Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult

by Erica Rodgers

  “Bailey,” said Alexis, “I think these letters are made out of brochures! Pamphlets advertising hotels around Tahoe!”

  By this time, the others had gathered around the desk to look over the girls’ shoulders.

  “I think you’re right,” said Karen. “Look—this is Harrah’s!”

  “And this one’s from Caesar’s,” said Jake. “These are the most recent letters we’ve gotten. What could this mean?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Alexis. “But it narrows things down. Whoever is bothering you guys must hang around the resorts, where it’s obviously easy for them to get their hands on these brochures.”

  Alexis pulled out her camera and started taking pictures of the brochures.

  A horn honked from outside.

  “That’s Lisa,” said Jake. “Time for you all to get back to the hotel. We’ll be in touch about the party.”

  The girls smiled and said their good-byes. The bus ride back was quiet. Both Bailey and Alexis were thinking about the new clues they had. What did “Chloe” and the snowmobile have to do with the brochures and the man with the red spray paint? Were they connected? Alexis looked out the window into the wall of white and pleaded with the One she knew could help them piece together the puzzle.

  Please, God! We need a break. We have all of these clues but no way to connect them.

  When the girls got back to the hotel, they zoomed straight to Mrs. Howell’s laptop. Alexis uploaded the photos of the letters and posted them on the CCG website. Then she started writing in the CCG chat wall. She told the girls about the threatening letters and about the message in the red spray paint, as well as the handprint.

  Soon the girls were responding to her words.

  Sydney: Did you find anything out about who was renting the snowmobile?

  Alexis: Sounds like some woman named Chloe.

  McKenzie: Do you think she’s the one who left the message in the snow and knocked out Jake?

  Alexis: No, Bailey pointed out that the handprint is too big for most women—unless she’s a real amazon. And it would take quite a punch to knock out Jake. Karen thinks from the way the injury looks that the person did it with his knuckles, not with any weapon.

  Kate: Unless she’s an amazon and a wrestler or something, too! Or a policewoman! They learn how to pack punches.

  Sydney: Well, if the words on the letters look like they’re all on Lake Tahoe brochures, you’re probably right about it being someone who’s hanging1 around the resort area.

  Kate: Although any public place sixty miles around Lake Tahoe probably has racks of brochures promoting their attractions.

  Alexis: Yeah, they do, but I just have a feeling it’s someone who hangs around the resorts. It’s definitely someone who’s familiar with the reserve—enough to even know where the bears sleep.

  Elizabeth: I think you should go with that gut feeling. I think it’s God directing you.

  Alexis: Well, He’d better direct fast. Bailey and I feel like we’ve hit a dead end, and we only have a couple of days left here.

  McKenzie: Don’t be discouraged. I think you’re way closer to solving this than you were twenty-four hours ago.

  Elizabeth: Yes, you’ve learned that the person sending them hangs out around the resorts, probably.

  Sydney: And the spray painter made a big mistake by leaving a handprint. And since most spray paint is permanent, it will probably be a few days before he—assuming it’s a he—can get the paint off his hand.

  Alexis: So all we have to do is go around asking if we can see every man’s hand?

  McKenzie: Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that….

  Elizabeth: But whatever it takes! LOL!

  Sydney: Yeah! If you keep your eyes open, you’ll catch him.

  Alexis: You’re right. We’ll even catch the criminal red-handed! Literally! ROTFL.

  A Redhead Red-Handed?

  Before dinnertime Alexis and Bailey took to the streets. Their goal was to watch people, and they were looking for something very specific. Jake had mentioned that the painter had been wearing a black coat. They were looking for someone who looked like he had money—since he hung around at the resorts all day, and they weren’t cheap—and who had an obvious red stain on his hand.

  Soon, however, they hit a roadblock. They found that, on the Nevada side of the state line, they couldn’t go inside any of the hotels. All of them had casinos on the ground floors, and Alexis and Bailey were obviously not old enough to walk around those without parents.

