CHAPTER 7
Amir couldn’t believe it. William was climbing Widowmaker with no safety gear.
He knew he should tell Officer Roberts, but he didn’t want to. William might get into trouble. Amir didn’t want that to happen. But if William climbed the cliff, he could seriously hurt himself.
Amir couldn’t sleep that night. Every time he dozed off, he started thinking about William climbing Widowmaker.
Amir remembered the feeling he had the first time he went to the climbing wall, when he slipped off. That horrible feeling of falling ended when the belay rope was pulled. But when a person free climbed, there was no rope to save them.
After tossing and turning for hours, Amir finally fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he suddenly knew exactly what he needed to do. He needed to help William.
As he brushed his teeth, he heard a knock at the front door. He swung the door open. Officer Roberts was standing there. He looked upset.
“Amir, I need your help,” the officer said. “It’s William. He’s missing.”
“Missing?” Amir said.
“Yes,” Officer Roberts replied. “His mother said he wasn’t home when she woke up this morning. And he’s been gone all day.”
Amir took a deep breath. “I think I might know where he is,” he said. “Do you know where that big cliff is that he climbs?”
Officer Roberts nodded. “I think so, yes,” he said. “But William knows he is not to go near that. He got in so much trouble last time he was there. Plus, he could have died. I don’t think he’d go back.”
“I do,” Amir said. “If you take me there, I think I can help.”