The Fashion Hound Murders Read Online Free PDF Page A

for only one thousand dollars.”
    “Only!” Josie said. She felt dazed. “But—”
    “We don’t need it tomorrow, Ms. Marcus. But we do need it.”
    “I’ll—I’ll get it, Mr. Worthington. Just give me a little time.”
    Josie hung up the phone. She felt like both couches—her old and her new one—had been dropped on her. One thousand dollars. At Christmastime.
    Amelia was thriving at Barrington. She needed stability. But where would Josie get that kind of money? Her mother didn’t like Barrington. Jane wanted to send Amelia to St. Philomena’s Catholic School. She had even suggested that the combination of public school and the church Sunday school would do, until Josie showed her the statistics on guns in public schools.
    Her phone rang again. It was Harry. “Pets 4 Luv will double your fee,” he announced, without bothering to say hello. “ Double your fee . But that’s their last offer. Take it or leave it.”
    Josie felt a flood of relief. That fee would pay a nice chunk of her daughter’s tuition. The job was still dangerous, but the money made it worth the risk.
    “I need an answer now. You have to start this morning,” Harry said. “You have to return the purse cam to Suttin by three this afternoon, then e-mail me the report.”
    Josie heard his desperation. “I can return the camera by three o’clock,” she said. “But I have to pick up my daughter at school. I can e-mail the report later this afternoon.”
    “The office will be closed then,” Harry said. “Uh, it’s a one-time thing.”
    Josie translated that as Harry was taking some unauthorized hours off work.
    “Couldn’t your mother pick up the kid?” Harry asked.
    Josie knew she had the upper hand. “Harry, I have to take my daughter to school and pick her up. I depend on my mother too much as it is.”
    “Okay, okay. Get it in early tomorrow. Just take the freaking job. Please,” Harry said.
    “I love it when men beg me,” Josie said.

Chapter 3
    “Are you sure you want to do this?” Josie asked. “You can still go home.”
    “Why?” Alyce said. “We mystery-shop together all the time. I’m your cover, your generic housewife. I’m the invisible woman.”
    “Not that invisible,” Josie said. “You showed up on short notice when I needed you this morning.”
    “Thank my nanny,” Alyce said. “She’s watching Justin.”
    They were sitting in Alyce’s plush SUV on the parking lot of Pets 4 Luv. Josie’s car was parked next to it, but Alyce’s SUV had the better heater, so they sat inside it and waited. The store was supposed to open in five minutes. A woman in a blue winter coat paced outside the doors.
    “You seem uneasy. What can go wrong at a pet store?” Alyce asked. “We’re in Kirkwood, one of the safer suburbs in St. Louis County.”
    “There’s something flaky about this store,” Josie said.
    The blue-coated woman rattled the doors impatiently, but they stayed locked.
    “Looks like a normal store to me,” Alyce said. “The employees don’t want to open until they absolutely have to.”
    “I’m getting paid too much money for this job,” Josie said.
    “Nice problem,” Alyce said.
    “Harry the Horrible isn’t telling me something.”
    “Harry never tells you anything,” Alyce said.
    “True,” Josie said. “But I have to use this stupid purse video camera.” Josie held it up.
    Alyce studied the purse. “I wondered why you carried that. It’s seriously ugly. But I didn’t want to say anything.”
    “You’re a true friend,” Josie said.
    Alyce was Josie’s best friend and complete opposite. Josie was small and dark haired. Alyce’s skin was so white, it was almost translucent. She had pale blond hair and a generous figure.
    Alyce was fairly rich. Josie was strapped for cash. Alyce lived in a new, upper-crust suburb. Josie preferred older, more urban Maplewood, on the edge of St. Louis. Alyce enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. Josie liked mystery shopping. She cooked with