Fashion Faux Paw (15 page)

He huffed out a breath.
“Sure, why not. The daffy dick took it easy, no draggin’ me up the street and back like he usually does, so I cooperated.”

Hugging him, she kissed the top of his head. “You are such a good dog. So good, in fact, that there’ll be a surprise tomorrow morning.”

He dropped to all fours and spun around.
“A surprise! Tell me now! Tell me now!”

Sam came into the room and walked to the closet. “What’s up with your furry friend?” He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it in his hamper, a routine he’d agreed to when they made up their “house rules.” “He acts like he wants food or playtime.”

“He knows he’s going to be doing something special tomorrow morning, that’s all.”

“Special how?” Sam stepped out of his slacks and hung them on a hanger, slipped off his T-shirt, and removed his socks and boxers. “Tell me. I can keep a secret.”

“Get me out of here,”
Rudy said, staring at a well-muscled and naked Sam, who was clearly ready to take his woman to bed.
“I’m getting testosterone overload.”

Ellie bit back a grin. “I called Amber because I have time to do my regular first run in the morning. That means Rudy will be seeing all his pals.”

“That’s it?” Sam grasped her hands and drew her to her feet. “He’s a nut job.”

“He’s just a normal dog, happy when I’m happy, sad when I’m sad. . . .” She moved near and he pressed his hips against her. “You know how much I love him.”

Sam kissed the side of her neck while his hands cupped her bottom. “As much as you love me?”

Their lips met and he coaxed her mouth open for more intimate contact. The heat from his body traveled through her, warming her to her toes. When he inched a hand up her back and around to her breast she sank into his touch and—

“’Scuse me, but I’m still in the room,”
a voice called out.

Ellie untangled herself and heaved a breath, then picked up her boy. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Don’t be long,” said Sam, climbing under the covers.

“Ewww,”
Rudy gruffed while she carried him.
“Why did I have to see that?”

“Because you have a bad habit of hanging around when Sam and I are ready for private time.” She plopped him onto the mattress. “I always move your pillow, so you could have just gone straight to bed instead of asking questions.”

He gave her cheek a sloppy lick.
“And I heard the answer.”
He circled his pillow, then lay down.
“We’re gonna see the gang, right?”

“Right.” Ellie stood. “Now get cozy and have a good night. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

He tucked his nose under his paws.
“I heard him ask you a question, too.”

She knew where he was going with the comment, so she rubbed his ears. “I love you both very much, but you’ll always be first in my heart.” Standing, she blew him a kiss. “I promise.”

Chapter 8

The next morning Ellie started her regular walk routine backwards, hoping to spend some time talking privately with Patti Fallgrave before she arrived at the Fashion Week facility. In order to do so, she and Rudy had to make the Cranston their first stop and work their way south, taking care of the dogs in Sara Studebaker’s building, then those in the Davenport, and finally her charges in the Beaumont.

“Good morning, Natter,” she said, greeting the doorman when they walked into the foyer.

“Ms. Ellie. What happened to Amber? I thought she was taking over for you this week.”

“She is, but I had some extra time this morning.”

“Well, it’s good to see you. You too, Rudy. Ms. Amber, she’s a nice lady, but you two always give me something to talk about with the missus.” His bushy eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Like the latest thing I read in the paper.”

Ellie headed for the elevator. She knew what the doorman was saying, and she didn’t want to comment.

But he continued talking as she walked away. “Did I read the headline right? Was somebody killed the other day during that show you and Ms. Fallgrave are working?”

“Um, yes, Patti and I were there.” She stood in front of the elevator and pushed the button. “I have to get moving.”

“The paper hinted it was a murder,” he said, his tone questioning. “And I was just wondering if you’d be mixed up in the investigation, like usual.”

Hearing him say “like usual” was bad enough. If Natter knew how she’d helped Viv’s sister find her fiancé’s killer in the Hamptons this past summer, she was certain he’d think she was ready to hang out a shingle reading ELLIE ENGLEMAN, PRIVATE EYE.

