Reggie in his eyes.”
“But you didn’t tell the committee?”
“I was afraid I’d be dropped if I gave them the news. That’s why I didn’t bring him yesterday. I figured if I’d already had a fitting and worked with the designer for a day, I’d be safe. They’d never ask me to leave. And now that Kitty is here, it’ll be so much easier. Lilah was a bitch, plain and simple, but Kitty—” She sniffed. “I just couldn’t leave my new baby home alone again. Ranger’s such a good boy.” She gave her four-legged pal a wobbly grin and the dog licked her face. “I can leave him here, can’t I? He won’t make trouble. I promise.”
Ellie frowned. “But I don’t think he’ll fit in the pen. And I don’t have large biscuits or—”
“I brought everything you’ll need.” She picked up her tote and dug inside, then passed Ellie a plastic bag filled with king-sized treats. “See, here it is.” She blinked her green eyes. “If you want extra, I’ll pay whatever you ask. It’s too late for me to bring him home. I have a fitting for Max Azria in—in—” She focused on her watch. “Twenty minutes, and I’m nowhere near ready.”
A man—the evil Reynoldo?—strode through the crowd, shouting, “Cassandra? Cassandra McQuagge? Where are you? We’re not finished!” Spotting her, he boomed out an order. “Get your bony ass in that chair or I’ll see to it you’re dropped from the list.”
Swallowing a sob, Cassandra stood. “I’ll be back in two hours.” She hugged the Greyhound, then raced after the dreaded Reynoldo without a backward glance.
“Are we really gonna watch that retired racehorse?” asked Rudy from his mat. He gave Ranger a once-over. “He’ll squash us like bugs if he comes in here.”
Ellie had already walked a Ranger, but he was a hypochondriac miniature Poodle who mimicked his opera-star owner’s every ailment. This dog was much larger, but he seemed calmer and easier to control.
“I’ll keep him under the table,” she said. Crawling underneath, she moved a few of the bottled water and energy drink cases. Then she pulled a throw from her bag and made the dog a bed. Backing out on her hands and knees, she stopped to rub Ranger between the ears, then stood and pointed to the throw. “Think you can stay on that for the next couple of hours, big boy?”
The Greyhound sneezed slobber over her shoes and gave a pathetic-sounding whimper, but he did as he was told. Then, as if answering, he curled into a ball and tucked his nose between his rear legs.
“See,” she told Rudy. “He won’t be one bit of trouble. If only I had a—” She saw Vaughn in the distance, talking on his cell phone, and hoped whatever news he was receiving would send him on a different course. But she didn’t get her wish, because he closed the phone and headed her way.
She blew out a breath as he neared. “Detective? Something more I can do for you?”
He skipped the formalities, continuing as if he’d never left her. “Did you see everyone who received one of those swag bags yesterday morning? And who dealt them out?”
“Mr. King was the one who handed them out to the models, designers, and myself.”
“Can you tell me what they contained?”
“Freebies. You know, merchandise companies use to promote their line of clothing, jewelry, handbags, that sort of thing.”
“What about perfume?”
Ellie thought quickly before answering. Yes, there was perfume. Hers had been labeled Spring, and Lilah’s had been Summer. They’d sat side by side and applied the waxy strips together.
“Is your bag here?” he asked, after she told him what had happened between her and Lilah.
“My bag? Why no, I took it home last night, and I assume everyone else did the same with theirs.”
“Were all the bags identical—filled with the same stuff?”
She racked her brain, remembering her exchange with Lilah as they’d checked their baskets. “I think so, but I only saw what was in Lilah’s
“But you didn’t tell the committee?”
“I was afraid I’d be dropped if I gave them the news. That’s why I didn’t bring him yesterday. I figured if I’d already had a fitting and worked with the designer for a day, I’d be safe. They’d never ask me to leave. And now that Kitty is here, it’ll be so much easier. Lilah was a bitch, plain and simple, but Kitty—” She sniffed. “I just couldn’t leave my new baby home alone again. Ranger’s such a good boy.” She gave her four-legged pal a wobbly grin and the dog licked her face. “I can leave him here, can’t I? He won’t make trouble. I promise.”
Ellie frowned. “But I don’t think he’ll fit in the pen. And I don’t have large biscuits or—”
“I brought everything you’ll need.” She picked up her tote and dug inside, then passed Ellie a plastic bag filled with king-sized treats. “See, here it is.” She blinked her green eyes. “If you want extra, I’ll pay whatever you ask. It’s too late for me to bring him home. I have a fitting for Max Azria in—in—” She focused on her watch. “Twenty minutes, and I’m nowhere near ready.”
A man—the evil Reynoldo?—strode through the crowd, shouting, “Cassandra? Cassandra McQuagge? Where are you? We’re not finished!” Spotting her, he boomed out an order. “Get your bony ass in that chair or I’ll see to it you’re dropped from the list.”
Swallowing a sob, Cassandra stood. “I’ll be back in two hours.” She hugged the Greyhound, then raced after the dreaded Reynoldo without a backward glance.
“Are we really gonna watch that retired racehorse?” asked Rudy from his mat. He gave Ranger a once-over. “He’ll squash us like bugs if he comes in here.”
Ellie had already walked a Ranger, but he was a hypochondriac miniature Poodle who mimicked his opera-star owner’s every ailment. This dog was much larger, but he seemed calmer and easier to control.
“I’ll keep him under the table,” she said. Crawling underneath, she moved a few of the bottled water and energy drink cases. Then she pulled a throw from her bag and made the dog a bed. Backing out on her hands and knees, she stopped to rub Ranger between the ears, then stood and pointed to the throw. “Think you can stay on that for the next couple of hours, big boy?”
The Greyhound sneezed slobber over her shoes and gave a pathetic-sounding whimper, but he did as he was told. Then, as if answering, he curled into a ball and tucked his nose between his rear legs.
“See,” she told Rudy. “He won’t be one bit of trouble. If only I had a—” She saw Vaughn in the distance, talking on his cell phone, and hoped whatever news he was receiving would send him on a different course. But she didn’t get her wish, because he closed the phone and headed her way.
She blew out a breath as he neared. “Detective? Something more I can do for you?”
He skipped the formalities, continuing as if he’d never left her. “Did you see everyone who received one of those swag bags yesterday morning? And who dealt them out?”
“Mr. King was the one who handed them out to the models, designers, and myself.”
“Can you tell me what they contained?”
“Freebies. You know, merchandise companies use to promote their line of clothing, jewelry, handbags, that sort of thing.”
“What about perfume?”
Ellie thought quickly before answering. Yes, there was perfume. Hers had been labeled Spring, and Lilah’s had been Summer. They’d sat side by side and applied the waxy strips together.
“Is your bag here?” he asked, after she told him what had happened between her and Lilah.
“My bag? Why no, I took it home last night, and I assume everyone else did the same with theirs.”
“Were all the bags identical—filled with the same stuff?”
She racked her brain, remembering her exchange with Lilah as they’d checked their baskets. “I think so, but I only saw what was in Lilah’s
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