  “That’s all right,” said Bailey after they had been shown politely out of their third casino. “It’s nasty in there anyway … all smoky, and it’s hard to hear myself think over the blinging noises of all those crazy machines!”

  Bailey was right. Alexis hadn’t enjoyed being inside the casinos, but she also knew that they didn’t have much of a chance of finding who they were looking for if they were limited to walking the sidewalks.

  The snow started picking up, swirling thick around their heads. Bailey spoke up again.

  “What if he’s wearing gloves, Lexi? We won’t be able to see his hands if he’s wearing gloves.”

  Alexis hated to admit it, but Bailey was right. After more than an hour, Alexis led Bailey back to their hotel. They sat down in the lobby in front of the big fire to thaw out a little and talk about what to do next. The only other person nearby was a young woman using a laptop computer. She was wearing a scarf over her head, so Alexis guessed she had just come in from outside, too.

  The girls chatted, until the woman’s phone rang. She picked it up with a huff and answered it stiffly.

  “Chloe Stevens, how may I help you?”

  Alexis and Bailey froze when they heard the name. They sat very still and eavesdropped, pretending to watch the fire dance in the hearth.

  “No, he is unavailable tomorrow night,” snapped the woman named Chloe. “In fact, he won’t be in the office until next week. Yes. Thank you.”

  She hung up the phone and went back to her computer. After less than a minute, her phone rang again. The woman tore the scarf off her head in frustration, and Alexis gasped.

  The woman’s hair was bright red.

  Alexis looked at Bailey, and it was obvious that Bailey was thinking the same thing. They had found “Chloe,” and they hadn’t even been looking for her! Alexis waited patiently for Chloe to finish her phone call, and then she began a conversation.

  “So, are you enjoying your stay in Tahoe?” asked Alexis. “Are you on vacation?”

  Chloe looked up from her computer, surprised to be addressed by two young strangers.

  “No, and no,” she said. Then she lowered her head to the computer screen again. Alexis wasn’t turned off by Chloe’s obvious attempt to ignore her. She pressed on.

  “Done anything fun, though? Skiing? Snowmobiling?”

  Chloe made a disgusted sound.

  “Ugh, no! I hate the snow. I can’t wait to get out of this place and get back to the Valley.” The phone rang again. Chloe snapped her laptop closed and stood up quickly.

  “Thanks for the conversation,” she said rudely, “but I’m going to bed. It’s the only way to get away from the boss who never stops calling.”

  With that, she stormed off toward the elevators and was gone.

  “I guess that wasn’t her,” said Bailey. “You heard her. She hates the snow. Some other red-haired Chloe must have rented the snowmobile.”

  “Hmm, maybe,” said Alexis. She wasn’t convinced. She didn’t believe in coincidences, and it would be a huge one if there were two young redheaded “Chloes” walking around the small town of South Lake Tahoe. The good thing was that it seemed like Chloe must be staying at their hotel. If she were somehow connected to the painter, they would probably find him here as well.

  She couldn’t help but feel that God had answered her prayer on the bus. He was leading them closer to the answer, she just knew it. Before she could say what she was thinking, Bailey nudged her ar
m.

  “Look, Lexi. Several computers are empty. Let’s go see if the Camp Club Girls have found out anything.”

  The girls walked to a huge column that was surrounded by computers and chairs. FOR PATRONS’ CONVENIENCE, the sign above each computer read. Alexis knew that this was a hotel where a lot of companies and organizations held conventions, like her dad’s company. She’d seen people dash out between meetings to check their messages. She knew from being around her mom and dad that they were making sure nothing important had popped up at work while they were in the meetings.

  So Alexis felt rather important sitting down and logging in to the Camp Club Girls’ website. She felt almost like an adult dashing to get the latest news from her coworkers in solving mysteries and mayhem.

  She and Bailey started to read the messages on the chat wall together.

  Sydney: You know, girls, I’ve been thinking about the woman named Chloe who rented the snowmobile. Even if she didn’t KO Jake, I have a feeling she might be involved in this.

