Thunder Valley (2 page)

Immediately he was barraged with gloves, ski masks, and even a snow boot. He ducked as the boot came at him. It sailed past and walloped
Jason right between the eyes, knocking him back a few steps.

Jeremy laughed. “Serves you right. Looks like your little joke backfired on you.”

Jason rubbed his forehead and grumbled. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. Next time …”

“Next time?” Jeremy picked up the boot and started for him.

Jason held up his hands and backed toward the door. “Hey, you know me. I was just kidding.” He slid through the door, leaving it open a crack.

The door slammed shut just as the boot smashed into it.

The next day, the boys hurried through their morning routines and then went back to the house for a quick breakfast.

“Your grandfather is in one of his moods this morning.” A thin woman with gray-streaked hair pulled into a severe bun set a platter of bacon on the dining room table. “Your grandmother, poor thing, is in there now trying to calm him down.”

The boys could hear loud voices coming from their grandparents’ bedroom.

Jason scooped a large portion of bacon onto his plate. “What’s the problem this time, Lila?”

Lila had been hired a few months earlier by their grandmother as housekeeper and part-time nurse for their grandfather. Lila had already threatened to quit several times because of their grandfather’s outbursts. But each time, their gentle grandmother had persuaded her to stay, at least until Grandpa was well again.

Lila folded her hands and looked primly at Jason over the top of her horn-rimmed glasses. “It’s this place. Mr. Parsons is having some sort of financial trouble.” Then, as if she’d said too much, she turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen.

Jeremy slid out of his chair. “I’ll go back and see if there’s anything I can do.”

“Good idea.” Jason reached for the platter again. “And I’ll take care of your share of the bacon.”

Jeremy met his grandmother coming out of the bedroom. “Is everything okay?”

Grace Parsons sighed and moved a short strand of white hair out of her face. “His hip is bothering him. But it’s more than that. He claims that receipts are down and the lodge isn’t bringing in money the way it should.”

Jeremy frowned. “How can that be? We’re packed with customers. David even asked Jason and me if we’d take over teaching the beginners’ class because he’s swamped.”

“I know, dear. I tried to tell your grandfather. Maybe you can convince him not to worry.”

“I’ll do my best.” Jeremy knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

A voice from inside growled, “What do you want?”

“It’s me, Grandpa, Jeremy. Can I come in?”

“And why in the name of great Jehoshaphat couldn’t you come in? I won’t eat you, you know.”

Jeremy opened the door, poked his head in, and grinned. “Are you sure? Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Very funny. Get in here, Twin, and tell me what’s going on out there in the real world.”

Papers and account ledgers covered every available spot on the old-fashioned feather bed. The big man was propped up on several pillows and had obviously been going over the lodge’s record books. His glasses had slipped down his long, pointed nose. He pushed them up with
one finger. “Pull up that chair over there, Twin.”

George Parsons had always been an athletic man. He was sixty-two and, until his accident, had still been able to beat most of the college kids down Sawtooth. Being confined to a bed was torture for him.

Jeremy grabbed the desk chair, flipped it around, and straddled it. He studied his grandfather’s face. It looked tired and worried. “What’s going on, Grandpa?”

“You want the straight skinny or a cover-up?”

Jeremy tried not to laugh at the way his grandfather talked. Sometimes he had to go to his grandmother to get the things Grandpa said interpreted.

Jeremy cleared his throat. “Give it to me straight, Grandpa.”

“Thunder Valley is in trouble. Since I’ve been laid up, strange things have been happening.”

“Like what?”

“This.” Grandpa pushed his glasses up again and reached for a bankbook. “Every couple of weeks I send a deposit to the bank. But when I
get the statement back it doesn’t match the amount I recorded.”

“Have you called the bank?” Jeremy asked.

“I called them. Bunch of ninnies. They swear up and down that their records match to the penny the money I’ve been sending in.”

“That’s weird. Maybe you should have someone double-check your figures.”

“Check my figures?” George Parsons’s face turned purple and his voice grew loud. “That’s just what your grandmother said. She thinks my pain medication has addled my brain. I’ll have both of you know that I’ve been doing my own bookkeeping for thirty years. I don’t need anybody to baby-sit me.”

Jeremy decided to change the subject. “You said there were other things going on. What are they?”

His grandfather let out a weary breath and leaned back on the pillows. “Remember the new double chairlifts I said I wanted to install this year on the bunny slope?”

