Over the Edge Read online

  “Marva, calm down, please,” Gil pleaded.

  “Oh, you can be so dumb at times, Gil.” Glaring at him, Marva cried out, “How many accidents have to happen before you realize that this is serious? There’s someone here at the club—right here—who’s either trying to destroy me by destroying the club’s reputation, or is a homicidal maniac. These accidents—whatever you want to call them—are enough to convince me.”

  “I—I—Oh, I don’t know what to say anymore, Marva,” Gil said with resignation. “I think the best thing I can do is leave you alone to cool off. When you want to talk quietly about this, let me know.” Turning, Gil stormed out of Marva’s office.

  “Oh no,” Marva moaned. Her fury disappeared when Gil left, and she collapsed back against her chair. “Maybe I should just give up. Do what Gil wants me to do. Sell the club. Perhaps if I went away all this would stop and the guests would be safe.”

  “Marva, I know you can’t mean that,” Nancy said gently. “This place is you. With you gone, Club High Adventure could never be what you’ve made it. Giving it up won’t accomplish anything—you’ve got to see this through.”

  Watching her reaction, Nancy saw Marva’s inner strength begin to return. Finally Marva took a deep breath and shook off what was left of her panic.

  “Thanks for the pep talk, Nancy,” she said. “I guess I needed that. I just wish Gil felt the same way. But in time he’ll come around, I’m sure.” She straightened in her chair. “I’m making you one promise. No matter what happens, no one will force me out. Not even Gil Forrest!”

  Chapter

  Four

  NANCY SAW by the set of Marva’s jaw and the fire in her blue eyes that her resolve was genuine. Nancy decided that with Marva once again in control, it was time to get on with her investigation.

  “I’d like to take a look inside Larry Quinn’s cabin,” she told Marva. “I may be able to find the note he said he threw away.”

  “Of course,” Marva answered. “I’m sure he’d understand. You’ll find his cabin on the other side of yours from where Sara and Kirsten’s is.”

  Turning away from her desk, Marva walked over and opened a wall cabinet. Rows of loose keys hung on individual hooks, with cabin numbers printed above each one. Marva reached in and took a key from the number 8 hook. She frowned slightly. “Strange. There should be two spare keys here, and there’s only one.”

  The small detail didn’t escape Nancy’s eyes. “Who else might have taken one?” she asked.

  “I can’t think of anyone.” Marva shrugged. “Well, maybe Larry lost his, and Gil gave him the other spare. But normally when that happens, Gil lets me know.”

  “Um-hmm.” Nancy nodded. “But what if our local joker decided he needed to take a look in that cabin as well?” Reaching down, she picked up and pocketed the key Marva had placed on the desk. “If so, I hope he didn’t find what he was looking for.”

  Nancy said goodbye to Marva, who returned determinedly to work. In the hall just outside the office, Nancy found Gil. He was staring moodily out of a window. Nancy paused to talk to him.

  “Sorry to disturb your thoughts.” Gil jumped at the sound of her voice. “Did you get a chance to check out that damaged glider?” she asked when she had his attention.

  “Not yet.” He gave her an annoyed scowl. “If you recall, I had a few things to do, like taking care of Lisa’s injuries.” Then he hesitated. “I, uh, had some other things to take care of,” Gil explained limply. “But don’t worry. I’ll get to it soon.”

  “Good.” Nancy looked at him evenly. “The sooner, the better,” she told him before walking away toward the main door.

  Leaving the complex, Nancy headed for the cabin area along the cliff trail. Although the loose rocks had probably been removed by the groundskeeper, she knew that walking the path would give her a better picture of the event.

  As she walked, Nancy thought the trail didn’t even seem to be that dangerous. It was quite wide where it traced the cliff edge, and there was a retaining wall. The worst the trail could do was scare someone who was afraid of heights.

  When Nancy reached the final bend before turning off for Quinn’s cabin, she found her way blocked by a large, burly man. He appeared to be in his midfifties, and was obviously in excellent physical condition. He was nearly a head taller than Nancy’s five feet, seven inches, and at least a hundred pounds heavier. And all of it muscle, Nancy thought, lifting her face to stare into eyes that glowered back at her.