  Alexis: That’s amazing. Just wait until you hear WHOM we just sat next to in the hotel lobby.

  Alex took a few minutes to explain what they’d seen and heard from the woman next to them.

  Sydney: Well even if she doesn’t like snow, she still could have rented the snowmobile for her boss. Assistants do that kind of thing, you know.

  McKenzie: If I were you, I’d try to follow her until you know for sure that it’s not the Chloe you’re looking for. I think Sydney’s right. I have a feeling about her, too.

  Elizabeth: She sounds like she might lead you to bigger fish, as we say here in Texas.

  Alexis: Bigger fish?

  Elizabeth: Yes. The person who’s really at the helm of the dastardly deeds.

  Sydney: If she is the right Chloe, she might lead you to the person who’s really responsible for sabotaging the reserve.

  McKenzie: I’ve also been thinking about your new friend, Angelo.

  Alexis: You think he did this stuff? But he’s blind, Kenz. I don’t think he could have ridden a snowmobile. I guess he could have written with paint in the snow, but I don’t think it would be as legible….

  McKenzie: No, silly. Bailey’s been up here in Montana, so she can tell you how many mountains we have in parts of our state. Some people from my church have a ministry helping people with disabilities do sports things, like participating in rodeos and even skiing.

  Elizabeth: How do they do that?

  McKenzie: People who can see and help skiers get around are called guides. They ski the trail with the blind person and help him or her avoid obstacles and learn the course.

  Elizabeth: That must be a really hard thing to do.

  McKenzie: They say it’s not as hard as people think. Although blind people don’t have their sight and can’t follow a guide with their eyes, they can follow the guide with their ears and other senses. And they tend to have good instincts that help them find their way around.

  Alexis: Really? Do they have friends who help people around here?

  McKenzie: Well, no, I don’t think so. But I went online and looked up the resort where you’re staying. They’re having a ski meet in a couple of days. I e-mailed them to see if people with disabilities can compete, and they told me yes. I told them about your friend, Angelo, and they said they had guides available to help at the meet. The guides give the people with disabilities a little bit of help so they can compete. All Angelo has to do is register for the meet and request one ahead of time. He just needs to talk to Mark at extension 378 in the resort.

  Alexis: Terrific! I’ll make sure he knows that!

  McKenzie: The guy named Mark was really nice. He said if you guys had any questions to just ask him.

  Bailey nudged Alexis’s shoulder. “Look, Angelo just walked by. He’s sitting over there. Maybe we should go talk to him about it.”

  “Good idea,” Alexis said as she typed their good-byes to their online friends and logged out of the public computer.

  As the girls approached Angelo, they saw that his eyebrows were crumpled into a scowl.

  Bailey said. “Hey, Angelo! Over here!”

  The boy’s face lit up as he turned toward the girls.

  “What’s up, Angelo? You look bummed,” said Alexis.

  “Well, it’s not a big deal,” said Angelo. “I found out about a ski race the resort’s sponsoring later this week. I just wish I could be part of it.”

  “But you can!” Bailey exclaimed.

  “We told one of our friends about meeting you the other day and how you wished you could ski,” Alexis explained.

  Bailey picked up the story. “She contacted the hotel and talked to a guy named Mark at extension 378.”

  “He said they have guides for skiers who need help!” Alexis said. “All you have to do is call him to register and to request a guide.”

  “That’s awesome, Angelo! You should totally enter!” cried Bailey.

  “Hey, you can do it right now!” Alexis exclaimed, noticing the house phone nearby.

  “Well, I guess I could,” Angelo said hesitantly.

  “Here, we’ll help!” The girls led Angelo to a bench by the phone. They sat beside him as he punched in the extension number 378.

  The girls listened to Angelo sign up.

  “Okay,” he said. “Do you have anyone who can help me practice? … Oh, I see…. Well, yes, let’s go ahead and leave me signed up for the event. Maybe I can figure something out.”

