Read Online Cold as Ice by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online

gasoline on his jacket and not get a drop on his pants or shoes? Because I’m ready to testify that Rob did not smell of gasoline when he joined us outside the boat house. And the jacket still stank of it hours later, when I found it.”
    The sergeant pushed his glasses up on his nose in a nervous gesture. “Sometimes there’s no explaining what a perpetrator might do,” he replied, but he didn’t sound as convinced as he had before. “Anyway, your minute’s up, unless you want to walk with me to the library.”
    â€œAll right,” Nancy said, running to snatch her coat, then following him out the door. “Doesn’t it seem odd to you that none of your officers spotted the jacket when they went through the woods earlier?” she went on, zipping up herparka, “ I didn’t have any trouble noticing it. And now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I smelled the gasoline, even from the path. I can’t believe your officers’ noses are worse than mine.”
    â€œGet to the point,” the police sergeant said.
    â€œSomebody must have poured gasoline on the jacket and put it in the middle of those trees at some point this afternoon,” Nancy said. “It may have been the arsonist. But as far as I can tell, it could have been anybody—anybody who wanted to cause Rob some trouble.”
    â€œProvided they knew what was going to happen,” Sergeant Balsam said.
    Nancy shook her head. “Practically everybody on campus knew about it,” she pointed out. “Anyway, what I’m trying to convince you of is that someone is trying to frame Rob—someone who knew he wouldn’t have an alibi for the fire or the jewel theft because he had seen him leave the dedication ceremony. Probably someone inside the building, because that’s where Rob must have left his jacket.”
    Sergeant Balsam shook his head. “Unless he spilled gas on it while he was setting up his little arson attempt,” he maintained. “And I’ve heard he was kicked off the crew team for bad grades. Maybe he felt bitter and wanted to get revenge.”
    â€œThe reason he’s at the library right now is to try to bring up his grades and get his academicprobation lifted so he can get back on the crew team. The last thing he’d want to do is jeopardize that.”
    The sergeant still looked dubious, but Nancy could tell that her arguments had at least made him doubt his iron-clad conviction that Rob was guilty. Finally he said, “I’ve still got every reason to question Harper. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Ms. Drew. If I find him in the library, I’ll question him there instead of taking him in.”
    His attitude remained gruff, but Nancy realized that this was a big concession. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she said.
    â€œNo thanks needed. I’m just doing my job the best I know how,” he said. “And don’t forget, Ms. Drew, it is my job. Everything I said about interference from amateurs still goes.”
    Nancy had no intention of dropping the case. But past experience had taught her that it was best to cooperate with the police. “I understand,” she said diplomatically.
    Then the sergeant turned and walked quickly toward the library.
    â€œNancy!” Nancy turned to see Bess standing in the doorway of the student center, propping the door open. “You’re okay!”
    â€œOf course I’m okay,” she told Bess. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
    â€œWell, you were gone so long, we thought thatmaybe that policeman had decided to arrest you and Rob both.”
    â€œHey, it’s getting dark,” Ned said. “We’d better go back to the dorm to change. Let’s meet in the downstairs lounge of the dorm in forty-five minutes to go to the restaurant.” He came down the steps and put his arm around Nancy’s shoulders.
    â€œAre you starting to feel