Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult Read Online Free PDF

mean, it’s what we
do.”
    “So we’ll just have to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Bailey, taking her gloves out of her mouth and tossing them onto the bed. “I mean, we’ll solve the case
while
we work on the documentary.”
    “That’s what I thought, too,” said Alexis, “but that’s a lot to do in a few days.”
    “No, Lexi!” said Bailey. “I mean
really
work on them at the same time. We were going to shoot a documentary about the reserve, right? Like, about what they do for the animals and stuff? But now something better has come up! They do amazing things for the wildlife here, and someone is paying them back by sabotaging them! So, we can still make our film about the reserve …”
    A lightbulb flashed to life in Alexis’s head.
    “But we can make it about the
mystery!
Then filming our documentary really
is
solving the case! Bailey, you’re a genius!”
    Alexis hugged Bailey so hard that the two of them practically fell off the bed. The worry lifted like it had never been there.
    Why didn’t I think of that in the first place?
Alexis wondered.
We can document the trouble at the reserve!
    If they solved the case, their documentary would be different from any other—like a real-life
CSI
show! And even if they didn’t solve the case completely, they would draw attention to what was happening. They could send a copy to the government and maybe get more help for Karen and Jake.
And I bet the Tahoe Tourism Bureau would help, too
, Alexis thought.
    The girls spent the morning on the ski slopes. Alexis had promised her dad that she and Bailey would take at least one day to enjoy the snow with the family. It was a vacation, after all.
    Alexis loved snowboarding. She had learned to ski in fifth grade but had always felt awkward. In the back of her mind, she was always afraid her legs would tangle up at any moment and send her flying down the mountain on her face.
    The next year, her dad had signed her up for snowboarding lessons. It was so much easier! Or at least she thought so. There was no chance that her feet could tangle, since they were anchored securely side by side.
    There had been one time that a face-plant had brought the snowboard up from behind to whack her in the back of the head … not fun. But overall it was always a great time.
    Bailey hadn’t skied much, so the girls spent the first hour on the bunny hill. Alexis taught her how to wedge the tips of her skis together (in the shape of a triangle), and they cruised along slowly until Bailey got the hang of it. It didn’t take long. Soon she was tearing down the mountain so fast that Alexis could hardly catch up.
    “You should have your camera along!” Bailey called to Alexis. “Then you could do a documentary on a midwestern girl learning to ski! I could be a star!”
    On their fifth run down the mountain, Alexis took her time. She always got more confident after a few hours on the slopes, so she wanted to try some smaller jumps. By the time she got to the bottom, Bailey had been waiting for almost ten minutes.
    “Come on, Lexi! You take forever!”
    “Sorry! I wanted to try some tricks!”
    “Well, I’m starving,” said Bailey. “Let’s get lunch!”
    The girls left their boards outside the lodge and went in to find the cafeteria. They ordered a pizza to share and then giant cups of hot chocolate. Alexis had to admit that it felt good to take her gloves off and wrap her fingers around something warm.
    “The sun’s out,” said Alexis. “Want to sit outside?”
    “Sure,” said Bailey. They wiggled their way through tons of tourists. Alexis thought she heard at least four different languages being spoken in the crowd. People came to Tahoe from all over the world it seemed. Alexis was trying to understand a woman speaking French when Bailey elbowed her in the ribs.
    “Hey, look!” Bailey said. “Isn’t that the boy I hit in the head with our camera at breakfast yesterday?”
    Alexis looked in the direction Bailey was