by Janice Hanna
Kate laughed. “Okay. So what would you name me?”
“Hmm.” Sydney paused, deep in thought. After a moment her eyes lit up. “I know! We’ll call you Snow-Bot!”
“Snow-Bot it is!” Kate nodded. “So, show me what to do, O Sports Star, you!”
Sydney looked at her with a grin. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s hit the Rat!”
Kate looked down at the track winding alongside some trees. “Where does it lead?”
“Who cares?” Sydney called out. “That’s half the fun… finding out! So, c’mon! Let’s go!”
Just as they started to push off, a boy whizzed by them. He wore a red jacket and cap, but looked familiar. Kate watched as he soared down the hill, faster than anyone else.
“Oh, look Kate!” Sydney pointed with a worried look. “It’s that boy…Michael.”
“I wonder what he’s doing here.” Kate frowned. Hopefully he wasn’t really going to enter the competition. Sydney needed to win, after all!
“He’s a great skier.” Sydney watched him closely as he zipped down the hill, moving gracefully around every curve. “Doesn’t look like he needs the practice.” They watched him ski all the way from the top of the hill to the first curve, where they lost sight of him. At that point, Kate groaned.
“Wow.” She didn’t know what else to say. Michael was good.
“I’ll bet he already has his Rat Pack T-shirt,” Sydney said with a sigh. “He probably has a whole drawer full! Let’s face it…I’ll never win that competition on Saturday if he skis.”
“Don’t say that,” Kate’s mother said. “I’ll bet you’re just as fast!”
“Probably even faster,” Kate added. “I don’t know anyone who can run as fast as you. So surely you’re just as fast on skis!”
“Only one way to know for sure.” Sydney’s expression brightened. “Let’s go!”
She pushed off and led the way. Kate looked down, took a deep breath, said a little prayer, and then inched her way forward with her mother at her side.
To her surprise, she went slip-sliding down the tiny hill without falling. In fact, she went even faster than her mother, who tumbled into the snow at the first big curve.
Down, down, down Kate went…feeling almost like a bird taking flight. The cold wind blew against her cheeks, but she didn’t mind. And though skiing was a little scary, Kate had to admit it was a lot more fun than she expected. Maybe I really am a Snow-bot!
On the other hand…she looked ahead. Sydney had almost made it to the bottom of the hill. Kate had almost caught up with her when something caught her attention. “Look out!”
Kate swerved to the right to avoid hitting a baby fawn. She tumbled head over heels, hollering the whole way. Thump! She ran straight into Sydney, who also took a tumble. Thankfully, Kate wasn’t hurt. But when she looked up, Sydney was sitting in the snow, holding her ankle.
“Oh man!” Sydney’s eyes glistened with tears.
“What is it?” Kate asked, drawing close.
Sydney groaned. “My ankle hurts. I guess I twisted it.”
“How bad is it?” Kate knelt down in the snow, shivering from the cold. “Is it my fault? Did I hit you with my skis?”
“No, you didn’t hit me. It’s my own fault. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Is it really bad?”
“I think I can walk on it.” Sydney took a few steps, groaning the whole way. Each step looked more painful than the one before it.
“Do you think it’s broken?” Kate asked. Poor Sydney!
“No. It’s just twisted. I’m sure it’ll be fine. When I get back to the inn, I’ll put some ice on it and elevate it.” After a few more steps, Sydney added, “Sure hope this doesn’t keep me from being in the competition.”
“We’ll pray about that,” Kate said. “The Lord knows you need that money for the mission trip. He’s going to provide it one way or another.”
Mrs. Oliver arrived. She took one look at Sydney and apologized. “I’m sorry we got separated! I made it down around the next curve before I realized you weren’t with me. I took a little tumble, then came back up to look for you.” She looked at the tears in Sydney’s eyes and gasped. “Have you hurt yourself, honey?”
“A little,” Sydney said. “My ankle hurts. I don’t think it’s very bad, but we should probably go back to the inn, just in case.”
She hobbled beside Kate as they walked back to the car. Just as the girls reached the parking lot, Michael passed by. He gave them a funny look, but kept walking without speaking a word.
