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

outstretched. He wasn’t kidding.
    Neither was I. “I definitely should practice some more.”
    “Samantha, we’re taking this first run without poles.”
    Was he trying to kill me?
    Now that was a novel thought. “Uh-uh,” I said.
    His hand never wavered. He just smiled. “Trust me.”
    I did and I didn’t. Reluctantly, I handed over my poles.
    He immediately skied over to a sign and stuck them into some packed snow. Then he did the same with his. He then grabbed a long stick he had leaning against a post, then skied back right next to me. He held it sideways in front of both of us. “Grab onto the other end like I’m doing.”
    It was like holding onto the safety bar of an amusement park ride with Peter right next to me. Unfortunately, the bar wasn’t attached… to anything.
    He smiled at me saying, “Remember all that I taught you this morning. You will do perfectly fine. Just trust your instincts about which way to lean and turn. I will help you and be right beside you the whole way. Are you ready?”
    I stared down at all those moguls. “ Nooo …!”
    I guess he didn’t hear me because he pushed us off.
    “We’ll go slow so you can learn how it feels.”
    I was so frightened, I was sorely tempted to just shut my eyes and wasn’t the least bit interested in what we were probably going to hit that would most likely strike me dead. But something made me keep them open.
    “Relax, Samantha. Feel the terrain and go with it.”
    Breathe in. Breathe out.
    Before I realized it we were about a third of the way down the hill. I was still in the upright position, but now I was smiling instead of grimacing and gritting my teeth.
    “What do you think, Sam?”
    “This is great. I feel it! I feel it!”
    “Good. Now let’s go a little faster.”
    “Hey, wait a minute! Nooo …!”
    I swear, I didn’t even have time for my life to flash by.

 
     
     
    Chapter 14
    Returning To The Crime Scene
     
     
    When we finally reached the bottom I was so surprised I patted myself down to make sure all of me had made it. Then I looked back up the hill, amazed I was still alive.
    “I can’t believe I…I mean, we… did that!”
    “You have a natural talent and feel for the slope, Sam.”
    Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Me? Talent?
    “Why thank you, Peter. I did have my doubts, but…”
    “Now, are you ready to go back up?”
    Uh-uh. My writing deadlines were torture enough.
    “…What do you mean, back up? Whatever for?”
    “To go for a different run this time.”
    I took a steady breath. “…Different run?”
    “I thought you might like to see some Swiss chalets and ski through the forest to practice the skills you learned.”
    “…I don’t know.”
    “Trust me. Would I let you go if I thought you couldn’t handle it? Besides, I will be with you the whole way.”
    I stared back toward the village. I could go shopping…
    “Do you want to become proficient?”
    “…Well, yes and no.”
    Peter laughed. “Didn’t you want to prove something?”
    I smiled then. “I guess I could take more Advil later.”
    Peter laughed again. “I’m positive you can do this.”
    I had to suck it up, bite the bullet, and all the rest.
    “You’re right. If you think I can do this, let’s go!”
    “We will ride back up like we did before,” he said.
    We arrived where I had waved goodbye to Martha and the others. Peter retrieved our poles and handed me mine.
    I glanced around, relaxing. “Okay, where to?”
    “We get on the next lift to go higher.”
    I barely managed, “…We’re going higher up than this?”
    “To see the magnificent views and glacier first,” Peter explained, “above the tree line then ski through the forest.”
    I cast a wary eye at the lift, and then looked downward.
    …Higher?
    I heard children laughing and turned. They were eagerly climbing onto the lift.
    …I did have insurance.
    I squared my shoulders, skied over and jumped on, with Peter getting on beside me. “Let’s do