  “Excuse me,” she said, attempting to pass.

  “What are you doing on this trail?” the man demanded. “Didn’t you see the red marker on the tree at the trail head? Guests aren’t supposed to use this trail alone. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize,” Nancy said. No use broadcasting who she was. People would find out in their own time.

  She noticed the man had on the dark green shirt of a staffer. “Next time I’ll make sure I’m not alone,” Nancy said placatingly.

  Hearing her apology, the man lost his forbidding look. A smile crossed his face. “Just don’t want to see any of the guests get hurt unnecessarily.” He put out his hand. “My name’s Al Hunt, by the way. I’m the rock-climbing instructor. Call me Uncle Al. Everyone else does.”

  “Okay.” She shook his tanned and callused hand. “I’m Nancy Drew. You can call me Nancy.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nancy.” He smoothed his short, graying hair. “I’m sorry for the gruff way I came across just now. Accidents like today’s tend to make us a little extra cautious.”

  “I understand.” Nancy smiled back at him.

  “Well, I’ve got to get going. Glad to have you with us.” As he started past her, he added, “Come to one of my classes. You look like the type to enjoy rock climbing.”

  “Thanks. I’ll try to make time,” she called after him.

  Passing behind Lisa Gregson’s cabin a moment later, her thoughts turned to the pretty teenager who had so narrowly escaped serious injury. She wanted to question the girl, but the doctor had ordered her to stay in the infirmary, so Nancy would have to wait until morning. Still, there were Lisa’s friends, Sara and Kirsten.

  Nancy made a quick decision to put off checking out Quinn’s cabin and turned onto the path that led to the front of Sara and Kirsten’s cabin.

  Nancy’s knock was answered by a girl with shiny black hair, cut in a short feathered style that emphasized her deep-set, jade green eyes. Tinted contacts, Nancy observed.

  “I’m looking for Sara or Kirsten,” she explained after introducing herself.

  “Kirsten’s not here. I’m Sara.” The girl didn’t invite Nancy to come in. “I’m just on my way over to the pool to meet someone.” She glanced at a slim gold watch on one wrist. “Could you come back later? I really don’t want to be late.”

  A guy, Nancy was willing to bet. With her high-heeled purple sandals, matching lavender string bikini and robe, Sara looked more like she was on her way to meet a date than taking a dip in the pool.

  “This won’t take long,” Nancy promised. “Only a couple of questions. I’m trying to find out more about Lisa’s accident. Could you tell me about the threat she got?” Nancy hoped this would stir Sara into asking her inside, but Sara stood her ground.

  “Look, I said later, okay?” A slight frown marred Sara’s otherwise pretty face. She tapped a polished red nail impatiently against the doorjamb. “I don’t have anything to say to you. Nothing that could help. Why don’t you wait until you can talk to Lisa? Ask her about it.”

  Sara pulled the cabin door shut and started to walk past Nancy.

  Nancy decided to try another tactic. “Sara,” she said, reaching out for the girl as she tried to pass her. “I’m only trying to help. You may think you don’t have anything to say that would help me figure out what was really behind the accident, but you might be surprised. If we could just go inside, sit down for a few minutes—”

  “Look. You don’t know Lisa Gregson.
I do.” Sara yanked her arm free. “That crash was no accident.” She started down the cabin’s stairs, leaving Nancy standing there.

  Nancy watched the girl as she took the steps awkwardly and stumbled along the redwood-chip path in her high heels.

  Sara Lakin is completely out of her element here at Club High Adventure, Nancy thought as she made her way in the opposite direction toward Quinn’s cabin. I bet she’d prefer being at a luxury resort having her nails wrapped and going to parties. So what is she really doing here? Nancy stored the question away with the other pieces of the puzzle she’d collected so far.