“Hey, there’s Michael again.” Kate watched as he disappeared into a crowd of people. Something about that boy seems…weird. Just as quickly, she was reminded not to judge him before knowing all the facts.
“He’s really going to beat me now, especially if I’m injured.” Sydney groaned.
“Don’t talk like that!” Kate said. “You’ll be fine. And you were almost to the bottom of the hill when I knocked you down. It’s wasn’t your fault.”
“No, you don’t understand. It was already hurting before that. When I rounded the first turn, I think I twisted it!”
“When we get back to the inn, we’ll elevate your ankle,” Kate’s mom said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine in no time.”
They drove back to the inn, where Aunt Molly greeted them with hot chocolate and peanut butter cookies, straight from the oven. She scolded Sydney, her gray curls bobbing up and down. “Sydney, you need to be careful! You could have hurt yourself out there.”
“Oh, I’m fine.” She forced a smile, but Kate could tell her friend was really in pain.
“Still, I’ve been skiing for years and I’ve never gotten hurt before.” Sydney groaned. “It would have to happen the day I’m trying to teach Kate.”
“I’m not a very good student.” Kate shrugged. “I’m the reason she fell in the first place.” She buried her face in her hands, trying to stop the tears. “I told you I was no good at sports!”
“Of course you are! You were doing a great job,” Sydney said. “And I think you would have passed me, too!”
“You do?” Kate looked at her, stunned.
“I do.” Sydney nodded. “So, don’t be so hard on yourself!”
“You’re a natural, Kate!” her mother added. “You need to stop saying you’re no good at sports.”
“Saying we’re no good at sports is an Oliver family trait.” Aunt Molly laughed. “Most of us in the Oliver family are more into technology.” She turned to Kate. “Did you know your Uncle Ollie is working on a new mixer for the creamery? Michael’s been helping him.”
“Michael sure isn’t helping him today,” Sydney explained. “We just saw him skiing. He’s really, really good.”
“Ah.” Aunt Molly nodded. “He’s decided to enter the competition, then.”
“I guess.”
“Well, don’t fret, Sydney. Let’s just pray and see what God does. In the meantime, you girls scoot on out to the barn and take a plate of these cookies to your Uncle Ollie. They’re his favorite.”
“Maybe I can help him with his project,” Kate said, growing excited. “I’d love to see all of the gadgets he’s working on out there. Maybe I’ll learn something new!”
Sydney laughed. “That sounds just like something you’d say, Kate. You’re always more excited about learning than anything else.”
“That’s a special gift God has given her,” Aunt Molly explained. “He’s gifted her with…”
“Lots of brains?” Sydney asked.
Everyone laughed.
“Well, I do get a pretty big head sometimes,” Kate said with a giggle, “especially when it comes to my science projects. But that doesn’t mean I have more brains than anyone else.”
“Still, you’re the smartest girl in our club,” Sydney said. “And I just know you’ll figure out what’s going on at the creamery. Before long this mystery will be solved.”
“Yes, but who knows if the creamery will re
open.” Aunt Molly sighed. “I talked to Geneva Hampton today, and she said the county health inspector is coming back for another inspection. Everyone is nervous they won’t pass this time around.”
“I still say there was something strange about that rat on the video,” Kate said. “It looked different from other rats I’ve seen. I can’t wait to hear back from McKenzie.”
She thought about it as she trudged through the snow to get to the barn, where Uncle Ollie greeted her with a smile. Enough worrying about rats! For the rest of the day, she just wanted to do what she did best…work on gadgets and gizmos!
Hi-Ho, the Dairy-O
After the long day of skiing and helping Uncle Ollie in the barn, Kate finally fell asleep. Every muscle in her body ached from skiing, so she tossed and turned all night trying to get comfortable.
When she finally did fall into a deep sleep, Kate had a crazy dream. She was skiing through the Mad River Creamery, chasing rats! At the end of the dream, she fell into a humongous vat of curds and whey. For some reason, the woman in the white fur coat was swimming in there, too, with the mean man! And Michael was standing nearby with skis in his hand, talking about what a great competitor he was.
