Death Knell In The Alps (A Samantha Jamison Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

this,” I said.
    I came to get a job done and would do it.
    I stared down as we ascended, watching people on the ground getting smaller … and smaller . I was grabbing the bull by the horns, not pussyfooting around, I was…
    Oh my God! I was thinking in Martha’s clichés!
    This was a mistake. I was an author, not a professional skier. I was supposed to kill my antagonists not myself!
    “What is it, Sam?” Peter asked as I gripped his arm.
    “Does this thing go in reverse?”
    All he did was laugh all the rest of the way up.
    Ski instructors sure have a strange sense of humor .

 
     
     
    Chapter 15
    Over The Hills & Through The Woods
     
     
    When we arrived at the top, Peter saw my reluctance and gave me a gentle shove. I quickly landed on my feet and wobbled to a stop a few feet from the lift. He slid in beside me. “See?”
    I conceded the point by smiling. “I guess I’ll live.”
    “Sam, look around. Isn’t this beautiful up here?”
    I had to admit it was spectacular. I looked off in the distance at the glacier and other mountain ranges. “Yes!”
    “You have the skills for this run. Plus, I’ll stay close.”
    Who was I, the student, to second-guess him? “Okay.”
    “I will lead, but keep a constant visual on you.”
    “Good. I wouldn’t know which way to go anyway.”
    “Exactly. Plus I don’t want you veering off track.”
    I had no interest in sightseeing the local hospital either .
    “This easy run I chose is gradual, but heavily forested. If we get separated for a bit, just follow the ski tracks. It’s popular with the locals because there aren’t many tourists. It’ll be safe to practice on. I know the way, so follow me.”
    I smiled, encouraged by his words. “Okay, I’m ready.”
    Peter nodded and took off. I followed right behind him observing his body language, while remembering all he’d taught me. I leaned into the turns and paralleled my skis to slow down, and pivoted to skirt all the trees laden with fresh snow. It was a gorgeous, brisk and sunny afternoon.
    Every once in a while someone would either whistle or give a type of yodel to let me know they were skiing past me at a faster speed. I held steady as Peter instructed and was gaining confidence negotiating my turns and digging my poles in every once in a while for balance and speed.
    Now I knew the exhilaration and thrill Martha and the others always talked about. Between the concentration, physical exertion, the thrill of the ride, and the stunning beauty of my surroundings, fear never entered the equation.
    I caught my breath as a deer darted off to the left. A clump of snow cascaded off an evergreen branch to the ground on my right as I swooshed by. I felt like I was skiing through one of the numerous postcards I’d seen in the hotel shop. Growing ever more self-assured, I let the gap between us slowly lengthen.
    Every once in a while I’d catch Peter turn and raise his pole slightly, waving it in the air. Knowing he was keeping an eye out for my progress, I relaxed. And the further we skied, the more confident I felt. Coming up on the right was a Swiss chalet surrounded by snow-covered evergreens and with stacked firewood and a corral. It took my breath away as I sped by. Then I turned away and skirted some trees…
    What the…? Peter was gone!
    I followed the well-worn ski trail, rounding more trees, but he was nowhere in sight. I stopped. There was nothing but more trees. I looked down. Tracks veered off all over.
    …Hey, wait a minute! Which ones were his?

 
     
     
    Chapter 16
    Getting My Bearings
     
     
    Panting from exertion and uncertainty, I peered up. The sun was angled. It was getting late, but how late? Other than giving me the time, carrying a cell phone would’ve been useless so I had left it at the hotel. A lot of good it would have done anyway. With all these mountains, getting a signal was futile. I checked all around me on the forested ski trail. Not a sole. It was eerily quiet.
    Where was