“As we agreed, I didn’t mention it to anyone,” Henry said, frowning.
As she had thought. “I also wondered about John Tilden’s background,” Nancy said carefully.
“John?” Henry sounded surprised. “Surely you don’t suspect him.”
Nancy shrugged her shoulders. “At this point, I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I need some more information about him, such as where he worked before he came to you.”
“Before he came to Anchorage, he worked as a butler for a railroad executive in Seward.”
“Was he there a long time?” Nancy asked.
“No,” Henry admitted. “He told me he was let go after two days. I didn’t press him as to the reason for the firing.”
Carson looked at Henry. “Why did you hire him?”
Henry shrugged. “My instincts told me he was a good man, and so far they’ve been right. John has been an excellent butler—and I like him.”
“One more question,” Nancy said. “I saw from the employment records that Steve used to work for you. I wondered why he quit.”
A frown crossed Henry’s face. “If you want to know that, you’ll have to ask Steve. I assure you, though, it has nothing to do with this case.”
Nancy was about to press him further when the door to the conference room opened and Detective Chandler strode in. He grunted when he saw Nancy.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,” he told her. “This is official business—only the suspect and his counsel have the right to be here.”
Chandler’s tone was firm. Nancy thought of pointing out that Carson wasn’t Henry’s counsel, but she knew that wouldn’t help Henry any. Swallowing her disappointment, she said goodbye and headed back to the Wilcox mansion.
Nancy was deeply preoccupied during the entire drive back. The miles flew by unnoticed. When she arrived at the Wilcox mansion, she was greeted by an ecstatic George.
“I had the most fabulous day!” George exclaimed. “Steve and I spent the whole day working with the dogs.”
“That’s great,” Nancy said.
“We took them out for a long run, and then we made them this really disgusting goop for lunch.” George wrinkled her nose playfully, then babbled on. “Steve really loves his team—he’d spend all day just mucking around in the barn with them if he could, only he says Craig always beats him to the chores these days. He’s going to help Craig buy his own team—that’s going to be his Christmas present. Don’t tell Craig, okay?”
“Mmm, that’s terrific,” Nancy said absently.
George gave her a long look. “You don’t sound very excited,” she commented. “Were you even listening to me?”
“Sorry,” Nancy said contritely. “It’s just that my day’s been pretty rough. Don’t tell Dad, but I took a tumble down a flight of stairs, thanks to someone’s helping hand.”
“Someone pushed you?” George exclaimed, her dark eyes widening. “Who do you think it was?”
“I’m not sure. By the time I landed, whoever it was had disappeared. I went back to the shipping offices, though, and Craig and John were there.”
“Do you think it was one of them?”
Nancy shrugged. “At this point, all I know is that they were there. One of them could have pushed me. But so could Amanda Spear.”
“Amanda?” This time George really was surprised. “You suspect Amanda?”
Nancy gave a tired chuckle. “I can see we’ve got some catching up to do,” she said. “Let’s go up to our room—I need to lie down and rest my aching bones for a few minutes. While I’m doing that, I’ll tell you all about my day.”
• • •
That night it snowed heavily, and a few lazy flakes were still falling when the girls came down for breakfast the next morning. Both Steve and Craig were keyed up during the meal. It was the day of the first trial run.
“We’re in luck,” Craig said. “Steve’s dogs run well in deep snow. Some of the other teams don’t.”
Nancy and George offered to help the boys get the team ready, but they refused.
“They get excited when there are strangers around, and we want to store up all their enthusiasm for the race,” Steve said.
Several hours later Nancy and George drove to the state park where the trials were taking place. Once they turned off the main road, they had no trouble finding the spot. The parking lot was filled with trucks carrying wooden doghouses, and the sound of excited yipping filled the air.
Craig and Steve were harnessing the last of the team when Nancy and George arrived.
“I’m glad you’re here to see me win,” Steve said, smiling at George.
