Model Under Cover--Dressed to Kill

by Carina Axelsson

  “So, Holmes, where to now?” We were standing by Sebastian’s scooter, each with a gelato in hand. The sun was slowly sinking and we still had about an hour to ourselves before my mum would insist on having dinner with us.

  “Well, you still haven’t seen the Duomo…” I said as I spooned the last scrapings of delicious pistachio ice cream into my mouth.

  “I thought you might have had enough of it after this week…”

  “It’s beautiful, though, and I’d like to go back – with you.”

  We drove there in no time and parked. Our tickets were still valid so we made our way directly to the queue for the lifts. We’d decided to start at the rooftop. In fact, I reckoned – forgetting all about the chase – the way I’d seen it the other day was actually a good way to visit the Duomo: start at the top, enjoy the view and see how the church is put together from the outside. Then go down the medieval stairs for some intense atmosphere before landing in the middle of the cathedral.

  In the end, we lingered for a long time on the rooftop. And for once my fear of heights didn’t rear its ugly head; it didn’t stand a chance against Sebastian’s warm, firm clasp of my hand. After winding our way to the highest point we found a quiet corner under the golden Madonna with a view over the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

  We sat quietly for a while, and as I gazed out over the terracotta-coloured buildings of Milan, images of Elisabetta flitted through my mind. And although I couldn’t help but think of her with sadness, the feeling was now tinged with a sense of relief – and, yes, happiness even – that I’d finally managed to get justice for her. And as a bonus I’d also cleared Ugo’s name and Falco’s legacy. Justice felt good, I thought.

  Sebastian finally spoke, and I turned to face him. “Listen, Axelle, I’m sorry about the start to our week. I shouldn’t have used Francesca to wind you up.” His blue eyes were watching me from beneath his tousled hair. “You were right to be upset. I’m sorry.” He looked totally gorgeous sitting there with the whole of Milan spread out behind him, glittering in the sunshine. His sandy-brown hair was backlit by the soft, warm light and looking into his eyes, I could see he really was sorry.

  I appreciated the apology…but I had one of my own to make, too.

  “And I’m sorry, Sebastian.”

  “Sorry for what?” He looked at me, his eyes wide.

  “For making you feel that maybe you don’t always come first.”

  He was quiet for a moment but then asked, “So where do I rank?”

  I was afraid he might ask this question. But I had to give him an honest answer. “I don’t know. Sometimes you are first…”

  “And sometimes I’m not…”

  I nodded. “I wish I could be more clear about it. They always are in films, aren’t they?”

  Sebastian reached out and touched my hair, gently pushing the loose strands (yeah, there were lots) behind my ear. “Then maybe I should ask you another question…”

  I waited.

  “In your mind or heart is there anyone else that ever comes between me and your mysteries?”

  I shook my head. “There’s no room.”

  “So your mysteries are my only competition?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much.” I watched him.

  He suddenly smiled. “Then I guess I’ll try my best to live with that.”

  He leaned forward and we rubbed noses. Of course that only lasted about a moment before his lips found mine. Within seconds I’d forgotten everything else. My head was spinning as his hands ran down my sides and settled at my waist. He tasted amazing and we were completely lost in our own world when a loud cough interrupted us. It was one of the guides – an older man.

  In heavily accented English he said, “Sorry, but we are on a church. A little respect, per favore.”

  We took the hint. Slowly we pulled apart but as I started to get up Sebastian stopped me. “Wait, I have something for you and I’d like to give it to you here.”

  I had no idea what he meant but his look was serious, and slightly unsure. I sat back down, thinking he was reaching into his pocket for the guidebook. Instead a tiny box with a pretty bow was sitting in his hand.

  He looked slightly embarrassed as he held it out on his open palm. “This is for you. I saw it and thought of you.”

  Now it was my turn to open my eyes wide, because this was a proper gift. Like, carefully wrapped and everything.

  I took it and gently undid the pretty ribbon and paper. Slowly and gently, I lifted the lid of the satin-covered box. What was inside took my breath away.

  “I thought you deserved something, after, you know…”

  I didn’t give him a chance to say anything else though; I threw my arms around him. “Thank you,” I whispered in his ear. When I finally pulled back I handed him the box and without a word he took out the most delicate charm bracelet I’d ever seen. He slipped it onto my wrist and fastened the clasp.

