have installed it.â
âOr Liz,â Ned suggested softly. âEven if she did say it was okay to come and look.â
Nancy nodded. âI know. I have only Lizâs word about the prowler and the phone calls.â
Ned blinked. âDo you really think Liz is behind all this?â
âStranger things have happened. Maybe sheâd cash in on a lot of insurance money if this place went out of business. Who knows?â Nancy remembered what Liz had said the day they arrivedâthat she was just a ski bum. âShe seems so nervous sometimes. On the other hand, maybe sheâs just the hysterical type.â
The door latch came off in Nancyâs hand. Inside, the generator still hummed quietly, but the coils of rope were gone.
Nancy and Ned searched every corner, butfound nothing. At last they gave up. They left the shed, and Nancy screwed the door latch and padlock back in place.
âOkay,â Nancy said as they headed for the lake, âitâs pretty clear that none of these âaccidentsâ has been accidental. But the question is, why? I havenât come up with a good motive.â
âI have,â Ned said quietly. âMaybe someone is afraid of Nancy Drew, detective. Someone who, as the writing in the snow said, is a murderer. . . .â
Their eyes met. Nancy was more shaken than she wanted Ned to see. His theory was very possible. After all, the first âaccidentâ had happened to her. Anyone could have heard Bess telling Liz that she was a sleuth.
Ned leaned toward Nancy. âDonât worry,â he whispered against her hair. âBad ankle or not, the next time anyone tries any funny business on you, Iâll be there.â
Nancy was shocked to discover how matter-of-factly they were both accepting that there would be a next time. But who would the victim be?
Nancyâs troubled thoughts kept returning to Luke. He was so guarded about his past. And heâd lied about the damaged ski and the rope tow. Lukeâwas he the criminal or the target?
Face it, Nancy told herself. All I have so far is circumstantial evidence, but that evidence points to Luke Ericsen. Means, method,opportunity. I donât know what the motive is yet, but Iâm sure all I have to do is dig deeper and Iâll figure it out.
Then, with horror, Nancy realized something else. Georgeâone of my best friendsâmay have fallen in love with a murderer.
Chapter
Eight
I âVE GOT TO warn George about Luke, whether she wants to hear it or not!â Nancy exclaimed.
Ned nodded. âEven if Luke isnât responsible for whatâs happened to us, heâs definitely involved in some way. And we know heâs hiding something.â
âSoâs George! Iâm sure of it,â Nancy said apprehensively. âIâve got to find out what it is. Otherwise I may never get to the bottom of whatâs going on around here.â
Nancyâs last words hung in the air ominously.
Ned looked at his watch. âYou may still be able to catch her before she heads over to Big Birch.â
Nancy caught her breath. âCan you make it back to the lodge alone?â
âYes,â Ned replied.
âGreat!â And with that, Nancy took off running.
Nancy found George standing in front of the chair lift, snapped into her skis and ready to go. âHey,â Nancy said casually, âhow about a race this morning?â
âSorry, Iâm busy now.â George glanced at Luke, who was telling a few of the other guests about the schedule for ski lessons.
âGeorge, I have to talk to you,â said Nancy. âYouâve been avoiding me ever since we got here. I know itâs because of Luke, and it makes me feel just awful.â
âI never thought a guy would come between us,â George admitted.
Nancy laid one mittened hand on Georgeâs arm. âIâm worried about you. Right now, I donât even
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