Lindsay’s team was right near Steve’s, and she must have overheard his words. “Pretty confident, aren’t you?” she called over.
Steve grinned. “Just realistic. I’ve been working hard. Today I’m going to prove I’m a better musher than you.”
Lindsay raised a skeptical eyebrow and turned away.
A crowd was beginning to gather, and Nancy scanned the spectators, searching for Amanda. Though it was a work day, the trials had been arranged so that people could come on their lunch break. But there was no sign of the bookkeeper.
Craig gave Thunder a gentle pat on his nose, then turned to Nancy. “Is your father coming?”
Nancy thought it was better not to mention that her father and Henry were at the police station. It might upset Steve and weaken his concentration. “I don’t think so,” she replied. “He and Mr. Wilcox are at the office today.”
Steve glowered at Craig. “You can bet your life Dad won’t come!” he said bitterly.
Once again, the depth of Steve’s hostility toward his father surprised Nancy. She was dying to ask about it, but she held back. Just before Steve’s key trial was not the right time.
“Where’s the best view?” she asked. “George and I want to be sure we see everything.”
Steve pointed to the opposite side of the field. “If you stand over there, you can see the last turn and the finish line. That’s usually the most exciting place to be.”
Craig nodded. “As soon as Steve takes off, I’ll join you there.”
It was almost noon, and the teams were starting to pull into position, two to a row. As the two teams with the best cumulative scores of the season, Steve and Lindsay were in front, side by side.
Steve flashed a smile at George, then bent down and spoke to his team. An instant later, the starting bell sounded.
The teams were off!
The course was a mile long, and when the trail wound into the forest, Nancy and George could no longer see the teams. There was, however, no doubt that the race was on. The sound of the dogs’ excited cries echoed through the trees.
When the teams appeared a few minutes later, Steve and Lindsay were still even. Their lead dogs were in a dead heat. It looked as if Lindsay wasn’t going to let Steve win without a fight.
Nancy watched the teams round the corner, then glanced at the crowd of spectators on the opposite side. Craig was still over there, talking to a man in a big fur hat.
Then Nancy noticed John Tilden standing only a few feet away. It seemed odd that John was there. He hadn’t struck her as a sled-dog enthusiast.
When the first team emerged from the forest on the second lap, it was Steve’s, clearly in the lead. A second later Lindsay appeared, but the distance between Steve’s team and hers was growing.
Soon Nancy forgot everything except the excitement of the race. Steve headed into the forest on the third lap, his lead undeniable. Then somehow Lindsay caught up to him, for both teams came out into the open together. Once again the dogs were running side by side. They stayed side by side for the fourth lap.
“I can’t believe it!” George cried. “It’s going to be a photo finish.”
“There’s one more lap,” Nancy said.
“Steve’s going to win. He’s got to.” George clapped her hands together excitedly.
This time when the dog
s burst out of the forest, Lindsay’s team was ahead by a few feet. If Steve was going to win, he’d have to coax a last burst of speed from his dogs.
As Lindsay’s team hurtled ahead, a loud crack echoed through the crisp winter air. For a brief instant, no one reacted. Then Lindsay’s team swerved from the trail. The young woman tugged desperately on the lines, shouting to her dogs to get them back on the track.
But the dogs were out of control, and the sled was headed straight for Nancy and George!
Chapter
Ten
NANCY MOVED INSTINCTIVELY, shoving George to the ground and flinging herself down next to her. She heard the dogs’ labored breathing and the jingle of their harness as they raced past, snow spraying up from their paws. The sled’s runners hissed by, only inches from her head. Then it was over, as suddenly as it had begun.
“What happened?” George asked shakily, climbing to her feet and brushing snow from her pants.
Nancy stood slowly. “Something spooked Lindsay’s team.”
She turned. Lindsay had her dogs under control and was headed back toward them. She stopped the team and set the brake on the sled.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.
“We’re fine,” George said, somewhat abruptly.