  Gently I fingered the minute charms dangling from the golden links: a tiny key, a golden heart and a teeny tiny Duomo. There was also a thin disc in gold. I looked closer at it and discovered that Sebastian had had it engraved with our initials and the dates of this week.

  He smiled when he saw my look of surprise. “I figure we can add charms to it every time we solve a new case – in which case I probably should have found you a longer chain,” he laughed. “Anyway, it suits you,” he said. “I hope you like it…”

  “I love it,” I said. “Thank you.” And I really meant it. I lifted my wrist to the light and watched as the tiny charms sparkled in the setting sun.

  “Now why don’t we get out of here, Holmes?” He reached down and offered me his outstretched hand. “We have to meet your mum in an hour and we still have a lot of kissing to catch up on.”

  “In that case, let’s get going, Watson.”

  Crack every case with fashion’s most stylish detective!

  To discover how Axelle unravelled her very first case, racing against the clock to solve the mystery of the missing fashion designer in très chic Paris, check out A Crime of Fashion.

  And to get the skinny on how Axelle tracked down a dazzling diamond in New York (and stole a kiss on the top of the Empire State Building), read Stolen with Style.

  And to find out how Axelle stopped a killer in her home city of good old London – despite getting distracted by a mega-cute boy band member – read Deadly by Design.

  For more fabulous reads, go to www.usborne.com/fiction

  If you want to blend in with the fashion set, it’s worth learning the lingo. Here’s a handy guide:

  BOOK: This is another word for the all-important portfolio models have. A book or portfolio is used to show clients and designers both how a model looks in photos, and what kind of work they’ve done.

  BOOKER: A staff member at an agency whose job is to handle requests from clients and to represent and set up appointments for models.

  CASTING DIRECTOR: Hired by a designer to organize fashion-show castings. They meet hundreds of models, watch them walk and look at their portfolio, before narrowing the choice to those models that best fit the designer’s vision.

  FITTING: A session that may take place before a fashion show or photo shoot where the clothes to be modelled are fitted onto the model.

  GO-SEE: An appointment for a model to see a photographer or a client. Unlike a casting, there is no specific brief.

  HAUTE COUTURE: Pronounced “oat-ko-chure” this phrase is French for “high-fashion”. Couture is extremely high-end, tailor-made designer clothes that only a few dozen people in the world can afford.

  LOCATION: Any place, other than in a studio, where a shoot takes place.

  LOOKBOOK: A set of photos used by fashion designers to show their newest collections to clients. Usually bound like a small book.

  MODEL FLAT: A flat that a modelling agency ow
ns and rents out to models who are either too young to rent an apartment on their own, or who are just starting out and have moved from another town or another country.

  OPTIONS: An option is put to a model by a client to see if he/she would be available for a shoot. Options are then either confirmed as a booking, or released.

  STYLIST: The person who chooses the clothes to be photographed for a magazine editorial or advertising campaign. They either work for a magazine or are freelance.

  TEAR SHEETS: These are photos which are literally torn from magazines, and which a model can use in her book. Tear sheets from magazines likeVogue and Elle are what every model hopes to have in her book.

  ZED CARD: This is basically a business card for models. A5 in size, zed cards normally show at least two photos, as well as basic info such as a model’s hair colour, eye colour, height and agency contact details.

  And if anyone’s still suspicious that you don’t belong, just throw in one of these handy phrases…

  “Lace is so yesteryear!”

  “I practise my pout every day.”

  “Spots aren’t just for leopards, you know!”

  “Yes, Jane Birkin is a handbag and a person…”

  “Good news: black is the new black!”

  “What! You take your heels off to sleep?”

  “I always travel with a cashmere blanket.”

  “They’re not spiders – they’re my fake eyelashes!”

  “I love to wear my overalls – to go dancing!”

  “I love Milan! This discreet, elegant city has it all: monuments, opera, art, shopping and fashion – especially fashion. As one of the world’s fashion capitals, Milan has more than its fair share of home-grown designers and trend-worthy style. So brush your hair (Milanese women have amazing hair), slip into your most glamorous jacket and get ready to explore this cosmopolitan city. Oh – and don’t forget to treat yourself to some gelato! Ciao, bella!”