“Uh, no, no. Not me. Helping that client in the Davenport was my last brush with anything that has to do with murder.” Not wanting to be rude, she continued waiting for the door to open. “But I have to speak with Patti Fallgrave, and I don’t have much time.”

“Haven’t seen her yet, so she’s probably still at home.” He opened the main door for a tenant. “Go right up. I’m sure you’ll find her.”

“Thanks. I’ll be down with the gang soon.”

The young woman who entered the building needed the elevator, too, so Ellie let her in first. The woman, little more than a girl, really, had a pale face, made even paler because of her coal black eyebrows and deep red lips. Dressed as if it was a freezing day in January instead of a cool day in September, the woman eyed Rudy. “Are you one of the dog walkers in this building?”

“Yep, but this is my boy. Do you have a dog?”

She shook her head and her dark scarf slid to the back of her head, revealing pitch-black hair parted in the middle a la Morticia Addams. “Not me. They’re too much work.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’ll find another customer in this babe.”

Ellie figured Rudy was right, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make polite conversation. “They can be, but that’s why people who love dogs hire me.”

“Then how about talkin’ to someone who cares, like me,”
Rudy ordered.
“Or Natter. He’s okay—for a human
.
Gives me the respect I deserve.”

“Oh, well, that won’t make me want one.”

“No problem,” said Ellie. She waited to answer Rudy until the
Addams Family
wannabe got out and the door closed. “Natter is definitely a good guy, but don’t you think it’s odd that he’d automatically assume I was involved in another murder investigation?”

“You’re kiddin’, right?”
He snorted a laugh.
“Since Patti’s been singin’ our praises, I’d worry if he didn’t think it. If you ask me, she’s doin’ a good job drummin’ up business, too.”

“Why do you suppose she’s so determined to get us on her bandwagon?”

“Beats me, but you oughta ask her. Maybe there’s somethin’ else cookin’ in that picture-perfect brain.”

After stepping on the Fallgrave sisters’ floor, they headed down a wide hallway. “Maybe I’m being too suspicious. Could be she was simply making polite small talk, not encouraging the NMD people to ask for our help.”

After knocking on the door and receiving no answer, she used her key to enter the apartment. A gentle wash of jazz filled the air along with the sound of a woman’s exceptional contralto. “I bet that’s Janice’s new album.”

A moment later, Janice Fallgrave appeared from the rear of the apartment cradling Chong, her ever-silent Chihuahua. She gave Ellie a grin and speed-walked to the wall of bookcases that housed her stereo system. Dressed in black slacks and a red top, the singer was the polar opposite of her tall, dark-haired supermodel sister. With curly blond hair and a petite but full-figured body, Janice had the face of an angel and a voice to match.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said after fiddling with the controls. Her cheeks flushed pink. “I don’t usually listen to myself, except in the studio, but this is a demo of my first album, so I thought I should hear it as if I were a paying customer.”

Ellie advanced with her arm outstretched. “Congratulations. You sound fabulous.” When she took Janice’s hand, the two girls automatically hugged. “You’ve worked so hard to get here.”

“I feel like I’m living in a dream world. This can’t be real.” She blinked back a tear. “It’s what I’ve wanted my entire life, and now that it’s going to happen I’m—I’m—” She snuggled her nose in Chong’s neck. “I’m terrified.”

“Terrified?” Ellie sat next to her on the sofa. “What’s there to be afraid of? Fame? Success? Heck, you can handle that. Just use your older sister as a guide.”

“I know. Patti’s face and figure have been on the cover of some of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. In her business it’s all about the look. But in the music world . . . well, it’s not just your ‘sound.’” She used air quotes to emphasize the word. “You need something to draw people to you. Take Lady Gaga for instance. She’s a complete package—”

“And if you ask me, not a very good one. She pulled some stunt that got her thrown out of Yankee stadium last summer, and she did that disgusting meat thing at an awards show. Gross. Besides, you already have the perfect gimmick.”