  Angelo sighed heavily as he hung up the receiver and leaned back in his chair.

  “Is there a problem?” Alexis asked.

  “Well, a bit of a challenge.” Angelo smiled weakly. “They have guides to help at the race, and I’m signed up for one. But they don’t have any practice guides available. I need to practice if I’m going to compete. Oh well.”

  Alexis could tell he was trying not to kill the mood and depress everyone else. She thought hard for a minute, and then her eyes lit up.

  “Angelo! I’ve got an idea!” she said. “Meet us tomorrow morning at the ski lodge—as soon as the lifts open!”

  “But, Alexis—”

  “No buts! Just do it! And be ready to practice!” Alexis jumped off the couch and grabbed Bailey by the arm.

  “Come on, Bailey! We have a lot to do before tomorrow!” The girls took off toward the elevators, leaving Angelo baffled but smiling in the lobby.

  The next morning, Alexis and Bailey waited impatiently for Angelo to show up. They still had half an hour before the slopes opened, but Alexis was excited. She wanted to get started right away. She had spent most of the last evening getting what she needed from the rental shop. Then she had called Mark at extension 378 and talked to him. He had explained what to do and had told her that all she needed besides skis and poles were two vests.

  One was for Angelo. It was orange, and it said BLIND SKIER in black. Alexis’s vest was orange as well. It said GUIDE. Alexis was already in her vest when Angelo came around the corner with his skis.

  “Good morning, ladies!” he chimed. “So what’s the plan?”

  “First, you have to put this on,” said Bailey. She tossed the vest into Angelo’s chest, and he caught it easily.

  “Sweet!” said Angelo. “If you’re giving me a vest for practicing, you must have found me a practice guide? Who is it? I thought they were all busy.”

  “They are all busy,” said Alexis. “I’m the one who’s going to lead you through the course. Mark at extension 378 and the guy in the ski shop walked me through what to do and gave me the vests. He said he remembered you from when you were here skiing with your dad before. He said you probably wouldn’t need a guide for long, anyway, because you’re so good.”

  Angelo looked more than a little nervous.

  “Have you ever done this before, Alexis?” he asked.

  “No. But I’m sure we’ll do great! Come on!”

  Alexis led Bailey and Angelo to the ski lift that took them to the top of the race c
ourse. More than once, she tried to help Angelo when he didn’t really need it.

  “The chair’s almost here. Get ready to sit.”

  “I know, Alexis. I can hear it,” Angelo teased. Alexis had to remind herself that Angelo had skied much more than she had. If he’d known the race course already, he wouldn’t even have needed her.

  Their first time down the course, Alexis realized just how good Angelo was. She weaved slowly in and out of the blue flags that made up the course, calling back to him only to say “left” or “right.” After three times through, Angelo was simply following the sound of Alexis skiing ahead of him. Bailey stayed behind them, taking her time.

  “Okay, Alexis!” Angelo called. “You can speed up now! I should practice going fast.”

  “I’m going almost as fast as I can!” Alexis called back. “I’ve never done a race course before today, and I’m not a good skier to begin with!” As if to demonstrate her last claim, Alexis took the final turn on the race course, and her skies got tangled. She did a rolling dive down the rest of the hill and came to a stop near the end of the lift lines. Bailey and Angelo caught up, barely holding in their laughter.

  “Are you okay, Lexi?” asked Bailey.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be a little sore, but nothing too bad.”

  “Thanks a lot for your help, Alexis,” said Angelo.

  “I’ll be fine tomorrow. My race guide will take me through a couple practice runs in the morning. I know the turns by heart, and that’s the main thing.”

  “Are you sure, Angelo?” asked Alexis. “I don’t feel like we did much.”

  “It was perfect,” said Angelo. He kicked off his skis and held out a hand to help Alexis up. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to enter the race at all. You two will come watch tomorrow, right?”

  “We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” said Bailey.

  “Good. I’ll see you both in the morning! Have fun at your fancy party!” Angelo picked up his skis and made his way back up to the lodge.