Accidental Heiress by Emily Evans

Author:Emily Evans [Evans, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-05-09T18:30:00+00:00

It was cold but not crazy cold. They climbed into the helicopter, put headphones over their ears and were off. The three of them in the back, with Rawlings in the middle. The pilot and co-pilot in the front. The view of snowy mountaintops was crazy, beautiful, and exciting. And she couldn’t help that her confidence was surging about the game. Two against one. Two days to solve a puzzle.

They could win this.

She and Rawlings. She’d break her losing streak, Ella would get her prize. Maddie kicked the side of Rawlings’ hiking boot and grinned.

He gave her a tight smile in return, his gaze distant, thoughts spinning behind his gaze. She thought she knew some smart kids, some thinkers back home. None seemed as clever as him.

The helicopter shifted into a hovering motion. The whir of the slowed blades stirred her anticipation. They were here.

The lodge had a steeply peaked roof like a triangle and was surrounded by Christmas trees. Firs. There were no trees or rooftops like that at home. It made Austria strikingly foreign.

The helicopter landed on the front grounds and the co-pilot helped her and Rawlings down. Her first helicopter ride. What a wintery rush. If Nadine hadn’t been there, it would have been perfect.

Maddie jogged away from the helicopter, bending low like the characters on TV to escape the gust of wind from the whirring blades. Rawlings got out after her, but caught up easily. Maddie looked back.

Nadine hadn’t even left the helicopter and the pilot hadn’t cut the engines. She seemed to be arguing with the co-pilot. She opened her bag and took out a compact and lipstick. She primped.

What was this?

She and Rawlings should rush in and start scavenger hunting, but something was up. Nadine hadn’t even gotten out. Did Nadine want more attention? Rawlings to help? What? It’d be awesome if she just left.

Nadine threw something out the door. It looked like paper from here. It wasn’t like careless littering. The throw had intent.

The co-pilot shut the door and got back into the front seat to buckle in for take-off.

“What’s going on?” Maddie asked.

The helicopter blades increased speed, creating wind, and the whirling sound.

The chopper lifted off, taking Nadine and the crew away into the Alps.

Leaving Maddie with Rawlings.

Alone.

She had just gotten her wish.

Nadine’s action made no sense. She’d insisted on coming, and then hadn’t gotten out.

“What’s going on?” Maddie asked again. This wasn’t good. A trick? The chill wind stole most of her words and made her breath visible. The air was definitely colder. Maddie rubbed her arms on her coat sleeves while Rawlings retrieved the envelope. He jogged back to her.

The heavy cream paper bore the stamp of the airport hotel. It was like looking at test results when she hadn’t studied for the test. “It’s getting cold. Let’s go in and open it.” Maddie checked her smart watch. Nothing.

She and Rawlings went through the tall unlocked double doors into the lodge and entered a big great room. The air inside wasn’t much warmer than it was outside.

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