When she finally awoke, Kate found herself quoting the lines from “Little Miss Muffett.” Totally strange!
She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. Seven thirty in the morning? Too early to be up, especially on a vacation.
She rolled over in the bed, wondering where Sydney was. Had she been swallowed by a giant rat, perhaps?
Kate rose from the bed, brushed her teeth, and dressed in her warmest clothes. She had a feeling she knew just where Sydney would be. Sydney’s foot had felt back to normal when they went to bed the night before. Minutes later—after shivering her way through several snowdrifts—Kate arrived in the barn and made her way back beyond Uncle Ollie’s workshop to the small gym in the back. Uncle Ollie had added the gym, primarily for guests, a few years earlier. Sure enough, Sydney was on the treadmill. She looked at Kate and smiled, but never stopped walking.
“Hey, you’re up early.” Sydney dabbed at her forehead with a cloth.
“So are you.” Kate yawned. “But you actually look like you’re happy about it. I still want to be in bed!”
“I get up early every day now. Got to stay in shape, you know.” Sydney stopped the elliptical machine and turned to face her. “Morning is the best time to exercise. It wakes up your body and gives you the energy to face the rest of the day. But the roads were icy this morning, so I decided this would be safer since my ankle is still a little weak. Uncle Ollie said it would be okay.”
“He’s probably just happy someone is actually using his workout room.” Kate looked out of the window back toward the inn. In the early morning light, it looked even more beautiful, especially with snow stacked up in lovely white piles all around. “But can we talk about working out later? Aunt Molly is making oatmeal, and I never like to think about exercising and eating at the same time! Makes me nervous. Besides, I’d rather eat any day!”
“I suppose.” Sydney shrugged, slowing her pace on the machine. “I can eat oatmeal. It’s loaded with fiber and lots of vitamins. That’s what I need to stay in shape for the competition. I just have to cut back on the brown sugar and butter, that’s all.”
Kate slapped herself in the forehead. “Good grief.”
They trekked through the snow to the back door. As Kate swung it open, the wonderful aroma of cinnamon greeted them. “Yum!” Her tummy rumbled.
Minutes later they sat at the table. Kate warmed her hands against the steaming bowl of oatmeal. She breathed deeply, loving the smell of the cinnamon.
“I want to go back to the Rat today,” Sydney said, taking a bite of her oatmeal.
Kate started to grumble, but then remembered how much she had enjoyed skiing. Maybe I need to stop saying I’m no good at sports! I actually found one I like! She took a bite of the oatmeal, smiling as she tasted the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mmm. Aunt Molly knows just how I like it!
Sydney fixed her own bowl, careful to add only the tiniest bit of brown sugar. Kate sighed as she watched her friend. Maybe if she tried—really, really tried—she could be athletic like Sydney.
Or not.
Thankfully, her little brother interrupted her thoughts. “I’m gonna build another snowman,” Dexter said. “My other one fell over last night. Besides, he didn’t look very good. He was kind of lumpy, and his nose fell off. I heard one of the kids in the neighborhood laughing at him. I think I’d better start over.”
“You go right ahead and build a new one, honey,” Aunt Molly said. “But remember to forgive those kids who made fun of you first!”
“I will.” He nodded and skipped off to play outside.
Aunt Molly looked at Kate and winked. “You know what I always say… ‘A snowman is the perfect man. He’s very well rounded and comes with his own broom.’”
Kate laughed. “You’re so funny, Aunt Molly.”
“Why, thank you very much.” Her aunt handed her a mug of hot cocoa.
“I want to go back to the creamery today,” Kate said, then sipped the yummy cocoa.
“Go back?” Sydney gave her a funny look. “But it’s closed down, right?”
“I don’t mean go inside. I just want to look around outside. To…”
“Snoop?” Sydney asked. “Is that what you mean?” She paused for a moment then added, “I know what you’re up to, Kate Oliver. You’re determined, aren’t you?”