Lindsay’s relief was obvious. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened back there. All I could think about when Butterscotch swerved was that you might be hurt.”
Nancy managed a laugh. “I never thought I’d see the end of the race from quite that angle.” She shaded her eyes with her hand and gazed at the finish line. Steve had apparently crossed it first. Now she could see him running back toward the scene of the accident.
Moments later he and Craig reached the girls. “Are you okay? What happened?” Steve demanded. He put a protective arm around George.
Lindsay’s face was still pale as she spoke. “It sounded as if someone cracked a whip near my team. Butterscotch went wild, the way she always does when she hears a whip.”
Steve gave Lindsay an irritated look. “You pamper those dogs too much. They ought to be used to loud noises.”
“That’s not the point,” Craig said, putting a cautionary hand on his friend’s arm.
Nancy looked dubious. “I don’t think it was a whip, Lindsay.” She turned to George. “Did you see anyone crack a whip?”
“No,” said George.
“I didn’t either,” Nancy told them.
“I don’t know what it was then,” Lindsay said, with a glance at Steve. “Obviously, though, someone didn’t want me to win the trial.”
Steve flushed. “You can’t think I had anything to do with it.”
“Can’t I?” Lindsay glared. “You said you were going to win, one way or another.”
But Nancy wasn’t listening to the conversation anymore. She’d just spotted John Tilden walking away from the track toward the parking lot. She turned to George. “Would you wait here?” she asked softly so that the others would not overhear her. “I want to talk to John.”
George nodded, and Nancy walked quickly across the field.
“John!” she called.
He looked back, then stopped when he saw her.
“I want to talk to you,” she said when she reached him.
“What about?” he asked warily.
“Did you have anything to do with spooking those dogs?” Nancy asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
John’s mouth dropped open. “No!” he cried. His shock seemed genuine. “I heard the shot, but I don’t know where it came from.”
“The shot?” Nancy repeated. “Lindsay thought someone cracked a whip.”
“It sounded like a shot to me,” John said.
“What are you doing here, John?” Nancy asked. “I didn’t know you were interested in dogsledding.”
“I like Steve,” he said with a touch of defiance. “I wanted to see him win.”
Despite his answer, something was making John nervous. Nancy decided to try direct confrontation. “What are you hiding?” she demanded.
John stared at her, and she could see him wavering. Then his eyes dropped to the ground. “Nothing,” he insisted in a low voice.
“I don’t believe you,” Nancy said bluntly. “You’ve been acting like a man with a secret. First you acted really strangely in the phone closet, even though no one could hear a word you were saying. Then you tried to hide the letter someone delivered to you. And what about when you spilled that hot cherry liqueur on me? Was that really an accident?”
John gaped at her. “Of course it was! Look, I was nervous,” he admitted. “That was the first time I heard that you were a detective, and it rattled me.”
“Why?” Nancy asked.
At first John didn’t answer. Then he said slowly, “I thought you might be investigating me. I was afraid of losing my job.”
“Like you did the last one?” Nancy said softly.
John’s face whitened. “How’d you find out about that?”
“I’m a detective, remember.” Nancy took a step closer to John. “I wasn’t investigating you. But I think you’d be much better off if you told me the whole story now.”
John bowed his head. His whole body seemed to sag as he began speaking.
“I have a kid brother who got involved with a rough crowd in Fairbanks,” he said. “That’s where we used to live. Jim started gambling, lost a lot of money, and—well, it’s a long story, but he got desperate. There’s no excuse, and I know it, but . . .” John paused and kicked at the snow.
“But?” Nancy prompted gently.
John took a deep breath. “He—he stole some money from his boss. Of course he got caught and went to prison, and there was some publicity. I couldn’t stand it, so I left Fairbanks and went to Seward. I thought I’d start a new life, only it didn’t work out that way. I got a job, but when they checked into my past they found out about Jim.” He lifted his hands in a sad gesture. “So they fired me. Told me not to ask for references.”
