As she drove up to the hotel, she saw Bess standing on the porch, peering anxiously at the road. The moment she spotted Nancy, she started waving wildly. Nancy parked and ran over to her.

            "What is it, Bess?" she demanded. "What's wrong?"

            "Nothing's wrong," Bess replied. "I think I just solved the whole case!"

            "What do you mean?" Nancy sank down onto a porch swing.

            Bess dropped down next to Nancy and handed her a piece of paper. "Just look at this," she said.

            Nancy's eyes widened when she read the title: "Hot New Pet Craze-Whistling Marmots." The sheet had been photocopied from a magazine. In the article the words native to Yellowstone were highlighted in orange.

            Nancy's heart began to race. "Where did you get this?"

            "I was sitting in the lobby," Bess explained, "when a rich-looking couple came in and stopped near me. As they moved away, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor, so I picked it up."

            "Hmm." Nancy scanned the page and read out loud. “‘Rock star Randy Dean's fondness for collecting marmots has made the creature a sought-after pet among the rich and famous. According to one U.S. wildlife specialist, some people are willing to pay as much as five hundred dollars for one of these animals.'"

            "Randy keeps a bunch of marmots on his California estate," Bess said. "According to the article, one of them escaped. A neighbor found it in her kitchen, munching its way through a box of cereal. The story made the newspapers, and ever since then people have wanted marmots."

            "That's very interesting," Nancy said slowly. "I guess we should find out the couple's names and where they come from."