Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult

by Erica Rodgers

  “How’s the new resort coming, Bruce?” asked the second man.

  “Too slow for my taste,” answered Bruce. “I’m having some trouble getting the land I want.”

  “The city isn’t giving you trouble, is it?”

  “No, no,” said Bruce. “It’s the owners. They’re not interested in selling, no matter how much I offer! I don’t get it. The money I could give them would buy five animal reserves somewhere else! What’s so special about this one?”

  “You’re trying to buy from Jake and Karen?” asked the other man. “I don’t think you’ll win that battle. That reserve is Jake’s whole life.”

  “That’s what he said, too. But I wouldn’t be so sure. Money always gets people in the end, and I always get what I want.”

  The two men walked off toward the cafeteria. Alexis turned to look at Bailey, whose mouth was hanging open.

  “That’s why he was at the reserve yesterday!” said Bailey. “Moneybags Bruce wants to buy it!”

  “Yeah,” said Alexis. “And it sounds like he’d do anything to get it, too.”

  “I’m going to write down the clues we’re looking at right now,” Alexis added.

  She unzipped a pocket in her snowboarding pants and took out her small pink notebook. It was time to start taking notes on this case. Alexis had gotten in the habit of carrying a small notebook with her everywhere she went. She’d seen it done on one detective show on TV and thought it was a good idea. And her notebook had come in handy before as she’d worked on other Camp Club Girl mysteries.

  “We already know someone probably unlocked the mountain lion cage,” said Alexis as she scribbled. “You found the keys in the snow, and Karen swore they had been hanging up inside that morning. Then we have that threat letter, too. Maybe we can take a closer look at it tomorrow.”

  Last but not least, Alexis wrote the most recent piece of information:

  “Moneybags” Bruce Benton wants to buy the reserve to put up another ski resort. Would he sabotage the reserve to get what he wants? He did say he would do anything….

  “Come on,” Bailey said. “Let’s go to our room. We need to send an e-mail to the Camp Club Girls to fill them in! They need to know about the mountain lions and Moneybags Benton saying he’d do anything to get the reserve.”

  Bellyaches and Bears

  The bus ride the next morning was pretty quiet. Alexis and Bailey tried over and over to get Angelo to talk to them, but he only nodded his head or shrugged his shoulders. By the time they got to the reserve, Alexis was sure that since Angelo was with them, it would be a very long day.

  “Things have been a little crazy here,” said Lisa as she led them into the office.

  “What do you mean?” asked Bailey. But as soon as they saw Karen, they knew something was up. She was sitting at the desk, staring blankly at a cup of coffee that looked as if it had gone cold. Large dark circles were under her eyes.

  “Been up all night?” asked Alexis. Karen jerked out of her stupor and nodded.

  “The coyotes are sick. I was up late taking care of them. Then, when I finally went to bed, the phone rang. It was three in the morning.”

  “Who in the world would call you at three in the morning?” asked Bailey.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” said Karen. “I answered, thinking it might be an emergency, but I only heard breathing. Then a voice said, ‘You’re lucky they’re only sick this time.’ And the phone went dead.”

  “It was a threat?” asked Angelo. It was the first time he’d spoken.

  “Yes,” said Karen. “I guess it was. Alexis, who’s your friend?”

  “This is Angelo. We met him at our hotel, and he was interested in our documentary. I hope it’s okay that we brought him along.”

  “That’s fine,” said Karen. She walked over to where Angelo was standing and grabbed his hand to shake it. “It’s nice to meet you, Angelo. You all want some hot chocolate?”

  Alexis took out her pink notebook while the group sat down on the squishy couches near the fireplace. She hadn’t expected to have new information so quickly, but now seemed like the perfect time to ask some questions. Karen set five cups of cocoa on the coffee table and sat down.

  “Karen, you said the call came at three in the morning, right?” asked Alexis. “Do you remember what the voice sounded like?”

  “Well, it was definitely a man’s voice. I didn’t recognize it, so it wasn’t anyone I know. It was kind of high pitched.”

  Alexis scribbled down every word. Bailey took a gulp of her cocoa then put it down.

