by R A Wallace
Frank’s smug smile disappeared temporarily but returned when the girl behind him replied.
“She’s willing to pay the money, Frank. She’s going to fall in love with the thing as soon as she holds it.”
Frank nodded his agreement. Callie reached out her arms. Once she held the dog snugly, she turned and walked out of the house.
“Hey! Wait a minute.” Frank charged out of the house but stopped when he ran into a police officer.
“She’s stealing my dog!” Frank yelled with his arm outstretched as he pointed toward Callie’s retreating form.
“Sir, I need to ask you for some identification.” The police officer blocked Frank from leaving the porch and following Callie.
Callie took Layla straight to her car. There were a lot of times when having a friend on the police force really came in handy. She’d have to find a way to repay Juanita for showing up when she needed her.
Chapter Eleven
Ariana thanked her friend for the ride after school and hopped out of the car. She let herself into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. After grabbing a soda from the fridge, she began walking to her bedroom. Stopping midway, she returned to the fridge and exchanged the soda for a bottle of water. If she seriously wanted to break into her career, she needed to watch her weight.
She changed her clothes, dressing carefully into something that she hoped flattered her figure, then went back through the kitchen into the garage. The drive to the agency didn’t take long. Ariana parked across the street from the building and sat in her car for a few moments trying to settle her stomach. She was nervous. She hoped that what she was about to do would be a turning point in her life.
She knew all the names of the top models in the business. It was what she was truly interested in. Her mom had been on her for months about picking out a college and a major, but Ariana had no interest in any of that. She was in her senior year in high school. After eighteen solid years of going to school, she needed a break.
What better way to step away from school than to get a job as a model? Taking one final deep breath, she quickly walked across the street and into the reception area of the modeling agency. There was no one around. She glanced at the time on her phone. The hours on the web site said they’d be open now. She looked around the small reception room. There were professional photos all over the walls of models, both male and female. Some of them looked like they were taken on location in exotic places. Ariana had always dreamed of traveling to places like that.
She debated her options. It was possible that the receptionist had just stepped away from the desk and would return soon. She could just wait for a few minutes. But what if they were going to be gone longer? Maybe she should have called before she came? Ariana pulled up the web site on her phone and found the number. After pressing the link on the web site to call the number, she heard the phone in the office begin ringing.
A moment later, the door behind the desk opened and a woman with a scowl on her face appeared. Ariana thought she was fairly attractive for an older woman. She guessed the woman was probably in her forties, at least. The photo on the web site must have been taken a long time ago. Nikki Fielding definitely looked ancient in comparison now. Her blonde hair was heavily highlighted. Ariana assumed it was to mask the gray that old women get.
Nikki Fielding stopped at the desk and held up a finger as she reached for the phone. Ariana discreetly pressed end on her phone and the ringing stopped a moment before Nikki lifted the receiver. She made a noise of disgust at the phone then turned her attention to Ariana, smoothing her face as she did.
“Are you here to register for classes?” Nikki asked as she took a step closer to Ariana to study her.
“Ah, I guess. I wanted to sign up for modeling jobs.” Ariana wasn’t completely certain what all that entailed. There had been mention of classes on the web site, but nothing too specific. It made sense that they would do some sort of training so the models knew what to do when they went out on jobs.
Nikki walked around Ariana halfway as she continued to examine her.
“Could you walk across the room for me?” Nikki asked with a motion of her hand.
Ariana hesitated for a moment, then did as she was asked.
“And back again.” Nikki nodded to herself as she watched Ariana. “Excellent. I think you have a lot of potential. We get a lot of calls for girls with your coloring and build.”
Ariana thought that sounded promising.
Nikki crossed over to the receptionist’s desk and pulled up a file on the computer. She asked for Ariana’s name and contact information.
“When will I be able to start?” Ariana asked.
“Well, you’ll have to complete the training program before we can send you out on any jobs, of course.” Nikki pulled up another file. “We have another session beginning next month.”
That seemed like a long time away. “You don’t have anything sooner?”
Nikki straightened from the computer and leaned against the desk. “There are several different components to learning the trade. You’ll also need instruction in makeup, poise, clothing, and photo shoots. Are you planning to pay in full before you begin?”
Ariana hadn’t been able to find a price on the web site. She asked how much it would cost. Her heart sank when Nikki told her the amount. There was no way she could come up with thousands of dollars. She should have known it would be expensive to become a model.
“I don’t have that kind of money,” Ariana said with a frown.
Nikki glanced down at the receptionist’s desk.
“We’re short on staff here. Our last receptionist left us for a lucrative offer in Milan. She’s making a mint now.” Nikki tilted her head as she studied Ariana again.
“Could I take classes while I worked here?” Ariana asked.
“We’d have to work out the money, of course.” Nikki looked as though she were considering it. “If you work until the classes begin next month, you’ll have part of a down payment. Maybe we could figure something out under an installment plan.”
