Free Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult by Erica Rodgers Page A

that!” Misty exclaimed.
    “Misty,” Jake laughed, “I think a flashy party is the least of our worries right now, don’t you? Maybe we should think about canceling it anyway. What if word gets out that we’re having these problems?”
    “Jake, we can’t afford to cancel the benefit,” said Karen. “It’s our number-one source for donations all year!”
    “What benefit?” asked Alexis.
    “Did you say a flashy party?” asked Bailey. Her eyes lit up, and she scooted to the edge of the couch.
    “Well, yes,” said Karen. “Every year we have a benefit party at one of the resorts. This year it’s at the one you’re staying in. People come from all over the country to hear what we’ve been doing and what we plan to do in the next year. Then they donate the money that helps us run this place. We were hoping that this year we would get enough to expand—maybe even enough to build our own animal hospital and to hire a vet.”
    “Yes, it’s a tradition!” chimed Misty. “And Karen’s right, Jake. You can’t afford to cancel the benefit. It’s tomorrow night! People are already in town just for you!”
    Alexis saw the light in Misty’s eyes and figured she was the reason for most of the donations made to the reserve. If Alexis was right, there would be more than one movie star at that party. By the look of awe on Bailey’s face, she had the same idea. Misty noticed, too.
    “I have an idea!” she said. “How about if we invite our movie makers to the party! They can film some of it for their documentary …
and
get to meet some really cool people!”
    “That’s a great idea!” said Karen.
    “I don’t know,” said Jake. “Haven’t we gotten them in enough trouble?”
    “It won’t be an issue, Jake,” said Misty. “The party’s at their hotel this year! They won’t even have to go anywhere.”
    The girls sat on the edge of the couch, leaning toward Jake. Alexis tried not to look too excited, but the idea of being in a room full of stars had her head spinning.
    “All right,” said Jake with a smile. Bailey and Misty squealed together and then immediately began talking of dresses and high heels. Alexis was excited, but her mind went in another direction. She was thinking about the spray paint and the red handprint again. She and Bailey
had
to solve this case, because it wouldn’t matter how much money was donated to the reserve if the government shut it down.
    Alexis went over all of the clues in her mind. There had to be something she was missing—somewhere they hadn’t looked. And then it hit her.
    “The letters!” she said, startling everyone in the room.
    “What d’you mean, Lexi?” asked Bailey. “What letters?”
    “The threatening letters Karen and Jake have been getting—we haven’t looked at them yet. Jake, do you think we could browse through them?”
    “Sure, Alexis. They’re in the top drawer of the desk.”
    Alexis and Bailey sat behind the desk again like they had that morning making phone calls. Alexis spread about twelve letters out in front of them. A few were old and wrinkled and looked as though they had been made out of old newspapers. The newest ones, however, were very different. Their words weren’t cut from dull gray newspaper. Instead, they were shiny or glossy, like a magazine.
    Alexis prodded the edge of one of the glued words and realized that, unlike a magazine, the paper was thick—almost like cardstock, the heavy paper used for index cards, menus, and other things that need heavier paper.
    “Look, there’s a picture on the other side of that word! That’s a picture of our hotel!” shouted Bailey. Sure enough, as Alex pulled the word up, the back side of it showed the stone tower and part of the hotel’s title in lights. Bailey was right!
    “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’