  Using the key Marva had given her, Nancy let herself into Quinn’s cabin. It was similar to hers, except here the color scheme was earth tones, browns and dark greens accented with cream-colored couches and chairs. The living room was neat. A half-filled coffee cup on the counter of the tiny kitchen was the only clutter.

  The bedroom was also tidy, except for the unmade bed. A gray suitcase sat squarely on the luggage rack. Through the open door of the bathroom, Nancy could see an organized array of toiletries.

  There was nothing there to show that Larry Quinn’s behavior in the past few hours had been anything but that of a normal guest. And to Nancy’s practiced eye, it was fairly certain that no one else had searched the cabin before she’d arrived.

  Especially since this is still here, she thought excitedly, bending to retrieve a wadded piece of paper from the wastebasket beside the dresser.

  After smoothing the crumpled sheet of yellow lined paper, she read the message. It was in block letters, written with blue ballpoint pen. “Leave the club today and you’ll live. Stay and you’ll die.”

  Whoever was behind this wasn’t beating around the bush, Nancy thought as she folded the paper, stuffed it into a pocket of her shorts, and returned to the living room.

  Taking one last look around, she pushed open the sliding glass door to the sun deck and stepped out.

  Unlike the cabin she shared with Bess and George, this one backed up to a rocky cliff. The far end of the sun deck was supported by long wooden stilts buried into the cliff face. Nancy relaxed for a moment. Taking a deep breath of the tangy salt air, Nancy walked to the railing and leaned against it, letting the sun warm her head.

  Far below, sea lions basked on the offshore rocks. Overhead, sea gulls swooped and called to one another in a chorus of noisy screeches.

  Closing her eyes, Nancy tilted her face up, warming it in the sun. Club High Adventure could be a very appealing vacation spot, she thought.

  As Nancy was basking in the sun, something hit her, hard, against her back.

  Nancy’s eyes flew open. She felt herself being lifted up and over the side of the deck! She was falling, spread-eagle, with nothing between her and the sharp rocks forty feet below!

  Chapter

  Five

  TUCKING HER KNEES into her chest, Nancy did a tight roll and threw her arms straight up over her head. Clawing with her right hand, she reached out and closed her fingers around one of the upright bars supporting the railing. She tried not to look down at the waves crashing below her.

  Tears sprang to her eyes as her shoulder was wrenched from the bone-jarring stop she’d made. But she hung on and swung like a pendulum from her right hand.

  She was safe for the moment. She tried to catch her breath, but how long could she hold on before her fingers and shoulder gave out? Even worse, wouldn’t the person who had to have shoved her try to finish her off?

  Nancy listened for footsteps on the deck above, but none sounded. Nancy’s shoulder was hot with pain.

  She thought for an instant about calling for help, but knew that any cries of hers would be lost in the screeching of the gulls. Their noise must have prevented her from hearing her attacker approach.

  She was hanging facing away from the house. Quickly, before she could consider the additional pain, she threw her body to the left and grabbed another upright support with her left hand.

  It was now a simple matter of inching up, hand over hand, until she reached the top rail.

  Nancy used all of her strength to pull her body upward with her left arm until she could grab for the next higher bar. Before she could lose her momentum, Nancy grabbed for the top and last bar with her right hand.

  With a final heave, Nancy shimmied up and over the railing and finally collapsed onto the deck. Except for the throbbing in her shoulder, she knew she was okay.

  Nancy’s instincts told her that the time it had taken to pull herself back up had also given her attacker the chance he, or she, needed to escape. Still, Nancy searched the cabin—just in case. Picking up the poker from the fireplace for protection, she crept through the rooms, looking behind every door and in the shower. The cabin was empty.

  More determined than ever to get to the bottom of the mystery, Nancy hurried back to her own cabin. Her “accident” had left her aching and disheveled. She wanted to clean up and change into fresh clothes.

  Bess and George were there to greet her. Bess had been to the pool and was now wrapped in a yellow terry robe, toweling her hair dry.

  Looking up and seeing Nancy come through the door, she stopped drying her hair and rushed to her. “Nancy,” she cried. “What happened? You’re a wreck.”

