Ned were standing. “I’m Tsu Chung, the assistant guide,” she said, introducing herself. “You must be Nancy and Ned.”

  “We are,” Ned replied.

  “I’m just trying to make some sense of this mess,” Tsu explained. “Though I’m not sure I’m making any progress,” she added with a laugh.

  “I’m sure you’ve done a lot,” Nancy said to encourage her. Desk drawers were open, with papers strewn everywhere. A power cable for the missing computer lay on one of the desks.

  “Kara and Alex are in the gear room with Logan,” Tsu continued, pointing to a doorway. “They’re with the police.”

  Just then Kara came through the doorway. “Oh, you’re here.” She smiled. “Sorry about the mess.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Nancy responded, glancing through the door Kara had just come through. Alex and another good-looking man, who Nancy guessed was Logan, were with two police officers. Logan was tall—well over six feet—with broad shoulders, dark curly hair, and dark eyes. “I just hope we’re not intruding,” Nancy added.

  “Not at all,” Kara answered. “You were invited and it’s comforting to have you here,” she added sincerely.

  “When did the police get here?” Nancy asked.

  “About ten minutes ago,” Kara answered, a sudden edge to her voice. “It took them an hour to show up.”

  Nancy put a comforting hand on Kara’s arm. “The important thing is that they’re here,” she said.

  “I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of this,” Ned added, gazing at Kara.

  “Ned’s right,” Nancy agreed, not sure she liked the way Ned always stared at Kara.

  Just then Logan came out of the storage room. “You must be Nancy Drew and Ned Nickerson,” he said heartily. “I’m Logan Miller, Alex’s right-hand man.”

  Nancy and Ned shook hands with Logan. “Looks like you’ve got quite a mess to straighten out,” Nancy said, nodding toward the area where Tsu had been working.

  “No kidding.” Logan sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know why anyone would mess with our paperwork—it’s just information about our trips. And as far as we can tell they didn’t take any of it.”

  “When did you realize there had been a break-in?”

  “This morning when I came in at eleven-thirty,” Logan answered. “We open at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he explained.

  “When did you close up last night?” Nancy asked.

  “I didn’t,” he answered. “I was in Olympia for the evening, giving a slide presentation for the Guides’ Association,” he explained.

  “I closed up,” Tsu added. “I worked late, until about nine o’clock.”

  As Tsu finished her sentence, Alex and the police came out of the gear room. “Oh, hi,” he said. “G
lad you made it. These are Officers Kelley and Fernandez.”

  The men nodded at Nancy and Ned.

  “We’d like to ask you a few questions, Ms. Chung,” Officer Fernandez said to Tsu. He was the older of the two officers and seemed to be in charge of the investigation. “Would you care to step into another room?”

  “I’d rather stay here, if that’s okay,” Tsu replied. “I don’t have anything to say that these people can’t hear.”

  “What time did you close the office last night?” Officer Kelley asked, pulling a small notebook out of his pocket. He dropped his pencil on the floor, and Logan bent to pick it up for him. “Thanks,” Kelley said, a little embarrassed. He was young, maybe twenty-five, and Nancy guessed he was fairly new on the force.

  “I was just telling Nancy that I worked until about nine o’clock, doing a gear check.”

  “A gear check?” Officer Kelley repeated quizzically.

  “Yes. We have a trip this weekend and I was making sure everything was in order,” Tsu explained.

  “I see,” Officer Kelley said, nodding. “So you left later than usual, I take it?”

  “Yes. I usually leave at around seven o’clock,” Tsu responded, folding her arms across her chest.

  “And when you left, you locked up?”

  Tsu nodded. “I always double-check the door, because the lock is a little funny.”

  Nancy watched as Officer Kelley wrote “funny lock” down in his notebook.

  “Did you notice anything unusual before or as you left?” he asked, looking up.

  “No.” Tsu shook her head thoughtfully. “Everything was normal.”

  Officer Kelley scribbled this down, too. Then he flipped his notebook closed and turned toward Alex.

  “Looks like a juvenile prank to me,” he said, clucking his tongue. “Your gear is probably sitting in somebody’s basement right now.”

  Nancy considered what Kelley had said. Kids would have probably thrown a rock through the large front window to get in. No, she decided, there was more to this than a prank.

  “If we get any leads, we’ll be sure to let you know,” Officer Fernandez said. “And if you hear anything, just call the station and tell Mrs. Loomis you need to speak with us.”