Model Mystery Trilogy 01: Model Crime Read Online Free Page A

at the airport in less than ten minutes.”
    “I still don’t get why Vic and those guys are bothering to fly in to the River Heights Municipal Airport,” George said. “I mean, couldn’t they have just driven down from Chicago like the TV people did?”
    The Daredevils TV crew had descended on the town early that morning, arriving in a long line of vans and SUVs. Half the population of River Heights had turned out to see them drive into town as if it was some kind of parade. At least that was what Dad had told me when he’d called from his office, amused by the whole spectacle. Now my friends and I—along with everyone else involved with the wedding—were on our way to welcome the arrival of the real stars of the show. Namely, Vic and his showbiz pals. After the meet and greet, we were all supposed to attend some kind of welcome party at the airport. They’d told us the dress was “stylish casual.” For Bess, that translated into a pair of silky black pants, chic heels, and a shimmery blue top. I was a bit more understated, in nice slacks, a button-down shirt, and flats. George had refused to do more than put on black jeans instead of her usual blue, and dig out her cleanest sneakers.
    “I guess they want to film them making a big entrance,” Bess said. “Anyway, Syd says the TV people want lots of people there to cheer and stuff.”
    “Sounds kind of silly to me,” I commented.
    George shot me a look in the rearview mirror. “What do you know? You hardly ever even watch reality TV.”
    I couldn’t argue with her there. Besides, we were already turning into the small municipal airport, which appeared to be as busy as O’Hare at the moment. There were even a couple of security guards at the entrance gate. They flagged us down and demanded to see photo ID before they’d let us pass.
    “Guess they don’t want the local riffraff coming in,” George commented once we’d finally satisfied the guards that we were who we said we were. “I hope Mom remembered her ID when she came over.”
    George’s mother runs a catering company. Not only was she catering the wedding itself, but Sydney had arranged for her to cater several functions for the TV producers as well. All the extra work was keeping Mrs. Fayne and her employees pretty busy.
    “I feel kind of bad about your mom,” I told George. “If we weren’t bridesmaids, she probably would’ve drafted all three of us as cater waiters.”
    George shrugged, not looking too broken up about that. “It’s okay,” she said. “The TV people are paying her a ton. She can afford to hire all the waitstaff she needs without using us as her indentured servants.”
    She parked her car and we climbed out. “Which way do we go?” Bess wondered.
    “Mystery solved.” I pointed to a large man carrying a heavy-looking camera on his shoulder. He was hurrying down a path leading around the side of the main airport building.
    We trailed along behind him. When we rounded the back corner of the building, we spotted a crowd gathered along the edge of one of the airstrips.
    “Looks like this is the place,” George said.
    The airstrip was a zoo. Tons of people were buzzing around setting up lights, cameras, microphones, and all sorts of other equipment. About two dozen more familiar faces—Sydney’s family and friends—were clustered nearby, watching it all.
    We wandered over and found Deb standing at the edge of the crowd of onlookers. “Isn’t this exciting?” she gushed, clasping her hands together. Her brown eyes were wide with amazement as she watched a grizzled-looking man stride past, barking orders into a walkie-talkie. “It’s like we’re on the set of a Hollywood movie!”
    “Hard to believe our little Syd is part of this world now, huh?” George said with a grin.
    “Hello, hello!” A skinny young man with horn-rimmed glasses and a mop of sandy brown hair hurried toward us. He was carrying a clipboard and wore a large nametag that identified him as