  “I’ll second that,” George added from the doorway of their shared bedroom. “Looks like you were on the wrong end of an argument.”

  “Yeah, I never got a word in,” Nancy joked grimly. Flopping down on one of the couches, she told them what had happened. “Of course I didn’t get a look at who pushed me,” she finished.

  George shuddered. “I could have been walking right by there when it was happening. I got back from a hike along the trails only a few minutes ago.”

  “Did you see anyone on the path in front of Quinn’s cabin? Anyone at all?” Nancy asked.

  “Nope. Only a couple so wrapped up in each other that they practically bumped into me before I could get out of their way.” George shook her head. “No one else.”

  “Probably whoever it was slipped through the trees, instead of using the path. Someone who knows his way around very well.”

  “Does that mean you’ve already got some idea who’s behind all this?” Bess asked expectantly.

  “Just the start of a theory,” Nancy replied. “But it’s a long way from being complete. Right now, we don’t really know anything definite about what happened to Lisa Gregson or Larry Quinn.”

  “What’s the plan?” George asked. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Nothing right now, George. What I have to do next, I have to do alone.”

  “Well, if you’re not going to let us in on your plan, at least be careful,” Bess admonished.

  “Yes, Nan, watch yourself,” George echoed her cousin’s concern. “Whoever is making the threats must know you’re here to investigate. He already tried to kill you once, and he’s sure to try again.”

  “I know,” Nancy said, her blue eyes serious. “And, believe me, I don’t intend to be such an easy target again.”

  Because it was getting late, Nancy changed her mind about showering and putting on fresh clothes. She took only enough time to go into the bathroom and wash her hands and face.

  A few minutes later, after knocking to make sure no one was in Lisa, Kirsten, and Sara’s cabin, she deftly picked the lock on their door, and slipped inside.

  Remembering Sara’s outburst that “the accident was no accident,” Nancy wanted to find out more about the girl.

  It wasn’t difficult figuring out which bedroom belonged to Lisa Gregson. A gold necklace with her first name etched on its pendant was tossed on the dresser. Stuck into the edge of the dresser mirror was a color snapshot of Lisa and a good-looking boy, who would have looked even better if he hadn’t been scowling into the camera lens.

  Nancy pulled open each of the three drawers in the dresser and found only piles of expensive clothes jammed in every which way. Apparently, Lisa came from a wealthy family and h
ad absolutely no respect for the designer fashions she was able to afford.

  Finally, in a drawer of the bedside table Nancy hit pay dirt. She found a half-finished letter, dated the night before. Nancy scanned it.

  My adorable Roy,

  I can’t tell you how much I miss you. I have your picture where I can look at it constantly. I wish I could reach out and touch you as easily as I touch the photo. I hate my father for making me stop seeing you. He just doesn’t understand how it is with us. He never will. I just know it. But I have a plan that is going to make him sorry—really sorry.

  The letter ended there. Nancy replaced it carefully. Searching further, she discovered a clipping and a picture from a newspaper. She picked it up to look at it closely.

  The photo was blurred, but Nancy was fairly certain the girl in it was Lisa. She was handcuffed to a police officer, as was a boy. Even though he had his free hand over his face, Nancy recognized the boy from the other photo. He and Lisa were about to step into a police cruiser.

  The caption under the photo read, “Lisa Gregson, daughter of prominent real estate businessman Greg Gregson, was arrested for shoplifting today. This is the second time in three months for Miss Gregson.”

  It looked like Lisa didn’t lead a typical teenage life, Nancy thought, tapping a finger against the worn edge of the clipping. Could she be the one behind the threats? What did she mean about making her father sorry? Could the letter to her boyfriend mean that the accident that day—

  A noise interrupted her thoughts. It was the faint sound of a key being turned in the front door. Either Sara or Kirsten had come back to the cabin. Nancy was about to be caught breaking and entering.

  Trying not to make any noise, Nancy placed the clipping back into the drawer, then slid it shut. She glanced around, looking for a way out.

  The window—but it was too high and too small.