Fashion Faux Paw Read Online Free PDF Page B

She crossed mental fingers. “I can usually tell if they have a good life, owners who love them, that kind of thing.”
    “I understand Ms. Perry had a dog. Do you know what happened to it?”
    “She has—er—had a mini Schnauzer named Klingon, and he’s a cute little guy. One of the models took him home with her when she was dismissed.” Ellie had thought about keeping Klingon herself, but Yasmine had claimed that her own mini Schnauzer, Jojo, and Lilah’s dog got along, so she figured it would be all right. “I hope that wasn’t against the rules,” she added, remembering what Sam always said about taking dogs that belonged to a murder victim to the city shelter.
    Vaughn scribbled a notation on his pad. “I don’t see why not. The dog wasn’t near the victim when she died, so it really wasn’t involved. We’ll have to notify Ms. Perry’s next of kin, of course, so they can claim the dog, but that might take a while.” He tucked the spiral notebook in his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “There’s just one more thing. No one can find both of the deceased’s bags, and I understand they were last in your possession.”
    Ellie cocked her head. “Both bags? You mean her personal tote and her gift bag?”
    “We have her personal bag, but the gift bag is missing, and my people say there’s no sign of it. Since you brought her personal bag to the staging area, I wondered if you’d seen her gift bag.”
    She remembered bringing the bag when she’d found the EpiPen. “I don’t recall. Once I found the EpiPen, I was so busy trying to help Kurt revive her I never thought about the swag bag. Then the EMTs arrived and—”
    “Somebody took it, of course. Didn’t you say it held thousands in gifts?”
    She cupped her hand around Rudy’s muzzle. “I hate to say this, but I imagine it was stolen. The stuff inside the bag was worth a lot of money, so someone probably saw their chance and grabbed it.”
    “Hmm.” He passed her his card and stood. “One of the officers told me who you were, so you know the drill. Call me if you remember something you think we need to know.”
    Great. It figured someone would fill Vaughn in on all the investigations in which she’d been involved, and that she lived with an NYPD detective. Resolving to take his remark in stride, she asked, “Do you know if the show will continue tomorrow morning, or is it postponed?”
    “The mayor has ordered us to stay here for however long it takes tonight, so this Fashion Week thing can go on as scheduled. I think it’ll be safe for you to return at your usual time in the morning.”
    “Can I clean up the dog pen or is that considered part of the crime scene?”
    He gazed at the pen. “The death occurred a good thirty yards from here, and we’ve taken everything we consider evidence, so do what you have to. Just keep out of the way of the forensic team.” His expression grew stern. “That means minding your own business, and staying out of theirs.”
    With that, he stalked off in the direction of the stage.
    Ellie thought about his choice of words as she retrieved the toys and dog beds in the pen and moved them under the table. Since the tech crew had picked the table clean, and Charlene had taken care of everything underneath, she guessed it was okay to stuff the canine paraphernalia out of the way. She imagined the area would look good as new in the morning, refilled with fruit and veggies, identical energy bars, and drinks.
    “That dippy dick didn’t mince words, did he?” said Rudy as they left the building.
    “Nope, and I plan to do exactly what he said. I’m not sticking my nose in this one.”
    “Ooo-kay, if that’s the way you want it,” he said, walking alongside her onto the street. “Just remember that word.”
    “Word? What word?”
    “Karma.”
    An hour later, Viv was sitting in Ellie’s kitchen, oohing and aahing over the booty in Ellie’s swag bag. She’d shown up unannounced shortly after