has complete access to the equipment. I can’t
rule him out on your say-so.”
Ned was silent for a long time. As he pulled
into the parking area, he finally spoke. “I’m
beginning to wish I’d never asked you to help.
Some help! Doesn’t the poor guy have enough
problems just trying to get this part of the
project completed by Saturday? If you can’t
manage to leave Dan Trainey alone, you’d
better just turn around and go back to River
Heights!”
Nancy’s anger spoke for her. “I don’t think
you want this case solved! You’re more inter-
ested in protecting your precious professor
and not offending dear Jennifer than you are in
finding out who’s been poaching marmots.”
“At least Jennifer pays attention to what I
say,” Ned retorted hotly.
Nancy knew, even as the words rose to her
lips, that she was going to regret them. She
couldn’t stop herself though. “Is Jennifer will-
ing to shut her eyes to the truth just because
you tell her to?” she demanded. “Then all I
can say, Ned Nickerson, is that the two of you
deserve each other!”
Chapter Nine
If that’s the way you feel, I guess I know
what to do about it!” Ned jumped out of the
Jeep and stomped away.
Nancy sat still. What had Ned meant? Did
he want to break up?
She started to follow him up to the campsite
but then checked her steps. Maybe she should
wait a bit to give him a chance to cool off. In
the meantime she decided to talk to Bess.
Nancy found her at feeding station 1, strok-
ing the injured marmot through the bars of its
cage.
“Oh, Nancy,” Bess said, “look at Spike. Isn’t
he adorable?” Her blue eyes sparkled with
enthusiasm.
In spite of the way she felt. Nancy managed
a faint smile. “Spike?”
“I call him that because of the way his fur
stands up around his head,” Bess explained.
“Look, Jack bandaged Spike’s leg while I held
him. The little guy didn’t even try to bite me.
So how did things go with Ned?” Bess asked,
glancing at her. Then she quickly added, “Uh-
oh. Not so well, huh?”
“No,” Nancy said. She gave Bess a full
account of their most recent argument, includ-
ing their parting words.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Bess replied,
frowning. “But you don’t really think that Ned
and Jennifer…”
“I don’t know what to think,” Nancy said.
“They’ve been together every day for two and
a half weeks now. But I’m sorry I said what I
did-even if I meant every word of it!”
Nancy heard footsteps. Hoping it was Ned,
she spun around eagerly. It was Professor
Trainey. She couldn’t help letting out a sigh of
disappointment.
Trainey nodded to her and gave Bess a
distracted glance, then bent down to peer
inside the cage. “This must be the little fellow
Jack told me about,” he said.
“He’s so cute,” Bess announced. “Maybe in
my next life I’ll come back as a marmot.”
Trainey actually smiled at her-it was the
first time Nancy had seen him happy.
Bess turned to Nancy and said, “Come on,
let’s go check out a few sights while the light’s
still good. We’ll have plenty of time to eat
dinner and change before the square dance.”
Nancy sighed and said, “I’ll probably skip
the dance.”
Bess gave her a sharp glance, then replied,
“We can discuss that later. Right now, what do
you say to a waterfall?” Without waiting for an
answer, Bess hooked her arm in Nancy’s to
lead her down to the car.
After a few minutes of driving. Nancy said,
“Bess? I think somebody’s following us. A
dark blue car’s been right behind us the whole
time.” All at once the car pulled off at a scenic
overlook.'”So much for that,” Nancy said with
a laugh. “I guess I’m getting paranoid.”
Bess reached over to touch her shoulder.
“Nancy?” she said in a tentative voice. “Are
you positive that the professor is involved in
the poaching?”
“Positive? Of course not,” Nancy replied,
surprised by the question. “I don’t have evi-
dence to prove it either way. Brad says he saw