Chapter
Sixteen
NANCY REALIZED THAT IT was up to her to rescue Kara.
“I’m going to rig a pulley system to get you out,” Nancy called down to Kara.
“Please hurry,” Kara called up. “I don’t know how long I can hold on.”
Nancy grabbed her picket anchor and began to pound it into the ice about six feet from the edge of the crevasse.
When the anchor was about halfway in, Nancy saw Logan move toward her. He had his ice ax raised, ready to strike. Without stopping to think, Nancy gave Logan a high karate kick, which sent him flying across the ice. He hit his head and was out.
Alex got up and came to help Nancy pound in the anchor. They rigged a pulley system, tying the rope around Nancy, and then Alex lowered her into the crevasse. Keeping her arms and legs directly in front of herself, Nancy moved slowly down the ice face into the crevasse.
In a few minutes Nancy had reached Kara and tied her into her rope.
“Oh, Nancy.” Kara shuddered. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Nancy and Kara then began the climb back up the crevasse wall. Alex pulled from above.
As the two women reached the top of the crevasse, the thrum of a helicopter’s rotors echoed off the mountain as the copter landed. Ned climbed out first, followed by a ranger and a police officer.
“I’m Nancy Drew,” Nancy said. “I’m a private investigator, and that man should be arrested for attempted murder.” She pointed to Logan, who was just coming to.
“He pushed this woman into that two-hundred-foot crevasse,” she added.
The officer approached Logan, who willingly held his wrists up for the cuffs.
“Ned,” Nancy asked, “how did you get the ranger to send a helicopter? And how did you know where we’d be?”
“I told them I was a private investigator and that my partner needed backup for a mountain emergency.” He grinned. “The ranger guessed this is where he’d strike.”
They all managed to fit in the chopper.
“That was a brave thing you did, miss,” the officer yelled to Nancy over the noise. “Following a criminal up the mountain like that.”
“I had someone along to help,” Nancy said, nodding at Alex.
Logan was sitting in the corner next to the police officer. His face was stained with tears.
“I didn’t mean it,” he said hoarsely. “I didn’t mean it. But I couldn’t watch her get back into climbing after I’d given up so much for you, Alex. I couldn’t play second fiddle. I had to get rid of her, or scare her off.”
Alex stared at his friend pitifully. “How could you do it, Logan?” he asked. “You were my best friend.”
Logan shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered at last. “I just don’t know.
Alex had an arm wrapped protectively around his wife. “You need help,” he said to Logan. “I only hope you get it.”
When the helicopter landed at Camp Muir, Kara, Alex, Nancy, and Ned climbed out. The door to the shelter opened. Everyone greeted them warmly, including Hank and Joe, who were safe and sound. They had started down the mountain after the avalanche had passed them by.
Inside, a hot meal had been prepared. As Nancy lifted a forkful of spaghetti to her mouth, Hank cleared his throat.
“I want to apologize to you, Alex,” he said gravely. “I had no right to send Lisa snooping around here.”
“That’s all right,” Alex answered graciously. “No harm was done, and I can understand how a drop in business would make a person panic.”
“Yes, well, it was still an awful thing for me to do. I want you to know that I’m sorry,” Hank finished.
Alex smiled. “Apology accepted,” he said. “And I’m sure there’s enough climbing business around here for both of us.”
“There’ll be more after I write my article,” Eladio said.
“I just can’t believe that my best friend was trying to kill my wife,” Alex said, shaking his head. “I trusted him.”
“We all did,” Kara said gently. “Logan and I had our differences, but I would never have guessed he was out to kill me.”
“That was the point,” Nancy said. “He knew that you both considered him a good friend, so he figured he could threaten Kara and not look guilty.”
“But what about my car accident and Tsu’s fall?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Nancy replied. “But I think both of those incidents were planned for Kara.”
“That’s right, they probably were,” Kara agreed.
“Well, it’s all over now,” Alex said. “And I think we should celebrate with a trip to the summit tomorrow.”
“All right,” Ned said, pumping his fist in the air.
• • •
At twelve o’clock the next day Nancy and the rest of the group reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The climb to the top had taken about seven hours.
“This is what makes it all worthwhile,” Kara said as the group stood taking in the view. They could see for miles in every direction—the lesser mountains covered in a thick blanket of white snow, and far, far away an expanse of blue that was the Pacific Ocean. “I’ve climbed this mountain a hundred times, and every time I love the view a little bit more.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, climbing it once might just be enough for me,” Eladio said, catching his breath. “The view is fabulous, but I feel like I’ve just run a marathon.”
“You’ve more than just run a marathon,” Alex responded. “You’ve just climbed up a fourteen-thousand-foot mountain carrying nearly one-fourth of your weight on your back—in freezing temperatures.”
“I’m glad you didn’t put it quite that way before I decided to do a story on you,” Eladio answered. “I probably would have changed my mind—or at least waited until June.”
“Well, we’re happy that you came,” Kara said sincerely.
Standing at the crater rim bundled in her parka, Nancy felt happy and incredibly relieved at the outcome of the case.
“Thanks to you, we made it to the top,” Ned said, giving her a cold kiss on the cheek. He looked so handsome in his parka, his cheeks pink from the winter air.
“Well, it wasn’t just me,” Nancy replied modestly. “But I suppose I played a part in it.” She sighed happily. “Isn’t the view incredible?”
“It sure is,” Ned replied, peering deeply into Nancy’s eyes. “It’s the best view I’ve ever seen.”
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Carolyn Keene, Heart of Ice
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