Jeremy nodded.

“I ordered them last season. They’re still not
here. Every time I call the company, they insist they never received payment.”

“Don’t you have a receipt or something to show you paid?”

Jeremy’s grandfather shook his head. “It’s the darnedest thing. I always keep a careful record of things like this. Somehow it’s turned up missing.”

Jeremy stood and pushed the chair back under the desk. “I wouldn’t worry so much, Grandpa. All these things can be straightened out. In the meantime, Jason and I are keeping an eye on things. We’re busier than last year. By the end of the month, you should be rich.”

“Thanks for helping out, Twin. I feel better knowing that someone I can trust is out there.”

“What does Grandma think?” Jason wrapped a bright yellow scarf around his neck and followed Jeremy to the snack bar.

“She doesn’t know what to think—or do. She wanted to hire an accountant but Grandpa won’t give up doing the books.”

A friendly face appeared at the snack window. “What’ll it be, gents?”

“Hi, Corky.” Jeremy took off one of his gloves and rested his skis against the building. “How about a hot chocolate?”

“Hot chocolate it is.” The redheaded young
man looked at Jason. “I suppose you want your usual—cola mixed with grape slush?”

Jason nodded. “It’s the breakfast drink of champions.”

“Right.” After a minute Corky handed them their drinks. As he did, the sun flashed on a small gold medallion he wore around his neck. Jeremy found himself staring at it. It was an emblem in the shape of an upside-down V with a bold black line through the middle:
.

Jeremy started to ask what it was, but Corky noticed him looking at it. He hastily tucked it inside his turtleneck. “It’s a fraternity thing from school. Anything else I can get for you guys?”

“No thanks, Corky.” Jason took a long pull on his drink and belched. “We’re working men. See you later.”

“That was strange.” Jeremy led the way to the beginners’ practice area.

“What was strange? I always burp after I drink one of these. They’re practically lethal.”

“Not you, doofwad—Corky. He acted like he didn’t want me to see his necklace.”

“Maybe it’s secret. You know, some of those
fraternities have passwords and stuff that they don’t want anybody else to know.”

“Maybe …”

Jason tossed his cup into a nearby trash can. “Speaking of stuff nobody knows, did you finish your assignments for Mr. Stern? He’ll be here this afternoon to check up on us.”

“I finished yesterday. It wasn’t hard. Mr. Stern’s a pretty good teacher.”

“I’ll say. And the best part is, he only comes around twice a week.”

They rounded the corner of the building and came face to face with David Watts, the ski instructor. He had an angry look on his face. “Okay, what’s going on around here? Your grandfather could have at least told me in person.”

The twins looked at each other, confused. Jeremy spoke first. “What are you talking about, David? We were just on our way to get this morning’s list of students.”

“What students?” The handsome athlete shoved a crumpled piece of paper at him.

Jeremy smoothed it out and read aloud, “ ‘All skiing lessons have been discontinued until further
notice, due to lack of a certified instructor.’ ”

“I don’t get it,” Jason said. “Aren’t you a certified instructor?”

“Take a look at this.” David gave Jason a pink slip of paper. “It was in my mailbox yesterday.”

Jason skimmed through the letter. “I don’t believe it. Grandpa wouldn’t do something like this.”

“What?” Jeremy grabbed the letter from his brother. “This says Grandpa has accused you of improper behavior with the students and demands your immediate resignation.”

“I can read,” the instructor snarled. “After six years, he could have at least had the decency to tell me to my face! And what does he mean by ‘improper behavior’? I’ve
never
done anything improper—I just come in and
teach
!”

Jeremy shook his head. “Let me talk to Grandpa, David. There has to be some kind of mistake.”

“You bet there is.” David Watts stuffed the two notices into his pocket and stomped off toward the lodge. “And your grandfather’s the one who made it.”

Jason had agreed to go up the lifts and make a sweep of the trails while Jeremy had a talk with their grandfather.

Jeremy hurried down the path to the log house. But he stopped dead in his tracks. Parked in the front yard by the mailbox was an ambulance with its lights flashing. Two emergency medical technicians were carrying a stretcher off the porch. Jeremy dropped his skis and started running.

He met his grandmother in the yard. Her eyes were red from crying. “Thank goodness you’re here, Jeremy. You and Jason have got to run
things for a while. Your grandpa has had … another accident. We’re taking him to the hospital. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.” One of the EMTs helped her into the ambulance.