“You must lead a really interesting life,” Bess said to Nicole. “What’s a typical day like?”
Nicole began describing her life as a fashion model. “Of course, there aren’t as many fashion shows for tweens and teens as there are for adults,” she said, “so I’m hoping all this pays off and that I get picked up by one of the really top modeling agencies. I want to go to Paris and Rome.”
“Oh, that is so exciting,” Nancy said.
“It would be even more exciting if I could model some of my mother’s designs,” Nicole said. “Unfortunately, she’s not having much luck placing them with a top fashion designer.”
“That’s too bad,” George said.
Later, back in the auditorium, Nancy declared, “After ten walk-throughs and outfit changes, I’m getting really tired.” She looked at her watch. “It’s almost time for school to be out. I wish we’d stop for today.”
“Yeah! I never thought I’d say this, but I’d rather be in class,” Bess agreed. “This is really hard work.”
“I thought I was in better shape than this,” George said. “I may need to play more soccer.”
Juliana shouted, “Okay! Okay! We’ll stop for a couple hours, but I want everyone back here at seven p.m. The show is tomorrow, and we still have a few things we need to work on.”
“Look what I found!” Everyone turned. Nicole was standing at the back of the auditorium. She had a pile of clothes in her hands. “It’s all the missing outfits!”
“Oh, wonderful, Nicole!” Juliana said. “We really don’t need them now for the River Heights show, but I do want to use them for the New York show!”
The Clue Crew rushed over to Nicole.
“Where did you find them?” Nancy asked.
“In one of the gymnasium lockers,” Nicole said. “I was just wandering around, trying to clear my head, and all of a sudden I saw a piece of blue cloth sticking out from the bottom of a door, so I opened it, and there they were!”
“Bring them here, Nicole!” Juliana called. “I want to see if they’re all right.”
When Nicole was out of earshot, Nancy turned to Bess and George and said, “That’s strange. We searched those lockers ourselves, and we didn’t find anything.”
chaPTER NiNE
The Last Rehearsal
As the models began their last rehearsal for the fashion show, Nancy simply could not shake the feeling that the one final clue that would solve the mystery was right under their noses.
Nancy struggled to concentrate on all the last-minute details about successful modeling that Nicole kept telling them. Unfortunately her brain simply would not let her think about anything else except the case.
Suddenly Nancy stumbled and almost fell off the runway.
“Nancy!” Nicole cried.
Bess and George rushed to Nancy’s side.
“Are you all right?” Bess said. “Is anything broken?”
Nancy struggled to sit up. “I’m fine. I’m fine! Nothing’s broken!” She looked around. Everyone was staring at her. “How embarrassing,” she whispered to George.
Just then Nicole reached them.
“I’m sorry, Nicole,” Nancy said. “I’m not normally this clumsy. It’s just that—”
“Oh, Nancy, please don’t worry. You’re doing fine,” Nicole interrupted her. “I’m just glad you didn’t break your leg!”
“Me too,” Nancy said. George and Bess helped her up.
“Let’s just restart your runway walk,” Nicole said.
“Thank you,” Nancy said.
As the girls headed back behind the curtain, they heard Nicole shout, “Cue up the music for the River Heights models from the beginning, all right?”
“She is so nice,” Bess said when they reached the wings. “I’m glad she’s the one helping us and not the other models.”
“She really is nice! The other models would probably have pushed Nancy the rest of the way off the runway,” George said. “We’re lucky she’s on our side.”
Nancy couldn’t believe it. That was exactly what had been puzzling her. Nicole was nice, all right! In fact, she seemed too nice!
“I wonder why,” Nancy said.
George and Bess looked at her.
“Why what?” Bess asked.
“Why is Nicole so nice to us?” Nancy said. “Is it just a cover to hide what she’s really doing?”
Bess and George blinked in unison.
“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” George said.
“Well, we’ve exhausted all the other suspects,” Nancy said. “After all, she found the missing clothes in a place where we had already looked. Maybe her being nice is to keep us from suspecting that—”
“Nancy Drew!” Bess said. “Nicole isn’t a criminal, she’s a model!”
Nancy sighed. “I hope you’re right,” she said.
The day of the big River Heights fashion show finally arrived. Nancy, Bess, George, and Deirdre met in a room separate from the other models. Quincy had a curtained-off area next to them, and Peter had agreed to help him make fast changes.
Nancy looked at her watch. “It’s almost time,” she said. “I have butterflies!”
“So do we!” the others said.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
When Deirdre opened it, Nicole was standing there.
“You look gorgeous!” Bess said.
Nicole smiled. “Well, I forgot to tell you something,” she said. “You will need a special kind of makeup for the television lights. Otherwise, your faces fade out, and no one can tell who you are.”
“Oh, that can’t happen!” Deirdre said. “I want people to recognize me. It’s important for my career!”
“Where can we get it?” Nancy asked.
“Follow me,” Nicole said.
They followed Nicole down a hallway to a small room. “I’ve set up the makeup in here,” she said. “Put it on and then stand outside this door until you’re called.”
“Thanks, Nicole,” Deirdre said. “You’re super!”
Nicole smiled again. “I’ll see you later,” she said.
Everyone quickly started applying the special makeup. Peter helped a reluctant Quincy with his.
Just as they finished, a harried stage director burst inside. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” he shouted. “Line up! You’re on now!”
As they ran down the hallway after the stage director Nancy tried to explain about the makeup.
“Stop talking!” the stage director said. “You’re late! Let’s move!”
As they lined up they passed Felicity and Cory, who looked at them and started laughing.
“What’s their problem?” Bess asked from the middle of the line.
“They’re just jealous,” Deirdre said.