  “What if the caller was just disguising his voice?” she asked. “Like this?”

  Bailey said the last two words in a silly high-pitched voice that reminded Alexis of Elmo. She laughed.

  “That’s possible,” said Karen. “I was also exhausted. I mean, it was three in the morning. Jake probably could have called, and I wouldn’t have recognized him.”

  That made everyone laugh, including Angelo. Bailey elbowed Alexis and pointed. It really was nice to see him smile.

  “Someone’s at the back door,” said Angelo suddenly. Everyone turned, and sure enough Jake opened the door, stomping snow off his boots. Bailey leaned over to Alexis and whispered in her ear.

  “How did he know there was a back door?” she asked. Alexis had been wondering the same thing. But Lisa answered.

  “I imagine he has amazing ears,” she said. Angelo grinned.

  “That’s what my dad says,” he said. “It’s fun to freak people out sometimes though.”

  “Often when people don’t have their sight or hearing, their other senses become keener to help their bodies and minds compensate,” Lisa explained. “Often, blind people can hear better than the rest of us. Or they may be able to distinguish odors that the rest of us can’t even smell.”

  “Looks like you guys are having a party,” said Jake. He leaned over the back of the couch and spoke to Karen. “The coyotes are getting worse, and the vet can’t come till tomorrow.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right out,” Karen said.

  “Can we come?” asked Alexis. “We don’t have to film the sick animals, but we could look for clues. I mean, I really think whoever called you did this on purpose. Didn’t they say something about the sick animals?”

  “They sure did,” said Jake. “We just don’t know how they made them sick. Did they poison them, or what? We can’t help the coyotes until we know what’s making them sick. But I don’t know if you should go near them….”

  He looked around at the concerned group and sighed.

  “Okay,” he said after a minute of silence. “Come on out. And grab the cameras. There might be some stuff worth filming.”

  Lisa left to do some other chores, but everyone else followed Jake to the coyote barn. Angelo didn’t have his walking stick, but apparently he didn’t need it. He followed close beside Bailey with his hand on her elbow and never stumbled.

  “Just let me know if we have to go up or down stairs,” he said, tapping Bailey gently on the head.

  “You got it!” she said. She was glad he didn’t seem to be angry with her anymore.

  The coyotes were a very sad sight. They were all curled up in their cages, whimpering, and one or two of them were barely breathing. Alexis felt a surge of anger. Who could do this to poor defenseless animals in cages? And why?

  She noticed that most of the coyotes had bandages or casts on. So they had already been hurt before someone came in and made them very ill.

  “Someone is definitely not playing fair,” said Alexis. She took out her camera and began shooting footage of the poor creatures.

  “Bailey,” she whispered, “get on camera and explain what’s happening.”

  Bailey smoothed out her short hair and jumped in front of the camera next to the first coyote cage.

  “Today, we came to the reserve excited to help, but the day has turned sad. Someone broke in during the night and gave the coyotes something to ma
ke them ill. Since we have no way to know what they have eaten, it’s hard for Karen to treat them. Everything will have to go on hold until Karen, Jake, and Lisa can figure out how to help these poor creatures.”

  “And cut!” said Alexis. “Good job, Bailey. That was great.”

  Alexis was stuffing the camera back in the bag when Angelo grabbed Bailey by the arm.

  “Don’t move,” he said. “What did you just step on?”

  Bailey looked down at her boots.

  “Nothing, unless you count the straw on the floor,” she said.

  “No,” said Angelo. “It was definitely not straw.”

  Angelo knelt down and tapped Bailey’s left boot. “Lift this one up, please. If you could.”

  Bailey looked puzzled, but she did what Angelo asked. She lifted her boot, and he placed his hand on the floor. He moved the straw around for a minute and shook his head.

  “Nope. Can you lift the other one?” Bailey did what he said, and Angelo searched the straw again. After a few seconds, he lifted his arm up in triumph.

  “Here it is!” he said. “What is it? It feels like foil.”

  “It is foil,” said Alexis. “It’s a chocolate wrapper!”