“That’s not fair,” Nancy said indignantly. “You shouldn’t be punished for your brother’s crime.”
“You’re telling me!” John’s voice was bitter. “But what could I do? I tried getting a job at a few other places in Seward, but no one would hire me—I guess the word had spread.”
“So you came to Anchorage,” Nancy guessed.
“So I came to Anchorage,” he confirmed. “I was careful this time, and I didn’t tell Mr. Wilcox about my brother. I warned Jim to send his letters to a friend so Mr. Wilcox would never see the prison return address. And when I call my brother, I try not to let anyone know about it.”
“You shouldn’t have worried,” Nancy began, but John wasn’t listening to her.
“Then you came,” he said, and frowned. “When I heard you were a detective, I thought Mr. Wilcox had hired you to check on my background. I panicked.”
Nancy nodded. “I believe you,” she said, “but I think you’d better tell Mr. Wilcox the truth.”
“I guess I have to,” John reluctantly agreed. They headed for the parking lot. Steve and Craig were loading the last of the dogs onto the truck. The sled was waiting to be strapped on top.
“Hi, everybody,” Nancy called. Her grin faded at the sight of George’s face. Though her friend tried to smile, she couldn’t hide the distress in her eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Nancy asked quietly.
George’s nod was almost imperceptible. “Later,” she murmured.
The boys climbed down from the truck, and Nancy walked over to Steve, holding out her hand. “I never got to congratulate you,” she said.
He took her hand and shook it. “I told you I’d win,” he said with a grin. It was the first time Steve had been friendly to Nancy.
When Nancy and George got into the car, George was quiet, her expression grave.
“Oh, Nancy, I can’t believe it.” George’s voice was low and angry.
Nancy looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
George’s dark eyes were sad. “Steve did it. He’s the one who spooked Lindsay’s team.”
“What do you mean?” Nancy demanded. “How do you know he did it?”
George exhaled slowly before telling Nancy, “I found a whip hidden on his sled!”
Chapter
Eleven
A WHIP?” For a moment Nancy’s heart sank. Then she realized what was wrong with George’s idea. “But if Steve had used a whip, we’d have seen it. It’s not something we could have missed.”
George looked as though she wanted to believe Nancy, but she was still skeptical. “If he wasn’t going to use it, why was it hidden on the sled?”
Nancy shrugged. “I don’t know. I think we ought to ask Steve that question, don’t you?”
When they reached the house, Nancy and George found Steve in the den, watching television.
“Where’s Craig?” Nancy asked.
“He’s putting the dogs back in the barn, and then he’s going to sleep.” Steve’s reply was curt. “Remember that he works at my esteemed father’s establishment most nights,” he added sarcastically.
Nancy switched off the television and turned to face Steve. Confrontation had worked with John. Maybe it would work with Steve, too.
“Did you spook Lindsay’s team?” she asked bluntly.
Steve jumped to his feet. “What? No way!” he cried.
“Why did you have a whip on your sled if you didn’t plan to use it?” George asked quietly.
Steve whirled around. “What are you talking about?” he demanded. “What whip?”
“You didn’t hide it very well, Steve.” George’s look was anguished. “I found it in the sled basket, close enough to the handlebar that you could have reached it without any trouble.”
For a second Steve was silent, a muscle in his jaw flexing. Finally he spoke. “Let me say three things. Number one, I didn’t hide any whip. Two, I didn’t reach for any whip. Three, I didn’t use any whip. That’s all there is to it.”
“Steve, it’s not that simple,” Nancy answered. “When you got to the last lap, Lindsay was ahead. Her team would have won—except that the dogs were driven off the track by the sound of a cracking whip. We all heard it. Now, you told everyone you were going to win the trial. Also, you know that her team goes wild at the sound of a whip. And a whip was found on your sled. You’ve got to admit, there’s a pretty strong case against you.”