Ariana thought that sounded promising. She might be able to get her classes done around the same time she graduated from high school.
“What all would I need to do?” Ariana asked as she looked around the office.
“Part of the duties would include marketing. You would need to make calls to try to get new students in for the modeling agency,” Nikki explained as she watched Ariana closely. “Of course, we could also get you started with some exposure in the field.”
“Really?” That sounded good.
“We often give parties for the businesses who hire our models. You would need to work those parties so that the customers could see you. Have you ever waited in a restaurant before?” Nikki asked.
Ariana hadn’t, but she didn’t want to lose her chance at modeling. “A little. I’m sure I could pick up anything I need to know quickly.”
“There might also be some opportunities for you to be photographed.” Nikki smiled. “We’ll talk about that later.”
Ariana left the modeling agency a short time later feeling on top of the world. She was in the modeling business. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends. Maybe she could get them to sign up too. That was, after all, part of her new duties.
Chapter Twelve
Callie entered the front door of the theater and stopped at the office to check in with the woman she saw there. She assumed the woman was the one who handled the tickets. The room she was in had a glass wall above the counter with a place for an exchange of money and tickets.
“Hello, I’m Callie Indigo with Indigo Investigations. My mother asked me to stop by.”
Audrey stood from her seat and walked out of her office to join Callie on the other side of the glass wall.
“I’m Audrey. Your mom mentioned that you would be stopping by. We’re all pretty worried about Chase.”
Audrey motioned past the entrance area. “I can show you around an
d introduce you to some of the others.”
“That would be excellent, thank you. Have you known Chase long?” Callie asked.
“He’s worked on a couple of other productions here locally. The audience really seems to like him.” Audrey opened a door and passed through into the theater. The house lights were on and Callie could see both the stage and the seating area clearly. The theater was actually much larger than Callie had assumed. She’d never been inside before. She wondered again about the size and scope of the production Elliot had gifted to her mother.
“Has he ever disappeared before?” Callie stopped when Audrey did.
“Oh, no. He’s always been very dependable. That’s why we’ve been so worried. It just isn’t like him. He’s always been so professional before.”
Audrey and Callie watched as someone else walked onto the stage.
“They’re just gathering for the evening as they arrive here,” Audrey explained.
Audrey motioned to a gentleman that Callie assumed was near her mother’s age.
“That’s the director, John Laslo.” Audrey leaned in closer to Callie and lowered her voice. “He’s a friend of Mr. Landon.”
Callie understood that to mean that Elliot had brought John Laslo in when he’d funded the production.
Audrey pointed to man next to John Laslo holding a clipboard.
“That’s Peter, the stage manager. He makes sure that everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Callie watched a few more people walk onto the stage.
“Those three are part of the crew. You have Hank on the left. He handles the lights. Steve is in the middle. He does the props. And Wes is on the right. He’s our carpenter.”
Callie looked beyond the people on the stage to the set. It looked impressive. Two new arrivals caught her attention.
“Nina designed the set. And that’s Camille. She handles the wardrobe. Your mom gets to wear some pretty amazing costumes,” Audrey said. “Wait till you see her green gown. It’s for a party scene when all the suspects are together.”
“Suspects?” Callie hadn’t asked her mother what the play was about.
“It’s a murder mystery,” Audrey explained.
“Does the cast arrive soon?”
“Yes, they’ll be trickling in now also. Your mom is usually one of the first to arrive.”
Callie wasn’t surprised. She knew her mother was really enjoying herself with the production. Now that she was beginning to understand the scope of it, she could understand why. She should have known Elliot wouldn’t settle for anything small.
She watched as her mother emerged from the side of the stage and joined the others. A handsome man with dark hair walked in behind her and stood next to her on stage. Callie recognized him immediately. He was the man in the grocery store with the laughing blue eyes.
“Who is that?” Callie asked.
Audrey smiled when she followed Callie’s nod. “Oh, that’s Greyson. He’s our leading man now that Chase is missing. It’s the first time he’s worked with us. So far, he’s been living up to his name.”
Callie shifted her gaze from Greyson to Audrey and lifted an eyebrow.
Audrey lowered her voice again. “His full name is Greyson Divine.”
Seriously? Callie looked back at the man on the stage standing next to her mother. Her mother was laughing at something he said. She figured that had to be some sort of stage name.
“Looks like they’re breaking up the meeting. You might want to go speak with them now before they really get started with practice.”
Callie followed Audrey to an entrance on one side of the stage. It led to the area behind the stage where the crew were now gathering.
Callie assumed that if the director wasn’t local and had just been brought in for this production, he probably wasn’t as familiar with Chase as some of the crew might be. She headed for the stage manager first and introduced herself.
“Margaret mentioned you might stop by,” Peter said as he tucked his clipboard under his arm.
