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“If it isn’t Miss Ice Capades herself!”
    George’s smile broadened. “A few minutes ago she was telling Jerry about a figure-skating championship she saw on television last week. I think she’s trying to demonstrate.”
    â€œI can tell you one thing,” Nancy said with a laugh. “She’ll never make it to the Olympics.”
    â€œDon’t tell me, tell her,” George said. “Oops!”
    A complicated series of moves had just left Bess skating backward toward Nancy, George, and Ned. She was balancing on one leg and holding the other up behind her. Her arms, out to either side, waved and dipped comically as she wobbled unsteadily backward.
    Jerry, skating parallel to her, shouted, “Terrific, Bess!”
    Bess turned her head to smile at him, but that turned out to be a big mistake. A sudden dip to the left, another to the right, and Bess was sliding facedown over the ice—still moving backward.
    Nancy got to her before she had even stopped sliding. “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to suppress a laugh as she helped Bess into a sitting position. “Did you hurt yourself?”
    â€œI think I bruised my pride,” Bess said, but her blue eyes were twinkling. “But so what? I didn’t even know I could do that!”
    â€œI’m still not so sure you can,” George teased. She bent down to help her cousin to her feet. “Warn me the next time you plan to try it. I’ll bring my camera.”
    Bess brushed herself off and straightened up. Suddenly her face became very alert. “What’s that?” she said, sniffing the air. “Do I smell hot cocoa?”
    â€œYou bet,” Jerry said. “I saw some guys making a big pot of it. Would you like some?”
    â€œI think I need some,” Bess replied with a big smile. “For medicinal purposes.”
    â€œSounds good to me, too,” Nancy added.
    The group skated toward the shore, where there was a firepit and a pile of wood. A couple of guys had built a bonfire, and a pot of cocoa rested on the embers at one end.
    As Nancy and the others were taking off their skates, Rob rejoined them. He rubbed his gloved hands together, then sat down and began to untie his skates. “Mmm, I can’t wait for some of that cocoa.” He elbowed George good-naturedly. “How about you?”
    Nancy noticed a police officer standing close by. With her was a man who looked familiar to Nancy, although she couldn’t quite place him. Both of them were scanning the crowd.
    The man stared at Nancy and her friends. Suddenly he grabbed the officer’s arm and said something into her ear. The officer stared at them, too, then she and the man began to walk toward Nancy’s group. What was going on?
    As they drew closer, Nancy recalled where she had seen the man before. He was the museum guard who had been in the room with the Empress of Austria’s jewels.
    â€œThat’s him,” she heard the guard say to the officer. “I’m sure of it.”
    The officer stepped over to Rob and said, “Excuse me, sir. Would you mind telling me your name?”
    Rob looked up from unlacing his skates. “Me? Robert Harper. Why?”
    The officer said, “I’d like you to come with me, please, when you’ve finished with your skates.”
    Rob looked baffled. “Come with you where? Why?”
    The officer looked at him and replied, “To the police station. We just want to ask you some questions. But I think it’s fair to warn you that you might be a suspect in the Emerson Museum jewelry theft!”

Chapter

Five
    N ANCY WATCHED with growing concern as the police car took Rob away. Once it was out of sight, everyone standing near the bonfire began to talk at once in subdued voices.
    â€œWhy on earth do they want to question Rob?” George muttered to Nancy.
    â€œThe guard singled him out,” Nancy answered. “Remember last