  “A what?” asked Jake. He came across the barn and looked at the crumpled piece of brown foil.

  “A chocolate wrapper,” said Alexis again. “You guys don’t eat in here, do you?”

  “Of course not,” said Jake. “Karen! Good news! It’s just chocolate!”

  Karen came over to look at the wrapper as well.

  “This is good news?” asked Bailey. “Maybe they just ate too much! I get sick every Easter because I eat too many chocolate eggs. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t combine them with jelly beans.”

  “Well, chocolate isn’t good for them, but at least now we know what to do for them,” said Jake.

  “So is it like the time my cousin’s dog ate my giant candy bar?” Alexis asked. “We thought the puppy was going to die.”

  “Yes, something like that,” Jake said. “Chocolate can kill dogs in the worst cases, and coyotes are of the dog family, so chocolate can make them very sick, too.”

  “Wow, Angelo,” said Alexis. “We wouldn’t have found that wrapper if you hadn’t been with us. I’m really glad you came!” Angelo smiled. Again. Alexis was really glad he had decided to come with them. Not just because he found the wrapper, but because she was sure this was taking his mind off the fact that he couldn’t ski. She tucked the wrapper into her notebook to keep as evidence.

  This keeps getting weirder and weirder, she thought. Someone had wanted to make the coyotes ill but hadn’t gone far enough to kill them. Maybe the person had a soft spot after all. Or maybe he or she was too afraid to poison the coyotes with something more toxic, like antifreeze.

  Not only did someone feed the coyotes chocolate, but then they had called Karen in the middle of the night. What was it the caller had said? You’re lucky they’re only sick this time.

  Does that mean that next time they will kill an animal? Alexis was suddenly afraid for all the animals on the reserve. Why would someone do something like this? What could they have to gain?

  God, Alexis prayed, please help us get to the bottom of this before one of your creatures gets hurt.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by Lisa, who came into the barn carrying an armload of helmets.

  “You three want to take a ride?” she asked. “I thought I could show you the bear caves today!”

  Alexis looked at Bailey and smiled. “Awesome!” said Bailey. “Do the bears go away in the winter?”

  “Of course not!” said Lisa. “But they do hibernate. They’re all sleeping right now.”

  Bailey’s smile wavered, but she was the first one to run outside and climb onto the monstrous snowmobile that Lisa indicated. It was big enough for all four of them. Lisa climbed onto the front, so she could drive, and Bailey held on to her coat. Alexis and Angelo climbed up behind Bailey.

  “Hold on tight!” Alexis said to Angelo over her shoulder.

  “You, too!” he said. “It won’t do me any good to hold on to you if you fall off!”

  The ride up the mountain was fun. Alexis had never ridden on a snowmobile before. Most of the wind was blocked by Bailey’s hat, but her nose was still starting to tingle in the cold. It felt strange—almost like they were sledding uphill.

  When Lisa stopped the vehicle, Alexis was confused. She couldn’t see a cave anywhere.

  “We have to walk the rest of the way,” Lisa explained. “We can’t take the snowmobile any closer because it’s too loud. The last thing we want to do is wake a hibernating bear!”

  Lisa went to the back of the snowmobile and untied a big bundle. She pulled out four pairs of snowshoes. Alexis strapped on the purple ones. She was really excited. She had heard of snowshoes but had never worn them herself. They really did allow her to walk on top of the deep snow!

  Alexis took the camera out of its bag and began taping. She felt like she was in a scene from The Call of the Wild. It was one of her favorite books.

  The group hiked for about five minutes before Lisa stopped them.

  “There, up ahead,” she said. “Can you see it?”

  Alexis had to strain her eyes, but she could just see the cave. It was a small, black opening in the snow beneath a huge pile of granite. The pine trees were heavy with snow. They bent in toward the cave, as if they were protecting it from outsiders.

  “We won’t get too much closer,” said Lisa. “Just to be safe. But I thought you might like to get it on tape.”

  Alexis moved a few feet to the left to get a better angle. Angelo was still barely holding on to her back.

  “Can you smell them?” he asked.

