Designed for Disaster Read Free Page B

are so fake! I’ll show them a
real
modeling smile.”
    â€œI know,” Bess agreed. “Nicole is the only nice one of the group.”
    For the next several minutes Juliana explained how the fashion show would work, and then she said, “We start rehearsals first thing on Saturday morning. You all need to be here!”
    On Saturday morning Nancy, Bess, and George got permission to ride their bikes to River Heights Elementary School.
    â€œI can’t believe it’s finally here,” Nancy saidas they headed toward the auditorium. “This is incredible!”
    â€œMaybe not,” George said. “Look.”
    Nancy and Bess turned to where George was pointing. Mrs. Corwin was standing at the door to the auditorium. Juliana was sobbing on her shoulder.
    â€œOh no,” Nancy said. “This doesn’t look good.”
    When the three girls reached Mrs. Corwin, Nancy said, “What’s the matter?”
    Mrs. Corwin told them. Some of the clothes for the fashion show were missing—all of them were designs by the River Heights models!
    â€œWe can’t cancel,” Juliana sobbed. “It’ll ruin my name.”
    â€œWe won’t cancel,” Nancy assured her. She looked at Mrs. Corwin. “You have copies of our designs, so I’ll show them to our housekeeper, Hannah. She sews really well, and my dad can help her.”
    â€œOur parents will take care of our designs too,” Bess said. She turned to George. “Right?”

    â€œRight! And the same goes for Deirdre and Quincy, I’m sure!” George said. “With our parents helping, we’ll get it done!”
    â€œOh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” Juliana said. She turned to Mrs. Corwin. “Well, let’s start the rehearsal. We’ll do what we can.”
    As Mrs. Corwin and Juliana headed into the auditorium, Bess held back. “These can’t just be coincidences,” she whispered.
    â€œI agree,” Nancy said. She thought for a minute. “And the thief has to be someone here at school,” she added. “So when we’re finished, let’s do a quick search of the auditorium.”
    â€œGood idea,” George said. “We need to solve this mystery before anything else awful happens!”

chaPTER FiVE
The Top Suspects
    After dinner that night the Clue Crew met at Nancy’s house. The search of the auditorium had produced nothing.
    â€œLet’s write out the names of our top suspects,” Nancy said. “Who are the people we think most want the fashion show to fail?”
    â€œDo you still think we should dismiss Juliana as a suspect?” Bess asked. “Maybe she didn’t expect anyone to find our designs behind that filing cabinet, so now she’s hidden some of the clothing instead.”
    Nancy thought for a minute. “Well, my instinct tells me she’s not guilty,” she said, “but I suppose that until we actually solve the mystery,we should at least call her ‘a person of interest.’”
    â€œOh yeah, that’s good, Nancy,” George said. “You hear it all the time on television.”
    Nancy, Bess, and George each started to write their list of names in their case notebooks.
    When they finished, Bess read her list. “Amanda and Felicity.”
    â€œMe too!” George said. “I didn’t have them in that order, but they both made my list.”
    â€œBut I have a third name,” Nancy said.
    Bess and George looked at her. “Who?” they asked.
    â€œMrs. Nardo,” Nancy told them.
    â€œNadine’s mother?” George said.
    Nancy nodded. She told them what she heard when Mrs. Nardo was talking to Mrs. Ramirez during the volcano movie.
    â€œThat’s weird,” Bess said.
    â€œThat’s what I thought too,” Nancy told them. “And then right after that, Nadine wasn’t picked to be a model.”
    â€œBut the models were