“Have you worked with Chase before?”
“A couple of times, yes. He’s always been here on time.” Peter looked over Callie’s shoulder and watched as someone walked up behind her.
“Can I assume that you’ve tried contacting him at home?” Callie asked.
“Yes, of course. I tried calling him several times. You know, just in case something happened.” Peter motioned behind Callie. “This is Rob. He’s in the cast also.”
Callie took a step back and nodded to the man who joined them. He was maybe a couple of inches taller than she was.
“Callie is Margaret’s daughter.”
Callie wondered why Peter chose to introduce her that way but then decided it was a good idea. If they didn’t know she was a private investigator, they might be more apt to speak with her.
“Nice to meet you.” Rob nodded at Callie then turned to Peter. “Any word from Chase?”
“No. You’ll be working with Greyson again.”
“I understand Chase was from around here?” Callie asked. “Have you worked with him before?”
Rob gave a distracted nod as he looked around for Greyson. “A couple of times. Never known him to take off like this before.” Rob gave a brief smile as he excused himself to join Greyson.
Callie saw the two of them gesture over a script in Greyson’s hand.
“This is the final week before the first performance. Everyone is a little tense, especially with Greyson having to step in at the last minute,” Peter explained.
“I can imagine.” Callie watched as her mother approached Greyson and successfully separated him from Rob. She groaned inwardly as her mother came bearing down on her with Greyson in tow.
“Greyson, this is Callie. I’ve mentioned her to you.” Margaret waved toward Callie with a flourish.
Greyson gave Callie a playful smile that matched the laughter in his eyes.
“We’ve met. Sort of.”
“You have?” Margaret swiveled her head between the two of them. They appeared to be in the middle of a staring contest. “You didn’t mention that, Callie.”
Callie tore her gaze away from Greyson. “I didn’t catch his name at the time.”
Another woman approached them with a roll of paper under her arm.
“Nina, this is Callie, Margaret’s daughter,” Peter said.
Nina smiled a greeting as she unrolled the paper. “The posters for the play just arrived. I’m going to need to remove Chase from the poster and put Greyson in his place.”
Callie looked at the poster and wondered what the odds were. The name Anilese had given her was Ian Rubio. The name on the poster for the leading man was Chase Garcia. Apparently, they were one and the same.
“I have some shots of Greyson in the office on my computer that he sent to me when he tried out for the understudy. I’ll forward them to you,” Peter said.
Callie watched as Peter and Nina walked away. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the headshot that Anilese had given her and held it up to her mother.
“This is Chase?” Callie asked.
Margaret leaned forward and looked at the picture. “Yes, it is. Where did you get that?”
“A client came in and asked me to look for him. According to her, this is Ian Rubio.” Callie turned to Greyson. “Have you worked with him before?”
“No,” Greyson said quickly. “This is the first time I’ve met him. Excuse me.”
“Where do you suppose he’s going so quickly?” Callie muttered.
“Isn’t he divine?” Margaret said with a chuckle.
“I think he’s too young for you,” Callie pointed out.
Margaret ignored her. “What does this mean? Why does that woman think Chase has a different name?”
Callie wondered the same thing. “Why do you think Ian is Chase?”
“What do you mean?” Margaret asked with a frown.
“How does anyone know what his real name is?
I imagine actors use stage names all the time. Like Greyson Divine.”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s Greyson’s real name. It’s so fitting, don’t you think?” Margaret looked across the stage at Greyson. He was on his phone and moving quickly off the stage.
Callie wondered why the name Ian Rubio had caused him to move away from them so quickly and make a phone call.
Chapter Thirteen
The motel wasn’t in the best part of town, but it wasn’t the first time Callie had been here on a case. It seemed that every time she was looking for a cheating spouse, this was the motel they chose to use. She assumed it was because customers had the option to pay either by the day or by the hour.
Callie parked her car at the far end of the lot and waited. She knew from experience that she may have to wait for hours before anyone appeared. There was a lot of activity to keep her entertained in the meantime. She watched as several cars came and went over the course of the afternoon.
It had taken her all morning to follow the clues she’d been given by the cast and crew of her mother’s play. Several of them had worked with Chase, or Ian, in the past. She looked at the headshot that Anilese had given her again and decided that he looked more like an Ian than a Chase.
She’d shown the photo to the clerk working at the motel where she now waited. He was a large, gruff man who kept his sentences short. It had cost her twenty dollars, but she’d been told that a man fitting the description had been staying here for several days. That was all the clerk would tell her for twenty dollars and she didn’t have any more than that on her to give him.
As a result, she was waiting in the parking lot hoping to see Ian coming or going so she would know which room he was in. The motel was single level. All of the rooms were in one long row which made it easy for Callie to monitor anyone coming and going. After a few hours, she was rewarded with an actual sighting when a car pulled into the lot with the man in question driving.