“Well, maybe a little.” Kate shrugged. “We’ll only be in town till the end of the week, and I want to solve this case. If we spend all of our time practicing for the competition, we won’t figure out who’s sabotaging the creamery.”
“Or if someone’s sabotaging them,” her aunt reminded her. “We still don’t know.”
“And we never will if Sydney and I don’t get busy.”
“True, true,” Aunt Molly said.
Just then, Kate remembered something. “Before we leave, I need to check my e-mail to see if any of the other Camp Club Girls have written.” She signed online and checked her e-mail.
The first was from McKenzie:
Been checking every species of rodent on the Web. Gross! The creature in the photo you sent has the body of a rat, but is a lot larger. It also has unusual fur. I can’t find any other critters with fur like that! I will keep researching, I promise! In the meantime, keep me updated!
The next e-mail was from Alexis:
Kate and Sydney, I have been researching the Mad River Valley Creamery. It’s been in the area for over seventy years—owned by the Hampton family. The current owners—Luke and Geneva Hampton—inherited it from Luke’s parents in 1986. Sales last year were higher than ever before. There is another creamery called Cheese De-Lite in a town about fifty miles away. Their sales aren’t as high as Mad River’s, but they claim to have the best cheese in the country. Cheese De-Lite is owned by Mark and Abigail Collingsworth. Their photos are on their company’s Web site.
Kate clicked the link and tried to go to the Web site Alexis was talking about, but just then the Internet stopped working. With a sigh, she rose from her seat. “I guess we should really get over to the creamery anyway. We can go skiing tomorrow, I promise.”
The girls bundled up in their heavy coats and grabbed scarves and mittens.
“It’s extra-cold out today,” Kate’s mother said, “so don’t stay out long. Promise?”
“I promise, Mom.” Kate kissed her mother on the cheek. “Please pray for us, okay? I want to solve this case!”
“I will, honey. I’ll pray that the Lord reveals every hidden thing! Oh, and take Biscuit with you. I’ll feel safer knowing he’s there. He’s a great watchdog!”
“And a great crime solver!” Sydney added.
“Okay.” Kate reached for Biscuit’s leash. He jumped up and down, excited to be going with them.
Minutes later, the girls headed on their way to the creamer
y. Kate noticed how much colder it felt today. “M–man!” she said with chattering teeth. “Maybe we picked the wrong day for this!” She clung tight to Biscuit’s leash and kept an eye on him.
“It’s perfect ski weather.” Sydney took a couple of steps, then slid a little. “Whoa.” She paused to rub her ankle. “I’ve got to be more careful on this weak ankle! I almost fell.”
“Better watch out! We’ve got to get that ankle healed by Saturday, so no more falling!” Kate said.
When they arrived at the creamery, they found it closed, just as Kate suspected. There were no cars out front—not even the Hamptons’ SUV.
“So sad,” she said, shaking her head.
“Now what do we do?” Sydney pulled her scarf tighter and looked at Kate. “How can we snoop if the place is closed down?”
“Let’s go around back. We’ve never seen the back of the building before.”
“You’re not thinking of sneaking inside, are you?” Sydney asked. “’Cause if you are…”
“No, no. I wouldn’t do that. I’m just looking to see…” Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Something. Anything.”
Biscuit tugged on the leash, leading them to the back of the creamery. Once there, they looked at anything and everything—the doors, windows, even the alleyway behind the back parking lot. All the while, Biscuit kept his nose to the ground sniffing, sniffing, sniffing. Kate wondered what he might be smelling. Probably all of that cheese!
“This place is huge!” Sydney said. “I had no idea it went back this far.”
“It is big. And it’s different from any building I’ve ever seen before.” Kate pointed. “Oh, look. There’s the Dumpster.”
“So?” Sydney gave her a funny look. “You’re not going to make me climb in and look for evidence, are you?”
“No.” Kate laughed. “But it would make a funny picture to send the other girls. I’m just looking to see evidence of rodents.”
“Rodents…gross!” Sydney shuddered. “You think they’ve been hiding out in the Dumpster?”
“If they’re looking for leftovers!” Kate giggled.