  COVA AND MARCHESI: So you’ve spent all afternoon on Milan’s most sophisticated shopping street, Via Monte Napoleone, and need a cup of tea and some melt-in-your-mouth pastries? Look no further than legendary tea house Cova, or, further along the same street, the new outpost of Milan’s other famous pastry maker (and sweetshop), Marchesi. Just don’t blame me if you eat too much!

  DUOMO: You can’t go to Milan and not visit the Duomo! Smack in the middle of the old city, this awesome cathedral is one of the largest in the world and its rooftop view (go at sunset) is the most romantic in Milan. Before leaving, do as the models do at Milan Fashion Week and take a selfie on the square.

  FONDAZIONE PRADA: Are you looking to get your fashion and culture fix all in one go? If so, make a trip to the Fondazione Prada, the new museum established by fashion designer Miuccia Prada (yes, her family created the famous brand). You’ll find contemporary and classical art, super architecture, a great bookstore, and an oh-so-fashionable Prada cafe.

  NAVIGLI: This neighbourhood shows Milan at its most laid-back and funky. Spend an afternoon strolling along its canals, and exploring the quirky shops and cheap-and-cheerful restaurants that line the quays. As you head back into the city centre, stop to admire the Columns of San Lorenzo, just north of Porta Ticinese.

  CORSO COMO 10: Indulge your inner fashionista with a visit to this uber-stylish and edgy store. And although many of the sleek items on offer do cost an arm and a leg, not everything does – on my last trip there I bought a pair of Converse. From Corso Como walk down the Corso Garibaldi to the famous La Scala opera house.

  GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II: This fabulous galleria is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls and the perfect place to people-watch. You can also check out visiting celebrities and the crème de la crème of Milanese society at the Park Hyatt Hotel around the corner. Have a Shirley Temple under the soaring glass cupola of the lobby – and don’t stare!

  CIMITERIO MONUMENTALE: Don’t let the idea of a bunch of creepy headstones scare you. As the burial place of choice for Milan’s elite, this vast cemetery garden is packed with an extravagant assortment of crypts, statues and mausoleums. You’ve never seen a cemetery like this one.

  PIZZA PAZZA: If you love pizza as much as I do, you’ll love the classic tomato and mozzarella ones at this friendly, unpretentious pizzeria – preferably eaten at an outside table on a sunny day. Afterwards, walk across the Santo Stefano Square and check out the church of San Bernardino alle Ossa. The walls of the tiny chapel attached to this church are covered in skulls. Yeah, skulls!

  BRAIDENSE NATIONAL LIBRARY: Want to feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast? Then this ballroom-like library is the place you’ve been dreaming of! A grand staircase, enormous crystal chandeliers, and shelves and shelves bursting with rare antique books…you won’t find a more magical place than this.

  THANK YOU:

  To my agent, the lovely Jenny Savill, and the rest of the team at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

  To my brilliant editors, Sarah Stewart and Anne Finnis, and the rest of the eagle-eyed editing team at Usborne Publishing for your talent and time. Special sparkly thanks to Becky Walker.

  David Brown and Alessandra Donato of D’Management Group in Milan, Italy. Thank you so much for sharing your advice, enthusiasm, and insider knowledge. You opened my eyes to everything Milan has to offer and showed me a very different city from the one I remember from my modelling days.

  Simon Chambers, Sarah Doukas and the rest of the fabulous team at Storm Model Management in London, England. Time always flies in a flurry of excitement at your HQ. Thank you for all of your tips, pointers and generosity. Here’s to more cupcake visits!

  Priscilla – my research trip wouldn’t have been the same without you. Nor my waistline – but that’s another story! Thank you for everything.

  Roberta, because you have the best address book in Milan and a fantastic sense for great locations – including creepy abandoned buildings. Thank you for showing me around, I enjoyed every minute in your company.

  This ebook first published in the UK in 2016 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England. www.usborne.com

  Copyright © 2016 by Carina Axelsson

  Cover illustration by Yusuf Doganay

  Author photo by Anne-Marie Mulot

  The right of Carina Axelsson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  The name Usborne and the devices are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd.

  All rights reserved. This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ePub ISBN 9781474919289

  Batch no. 03954-02