All of a sudden Nancy had a peculiar feeling. She hoped Deirdre was right.
chaPTER TEN
Who Would Have Guessed?
This is it, Nancy thought as she quickly stepped through the narrow curtain opening and onto the runway. Bess, George, and Quincy were right behind her. Deirdre wanted to be last so she would get the most applause.
Just as the bright lights hit her, Nancy smiled, thinking there would be thunderous applause. Instead, there was loud laughter, and Nancy wondered what in the world was wrong.
Maybe it’s just happy laughter,
Nancy thought as she continued to smile and walk the way Nicole had taught them.
When Nancy was almost to the end of the runway, though, she was sure they weren’t laughing with her.
At the end of the runway, out of most of the bright lights, Nancy could now see into the audience. People weren’t just laughing, they were pointing, too!
You don’t understand fashion, Nancy thought. She held her head high. She was glad she was part of this international fashion show.
Nancy made her turn to head back to the stage, and right away she knew what was making everyone laugh. Bess, George, Quincy, and Deird
re all had bright orange faces! They looked like pumpkin heads. Nancy was sure she looked like one too!
How did this happen? Nancy wondered.
Then all of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle fit.
Finally Nancy reached the opening in the curtain, went through it, and, when she was totally out of sight of the audience, exhaled.
What a mean, terrible thing to do! Nancy thought.
As the rest of the show continued, Bess, George, Quincy, and Deirdre rushed over to her.
“Why are our faces orange?” Deirdre demanded. “My career is ruined!”
“You were right, Nancy,” George said.
“I still can’t believe it,” Bess added.
“What are you two talking about?” Quincy asked.
Just then Nicole came over to them. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened. There must have been some mix-up—or maybe the makeup is just old!”
Nancy and the Crew Clue just looked at her for a few moments, and then Nancy said, “Really? I don’t think that’s it at all, Nicole. I think you did it on purpose. The only question is Why.”
“What do you mean?” Nicole said. “Are you accusing me of all the pranks?”
“That’s exactly what we’re doing, Nicole,” Bess said.
“We had already searched those lockers where you found the missing clothes,” George said. “That couldn’t have been where they were hidden.”
“That gave you away,” Nancy added, “but I guess we just didn’t want to believe it.”
“Well, I … I …,” Nicole started to say, and then she burst into tears. “It’s not my fault. My mother is a wonderful designer, and Juliana won’t …”
“Girls! Girls! It’s incredible!”
Everyone turned. Juliana was hurrying toward them. With her was Mrs. Corwin, Mrs. Ramirez, and a woman Nancy didn’t recognize.
“We’re sorry, Juliana,” Nancy said. “We were just talking about …”
“Sorry? Sorry for what?” Juliana said. “This was the grandest fashion show I’ve ever put on! Several buyers from stores around the world are going to carry my Rhes! line of clothing.”
Nancy and the others looked at one another.
“Really?” Nancy said.
“But what about the orange makeup?” Deirdre asked.
“That was a fantastic idea,” the woman said.
“Oh, I’m sorry, students. This is Sophia Napoli,” Juliana said. “She’s the editor of Fashion Plate magazine, and she’s going to do a story about my Rhes! designs.”
“I thought the orange makeup really went well with every outfit,” Sophia said. “In fact, that’s going to be the focus of the article: ‘Why can’t we wear different colors of makeup if we feel like it?’”
“That’s what I’m saying!” Deirdre said.
Everyone laughed—including Nicole.
That night everyone connected with the fashion show met at Nancy’s favorite pizza parlor for dinner. They took up several tables.
In the middle of the meal, Nicole stood up and said, “I want to apologize to everyone for the things I did. I hid the designs, I hid the clothing, I hid the personal belongings of the other models, and I substituted the orange makeup for the regular makeup. It’s just a light shade of orange until the runway lights hit it, and then it turns really bright!” She looked at Juliana. “I’m sorry. I was angry that you didn’t use my mother’s designs—because she’s a wonderful designer.”
“Oh, Nicole!” Juliana said. “I am going to use your mother’s designs!” She shook her head. “It’s just that I’ve been so busy getting ready for the River Heights show, I hadn’t said anything about it.”
“Juliana! Mother will be so happy!” Nicole said. “I’m so sorry. That was very unprofessional of me!” She smiled. “But I think the River Heights models were as professional as any models I’ve ever seen.” She turned to Felicity, Elizabeth, Marissa, and Cory. “Don’t you agree?”
This time, they all nodded and smiled.
“Oh, I just knew this was my career!” Deirdre said.
“Well, I never thought about a career in modeling,” Nancy said, “but it really was fun!”
“I have an idea,” Nicole said. “Anytime you want to come to New York, you can stay with me and my mother, and we’ll take you to some of the famous fashion houses.”
Deirdre gasped. “Do you think when they see me they’ll want me to model for them?”
“You never can tell,” Nicole said.
“Here’s to a successful fashion show—and a successfully solved case,” toasted Juliana.
Everyone cheered.
D-I-Y Design
You’re going to become a famous fashion designer and hit the catwalk!
You will need:
Paper
Colored pencils
Magazines and catalogs for inspiration
Let’s get started!
Sketch a body template onto a blank sheet of paper. Make as many photocopies of this template as you want so you don’t have to redraw it when you make a new design.
With the colored pencils, create a variety of outfits. You can draw them all for one season (like fall) or for one activity (like ballet).
When you’ve finished, print or sign your name on the design so that people will know you are the designer.
Finally, tape up the designs around your room, and invite family or friends to see your latest collection!
Be creative. Draw the kinds of clothes you want to wear yourself!
Carolyn Keene, Designed for Disaster
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