Heart of Ice by Carolyn Keene Page A

you did.”
    â€œShe’s okay,” Alex told Nancy and the rest ofthe group, who had come to see what was going on. “You can go back to what you were doing.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Nancy asked when she reached Alex and Kara.
    â€œSomeone pushed me,” Kara responded, her voice shaking. “I was standing outside, relaxing, before settling in for the night. When I walked by the ledge, I felt someone shove me over the edge.”
    â€œAre you hurt?” Nancy asked.
    â€œNo, I’m fine,” Kara answered, but it was obvious she was shaken up.
    â€œCould you tell if it was a man or a woman?” Nancy asked, lowering her voice.
    â€œNo,” Kara said helplessly. “It happened too fast. I was right by the edge, so it wouldn’t have taken much strength to push me over.”
    Nancy walked over to the area and shined her flashlight on the icy snow. She was hoping to find footprints, but the snow was so hard there were very few indentations. There was nothing discernible.
    â€œSomebody wants you out of the way, and they’re taking bold steps to make it happen,” Nancy said. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to let Lisa come on the trip, she thought.They couldn’t possibly keep an eye on her at every moment. And what about Anne?
    â€œWe’ve got to remember to keep a close eye on Lisa and Anne. I’m sure no one will try to pull another stunt like this.” / hope not, anyway, she thought to herself.
    Having done all the investigating she could do in the dark, Nancy went back to her snow cave and snuggled into her sleeping bag. As she tried to fall asleep, she couldn’t help but wonder what else would happen before the end of the trip.
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    The next morning the group ate a breakfast of hot oatmeal before repacking all their gear and continuing up the mountain. It was another perfect day for climbing, about ten degrees with a clear sky and not too much wind. The slope was steeper as they made their way onto the Paradise Glaciers. Kara led the group, with Logan in the middle and Alex at the rear. He made sure Lisa was directly in front of him and as far from Kara as possible. Alex and Logan had also done a thorough gear check that morning to make sure that nothing had been sabotaged.
    â€œYou should all be pressure-breathing,” Logan called to the group from behind Nancy. Amoment later she heard him exhaling noisily, “Phhhhshhhhh.”
    Nancy began to do the breathing exercise, even though she wasn’t feeling the effects of the altitude. She felt silly making so much noise, but after a few minutes the noisy exhalation seemed natural.
    Nancy began to think about the case, trying to piece together what she knew. Lisa Osterman was still her best suspect, though she wasn’t sure what the girl’s motive could be. Lisa could have pushed Kara over the edge. But so could almost anyone, Nancy knew—including Anne Bolle.
    How did Hank Moody fit in with all this? That ticket payment tied him to Lisa—and to the case as well. Nancy sighed heavily and looked up at the beautiful sky. It was dotted with puffy clouds that were so close she could almost touch them.
    After an hour and a half of climbing, the group stopped on a ledge for a break. Nancy had grown quite warm during the rugged climb and had loosened her scarf. But after standing still for just a few minutes, Nancy felt herself getting chilled. She pulled her scarf tightly around her neck and pulled her hat snugly down around her ears.
    â€œAre you chilly?” Ned asked, coming up behind her and rubbing her shoulders vigorously.
    Nancy nodded as Kara spoke up. “Be sure you’re bundled up well,” she said to the group. “When you’re standing still, your body doesn’t produce that extra heat, and it doesn’t take long for the chilly temperature to get to you.”
    â€œAlso, I want to see all of you drinking