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made the illegal U-turn anyway. That, at least, made it impossible for the man in the white Ford to stay with us.
    Now we were driving back toward the gas station. I thought it would be obvious if we kept circling in the Jeep, so as we neared the gas station, I pointed to the parking lot of a burger place across the street.
    â€œNow you’re talking,” Chet said, making the turn. “I never say no to food.”
    â€œNot today,” I said. “Maybe just park behind that truck over there.”
    â€œNo burgers?”
    â€œSki lesson number one,” I answered as Chet parked behind the truck. “Eat less. Exercise more.”
    We were hidden from Budgie. I jumped out of the Jeep and peeked around the truck to watch him. He was still pumping gas.
    A red Lincoln Navigator pulled up behind Budgie’s van, as if the driver was waiting to put gas in too. Except the driver stepped out and, without saying a word, opened the rear door of Budgie’s van. Another man got out of the passenger side of the Navigator and stepped to the rear of Budgie’s van too.
    It didn’t look like Budgie had noticed.
    The driver was a big man, shaved bald and wearing wraparound sunglasses. His friend was even bigger and had a buzz cut and a goatee. Both of them reached into Budgie’s van, pulled out the stolen ski gear and put it into the back of the red Navigator.
    I’m not the smartest, but it was obvious to me what was happening. Who would believe me though? It would be my word against theirs.
    Unless...
    Cell phone!
    Goatee Guy handed Budgie an envelope. Budgie opened it and pulled out some money. In an instant, Goatee Guy reached out and grabbed the envelope. He shoved it down the front of Budgie’s coat.
    I couldn’t hear what Goatee Guy was saying. But I could imagine. If that was a payoff for stolen equipment, then Budgie wasn’t too smart to pull out the money.
    Goatee Guy and his friend moved back to the Navigator. Without a word to Budgie, they drove off.
    I jumped back into the Jeep.
    â€œTime to go,” I said to Chet. “Another U-turn. Now we’re following a Navigator.”
    â€œLet me guess,” Chet said. “You have no idea why.”
    â€œSki lesson number two: Don’t irritate the instructor.”
    â€œThese lessons don’t sound like fun,” he said, pulling a quick U-turn.
    â€œSki lesson number three,” I said. “Girls think good skiers are cool.”
    We caught up to the Navigator.
    I took my cell phone out of the inside pocket of my ski jacket. As we got close to the Navigator, I held up my cell phone as if I were making a phone call and usedthe camera feature to take a photo of the Navigator’s license plate.
    At the next traffic light, we pulled up beside the Navigator. With my cell phone at my ear, as if I were in conversation with someone, I snapped a photo, hoping I would get a good shot of the passenger.
    â€œLet’s head back to the hill,” I said.
    â€œThat’s it?” he said.
    â€œThat’s it. We’ll get together next Monday for a lesson.”
    He noticed the cell phone in my hand. “Let me give you my cell phone number,” he said. “I’m going to watch you put it in your cell and save it. That way you won’t have an excuse not to call.”
    I entered his number and saved it. Then I checked the images on my phone.
    Good.
    I had a clear shot of the license plate. And not a perfect shot of the passenger, but good enough to make out his features. And a few photos of Goatee Guy handing the envelope to Budgie. Distant shots, but probably good enough.
    I didn’t know if the photos would be useful, but I knew I had just seen some- thing important.

chapter nine
    Chet stopped at the lodge so that I wouldn’t have to walk across the parking lot in my ski boots. We set up a time for his ski lesson. Then I jumped out and he drove away.
    At the ski hill my skis were