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George stepped back out into the corridor. Nancy watched as George immediately stiffened her spine. A few feet away Veronica was standing so close to Kevin that she seemed to be pressed against him. She was smiling up at him with an adoring expression.
    â€œGeorge!” Kevin said with a trace of discomfort in his voice. He stepped away from the pretty skater and fixed his eyes on George. “How’d it go? Is anybody else going to sign up for an interview?”
    â€œIt went just fine,” George said, her jaw clenched.
    Veronica turned from Kevin to George. Then she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh! I didn’t realize—”
    â€œI’ll see you tomorrow,” Kevin told Veronica in a businesslike voice. Then he took George’s arm and led her down the corridor. Nancy stayed behind, guessing that he wanted to be alone with George to explain what had just happened.
    â€œI had no idea that he had a girlfriend,” Veronica said, acting totally embarrassed. “I guess I was flirting, a little. Your friend won’t be mad, will she?”
    â€œI doubt it,” Nancy answered. “George isn’t the jealous type. Anyway, how could you have known?”
    â€œOh, well,” Veronica said with a guilty smile. “He is adorable, though.” She slipped her hands deep into the pockets of the oversized red sweater she was wearing over her black leggings.
    â€œWhat’s this?” Veronica said, pulling a sheet of paper out of one of her sweater pockets. She glanced at it and shock registered on her face. “Nancy, look at this,” she said in a barely audible whisper, holding the paper out to her.
    Nancy stared down at the bold block letters: VERONICA TAYLOR, GET OUT OF THE CONTEST NOW. YOU’RE SKATING ON THIN ICE.

Chapter

Three
    V ERONICA, how long could this paper have been in your pocket?” Nancy asked.
    The skater’s voice shook as she replied. “I—I really don’t know. I took the sweater to the rink this morning in case I got cold and just threw it over the railing near where I was working.”
    â€œDo you have any idea who could have written this?” Nancy probed, searching the skater’s face.
    Veronica bit her lip and hunched up her shoulders. “I have absolutely no idea. I hate to think it could be one of the other skaters. We have too much in common to try to hurt one another. I mean, even though we’re competitors, I like to think we all hope for the best for one another.”
    â€œI understand,” Nancy said, staring at the note in her hands. “But maybe—just maybe—not everyone feels that way.”
    Veronica took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I probably shouldn’t mention it, but I know Elaine doesn’t like me very much,” she said. “She can’t stand the fact that I beat her at the nationals two years in a row. But I don’t think she’d ever . . .” Veronica’s voice trailed off and she stared at the ground.
    â€œWell, it doesn’t matter who wrote it. I think you’d better be careful,” Nancy said, handing the note back to the skater.
    â€œBoy,” Veronica murmured, “if someone is trying to shake me up, they certainly are succeeding. Between that fall and this note, I’m getting really spooked!”
    â€œYoko found a paper clip on the ice,” Nancy told her. “That’s why you fell.”
    Veronica’s dark eyes widened. “What! There was a paper clip on the ice? But everyone who works for the federation makes sure there’s no debris on the ice.”
    â€œWell, either they goofed or somebody tossed it there so you’d fall,” Nancy said.
    Biting her lip, Veronica whispered, “Promise me you won’t mention any of this to Kevin or anyone else in the press, okay? Something like this reflects badly on all of us. Besides, maybe if I just ignore it, this stupid stuff