George were standing on the front porch of the lodge when the medical van arrived. They stepped aside as Nancy helped Ned up the steps. Clearly, they were embarrassed about what had happened in the infirmary, but didnât want to talk about it.
âI hope youâre feeling a little better now,â Luke said quietly as Ned and Nancy passed him.
George retrieved Nedâs skis, boots, and poles from the van. âThanks for bringing my friend home,â she told the driver.
âGet better soon,â the attendant called to Ned as he headed back toward Big Birch. Then the uncomfortable silence closed in on the foursome again.
The front door opened, and Lizâs voice interrupted the awkward moment. âLunch in five minâoh, no!â She stepped outside quickly. âWhat happened, Ned?â
âBobcat Trail was too much for him,â Luke said briefly. âHe sprained his ankle.â
Liz shot an alarmed look at Nancy. âAnother accident?â she asked. Then she shook her head. âIt doesnât matter right now, anyway. First thing we have to do is to get Ned inside where he canlie down.â She looked at Nancy with concern. âYou take it easy young lady. You look as though youâve had the stuffing knocked out of you, too.â
âIâm okay,â Nancy replied, picking up Nedâs borrowed ski boots and collecting the skis. She looked at them absently.
Then she looked at the skis again, hard, and dropped the boots with a thud.
âIt wasnât the trail that caused Nedâs fall,â she burst out, âor our racing! The binding on this ski has come looseâone of the screws came out.â
There was a chorus of shocked exclamations. Nancy cut through them sharply.
âLook at this!â She pointed. âThis screw holeâs a lot bigger than it ought to be. Somebody enlarged the hole so the screw wouldnât hold! This wasnât an accidentâit was caused deliberately! And it nearly killed Ned!â
Chapter
Six
G IVE ME THAT !â Luke said sharply. He snatched the ski from Nancyâs hand and examined the binding in silence. âThis screw hole wasnât shaved down,â he said finally. âIt wore down. Thatâs why the screw came out. It could happen at any time.â
Luke seemed calmer, but his hands still trembled. He paused and inhaled deeply. âNed, Iâm terribly sorry. I havenât used these skis lately. I should have inspected them before I lent them to you.â
âItâs not your fault,â Ned said after a moment. âLetâs just forget it, all right?â
Nancy took the ski back from Luke. âIt can happen at any time?â she asked skeptically. She wondered why Luke, who was such a fanaticabout safety, hadnât inspected his equipment before lending it to somebody.
âOn gear that gets hard use, yes.â Luke stepped to Nedâs side. âWeâd better get you inside and lying down.â He helped Ned hobble into the lodge and over to the couch in front of the fire. Nancy followed them, frowning and thinking that Luke was showing an awful lot of concern.
âIt may be just a sprainâbut if the swelling doesnât go down by morning, Iâm going to drive you to the hospital to get an X ray,â Liz told Ned. âIâll bring you an ice pack,â she added, heading for the kitchen.
Nancy followed her. When they were alone, Nancy asked, âLiz, have you ever heard of a binding coming loose and leaving a hole like that?â
âItâs possible. But itâs definitely not common!â Lizâs eyes narrowed. âYou really think somebody deliberately tried to kill Ned? Who would have a motive for doing that?â
âYou have had a prowler,â Nancy pointed out. âSomebody looking in windows and writing MURDERER in the snow. None of thatâs very rational.â
Nancy swallowed hard. Then