  “Who? The bears?” asked Bailey.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t want to get too close. Never mind the teeth and claws. They stink!”

  Alexis couldn’t smell a thing. She zoomed in with the camera lens, and Bailey said a few words into the camera. Alexis was about to turn around when Angelo’s grip on her coat tightened.

  “What is it?” she asked him.

  “A sound,” he said. “I heard a strange sound … one that doesn’t belong in this forest.”

  “What kind of sound?” asked Alexis, but then she heard it—a small popping noise—right before something hard stung her cheek.

  “Ow!”

  Alexis stumbled and almost pulled Angelo onto the ground. There were a few more popping noises, and then a completely different sound tore through the forest.

  It was the roar of a cranky bear.

  “Run!” called Lisa. She grabbed Bailey and took off toward the snowmobile. Alexis and Angelo followed, but the snowshoes were hard to run in. Alexis looked back just in time to see a huge brown bear emerge from the mouth of the cave. It took one sleepy look around and started running right for them!

  Fortunately the snowmobile was a bit downhill from the bear cave. That downhill slope helped the young humans run faster, while it slowed down the bear. Alexis briefly remembered a Discovery Channel special on bears, which revealed that bears run uphill much faster than they run downhill.

  Of course it’s not good to have bears running after you, fast or slow! she thought.

  Lisa and Bailey reached the snowmobile and clambered on. Lisa fired up the engine and turned to pull Alexis and Angelo aboard. Soon they were on their way back down the mountain. Alexis turned to see if the bear was still following them, but she wasn’t holding on to Bailey. She slipped sideways and fell into the snow. She hit hard and rolled down the mountain about ten feet before stopping near a half-buried tree stump.

  Lisa circled back around, and Angelo helped pull Alexis back onto the snowmobile.

  “Good thing I wasn’t holding on to you!” he laughed.

  “Wait!” said Alexis. “My camera! I dropped it when I fell!”

  Luckily the bear had taken off in another direction, and the camera was easy to find. It was right w
here Alexis had fallen, tangled up in a pile of dead branches. The branches kept it from falling into the wet snow, which might have damaged it.

  “It’s still on,” said Bailey. “You might not want to waste the battery!”

  The group headed back to the office. All of them were quiet. They knew that they had barely escaped being attacked by an angry bear. What were those strange noises? And what could have awakened the bear? Alexis asked Jake her questions back at the office, but he wasn’t worried about answering them at the moment.

  “The most important thing, Alexis, is that we find that bear! We need the tranquilizer gun, Karen. Call the ranger, too. Maybe if we put it back in its den, it will sleep out the rest of the winter.”

  “What if you can’t find it?” asked Bailey.

  “That’s what we’re worried about,” said Karen. “Bears that wake up early run into lots of problems. Right now, most of the smaller animals are hibernating, too, and the rivers are frozen over. There isn’t much food out there for a bear. If he’s awake long, he’ll burn up all of the fat he stored for the winter, and then he’ll have to be put in captivity or …”

  “Or what?” asked Alexis.

  “Or he’ll die,” said Jake.

  Kate’s Helping Hand

  Back at the hotel, the girls left Angelo to go meet Alexis’s family for dinner. First they went to the room to change clothes. When Alexis looked in the mirror, she saw a huge red bruise with a purple center on her right cheek.

  “Eew!” she said. “That looks awful! Bailey, why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Well, we were too worried about the bear, weren’t we?” said Bailey. “Besides, it didn’t look that bad at the reserve. It’s definitely pretty.”

  Alexis pressed her fingers gently to her cheek.

  “Ouch! What could have done this?” she asked. “I remember getting hit with something before the bear woke up, but I never saw what it was.”

  “Could it have been a rock?” asked Bailey.

  “Maybe. Oh well. We’d better get down to the restaurant.”

  Alexis threw on fresh jeans and a sweater before slipping on her sneakers. They were so much easier to walk in than her heavy snow boots. After tromping in boots all day, she felt as light as a feather. Bailey tied her hair up in a tiny ponytail, and they took the elevator to the second floor to find the steak house.