“I do?”

“Sure.” She nodded at the tiny, fawn-colored canine Janice was cuddling. “You have Chong.”

“The hairless wonder?”
grumped Rudy. “
Oh yeah, he’ll be good. And when those immigration guys see him, out he’ll go.”

Ellie ignored the snarky comment and concentrated on her client. “Instead of being absurd or quirky, your push could be helping homeless animals. Give a concert for Best Friends, that wonderful animal rescue in Utah, or maybe find a shelter around here looking for a spokesperson or—or—”

The singer set her bitty baby on the sofa and covered her ears. “Stop. I can’t hear any more. Maybe you could take the place of my manager. All Jackson has suggested is buying a billboard in Times Square and getting me a gig singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at a Mets game.” She leaned back against the sofa. “It’s scary enough that I’ll be reviewed in
People
next month, and the album is on sale for Christmas.”

“Don’t worry. You have lots of time to work up a unique promotion idea.” Ellie scratched Chong’s pointy, oversized ears. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to talk to Patti. Is she getting ready to go to the show?”

“Yep.”

“How about if I do my usual run and you tell her I need to speak with her when I return? We can cab to the Fashion Center together while we talk.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Janice. “I’ll help you hook up my boy; then I’ll give sis the message.”

The two women and their dogs went to the foyer, where Janice attached Chong’s leash and passed it over. “See you in about thirty minutes,” said Ellie.

She and her charges walked to the elevator in silence. When they got on and the door closed, she said to Rudy, “What? Now you’re holding out on me? How come you’re not spouting your normal string of insults at poor Chong?”

He gave a head to tail shake.
“Why should I when that Shrinky Dink bean eater won’t bother to answer?”

“You’re not being fair. There are plenty of dogs on our customer list who don’t talk. That doesn’t mean they can’t. Could be they’re uncomfortable with the idea of speaking to a human—or you.” They got off on Lulu’s floor and aimed for the spoiled Havanese’s luxury apartment. “It doesn’t matter. Now that we’re here, you can chat with Ms. Pickypants to your heart’s content.”

Nelda let them in with her usual cheerful hello and passed Ellie the champion Havanese’s lead. As suggested, the canine lovebirds gabbed up a storm while Ellie continued her stops, picking up Bruiser, a sulky Pomeranian; Ranger, the hypochondriac toy Poodle; Harvey, a stoic mixed breed; and Satchmo, a nosy Japanese Chin.

After strolling through Central Park and doing her lawful clean-up duty, Ellie returned to the Beaumont, dropped off the dogs, and hurried to the Fallgrave apartment, where she found Patti waiting.

“You’re ready,” she said, noting the supermodel wore a lovely camel coat over her clothes. Since working in the heart of the fashion industry this week, she’d learned a lot about identifying designers, and this coat looked very much like the star of Calvin Klein’s spring line.

“Cheech and I are all set. Once we’re downstairs, Natter will call us a cab.”

Ellie gave Chong his morning biscuit, grinning when he took it and trotted down the hall. “Guess he’s going to find Janice.”

“Oh, yeah. That little guy is totally devoted to his mom, just like Cheech is to me.” She kissed her Chihuahua on top of his head and set him on the tile. “Let’s get moving. I’m scheduled for the second round today, a Zac Posen spring showing. Then a Donatella Versace.”

They entered the elevator and slipped to the rear when another couple followed them in. “So, what do you want to discuss?” asked Patti. “The big finale is tomorrow. Are you getting cold feet?”

“Why should I? I’m not the one who has to parade the catwalk with hundreds of people watching.”

“Don’t try to fool me. I know all about your fear of performing in front of an audience. You’re in charge of the dogs, so you’ll be a bundle of nerves when they go out to do their thing. You’re the one who has to make certain their outfits are on and will stay on, and that each is groomed to look their best.”