Nashville Nights

by Tracey West

  “It’s a start,” AJ said. She yawned. “I forgot how late it is. Faith and Hope, are you going to be okay?”

  The sisters nodded. “We’ll be fine,” Faith said. “Thanks so much for coming here. It’s strange, but I have a feeling you two are here to help us. Like guardian angels, almost.”

  “We definitely don’t have wings,” Aly said. “But we’ll do what we can to help. We’ll call you in the morning, okay?”

  Faith nodded. “Thanks again.”

  Aly and AJ headed back outside to the car, where Jim was waiting for them. They got inside, and Jim drove off.

  AJ leaned over to Aly, who sat in the front passenger seat.

  “Aly, I lied,” she said. “I did find something.” She showed Aly the diamond angel pin.

  “That’s the HeavenSent logo!” Aly exclaimed.

  AJ nodded. “I know. That’s why I didn’t say anything in front of Faith and Hope. Just because there’s a clue doesn’t mean someone is guilty. That’s happened to us before. Faith and Hope were pretty upset. I didn’t want them to go calling up HeavenSent in the middle of the night.”

  “Smart thinking,” Aly said. “This is exciting. Why would HeavenSent want to steal the tape?”

  AJ yawned again. “Can we talk about this in the morning? I’m beat.”

  Jim shook his head. “You know, you girls might not talk to me about this whole detective thing you’re doing, but don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’re not going to leave the music business to become detectives are you? I mean, if you did, I’d still stick with you. I always thought I’d make a great private eye. But I think your fans would miss you.”

  Now Aly was yawning, too. “Jim, I didn’t hear a word you just said. My brain is mush.” She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

  “Fine. Be mysterious, then,” Jim said.

  Aly and AJ slept until ten o’clock Tuesday morning. They ate a late breakfast at Wally’s Waffles, a small restaurant down the street from their hotel. Aly was digging into a plate of strawberry waffles with whipped cream, while AJ had chosen the Southern pecan waffles with maple syrup.

  “These are waffle-icious!” AJ joked.

  “Definitely!” Aly agreed. “I’m feeling wide awake now, too. Although it’s probably the sugar rush.”

  AJ took her notebook from her bag. “Now that we’re fueled up, we should really talk about what happened last night,” she said. “I want to make some notes. Let’s talk about the facts. What do we know?”

  “We know that the tape was stolen when Lionel was at dinner,” Aly said. “Faith told me that was between 7:30 and 8:30 at night.”

  AJ wrote that down. “Got it. We also know that the tape was locked in the control room, and whoever took it used a lock pick to open the door. That reminds me—we need to ask Jim if the studio engineers have a key to the studio. If they do, we can probably rule them out.”

  “Right,” Aly said. “Then there’s that pin you found.” She took a copy of Note magazine from her bag. Then she turned to a page that showed a picture of the angel-shaped pin next to a photo of HeavenSent.

  “I remembered reading about this,” Aly continued. “The diamond pins were a special gift from their record company after their last record went platinum. They were specially made—so the pin has to belong to either Sabrina, Holly, or Eve.”

  “Right,” AJ agreed. “We know the sisters were recording at the studio next door yesterday. So one of them would have had the opportunity to break into the studio. I just can’t figure out why they would want to steal Faith and Hope’s tape.”

  Aly turned to another page in Note, a full-page ad for the National Music Awards. “HeavenSent is performing live at the awards,” Aly said.

  “Faith said that the sisters in HeavenSent are very competitive,” AJ chimed in. “They knew Faith and Hope’s video was going to premiere at the awards. Maybe they didn’t want the country-singing sisters to steal their own sister limelight.”

  “That makes total sense,” Aly agreed.

  “So that means that HeavenSent had the opportunity, and a motive,” AJ added.

  “They’re not the only ones with a motive,” Aly said. “Remember Faith and Hope’s old manager, Parker something? He was super angry about the video. I was thinking he might have stolen the video just to get revenge on them.”

  AJ nodded and wrote quickly in her notebook. “That’s a totally great motive,” she said. “Good thinking.”

  “So what now?” Aly asked.

  “I think we need to interview our suspects,” AJ replied. “Let’s start with HeavenSent first. That pin is the best clue we have.”

  “You’re right, but how do we get close to them? They’re super famous,” Aly said. “Unless . . .”

  AJ was already dialing her cell phone. “I’m sure Jim can help us.”

  Aly laughed. “We’re going to have to make him our official detective assistant.”

  CHAPTER SIX:

  A MYSTERIOUS NOTE

  “Jim is a miracle worker,” Aly said as she and AJ rode in a cab to Nashville Star Studios. “First, he called Lionel and found out about the keys. Lionel says his studio guys have keys, so the thief is probably somebody from outside the studio. Then he actually got us a meeting with HeavenSent!”

  “I just wish we were meeting them under better circumstances,” AJ said. She put her hand in her pocket and closed her fingers around the HeavenSent pin. “I wonder how the pin ended up at the scene of the crime?”

  “Hopefully, we’ll find out,” Aly said as the cab pulled up in front of the studios.

  Faith and Hope were standing outside, talking to Lionel. AJ paid the cab driver and thanked her.

  “Aly, AJ,” Faith’s face lit up when she spotted them. “It’s so good to see you guys. We’ve got some good news and some bad news.”

  “The good news,” Hope said. “Is that our record company has given us the okay to reshoot the video.”

  Lionel frowned. “But Cadence and Calista have refused to do a reshoot. The producers of the National Music Awards wanted to premiere the video when they heard Cadence and Calista would be in it. They’ve been trying to get them to perform on the awards for years, so for them this was the next best thing. I’m not sure if they’ll play the video if Cadence and Calista aren’t in it.”

  “Maxine is talking to the producers about it now,” Faith said. “But if you guys aren’t in it either, then I doubt we have a chance.”

  “Of course, we’ll help out in any way we can,” AJ assured them.

  “If you decide to reshoot, we’ll be there and be ready!” Aly said. “But why won’t Cadence and Calista do the video again?”

  Hope shrugged. “The excuse is that Calista still isn’t feeling well. Physically, she seemed fine when they were here. But there was something strange going on. I guess the rumors about the sisters not getting along are true.”

  “Let us know when you need us, and we’ll be there,” AJ told them. “But we’ve got to get to a meeting now.”

  After Faith and Hope promised to call them to let them know about the video reshoot, Aly and AJ headed toward the same studio they saw HeavenSent enter the other day.

  “Jim said they were still filming today,” Aly said. “And that they would be happy to meet us.”

  After giving their names to a security guard sitting at the front desk, Aly and AJ were escorted through the building to a soundstage very similar to the one they had been on yesterday. Lights and cameras hung from the ceiling. This set was made to look like a fancy red carpet event. But no one was filming. Instead, Holly, Sabrina, and Eve were sitting on the sidelines, taking a break.

  The three sisters were dressed in glamorous gowns that were truly breathtaking. Holly wore a sparkling sleeveless sheath that was covered with crystals. Her long, dark hair was parted to one side and fell over her shoulder in a tumble of curls. Sabrina wore her hair up in a French twist. It looked perfect with her elegant, white silk, empire-waist gown that wa
s embellished with a black velvet bow. Eve wore a black, floor-length dress that had a jeweled neckline.

  “Hi,” Aly said as she and AJ walked over to the sister group. “I’m Aly. This is my sister AJ. It’s so nice to meet you. By the way, I love your dresses. You all look so amazing!”

  The sisters smiled at Aly and AJ. “Thank you,” Sabrina said. “The concept for our video is a big red carpet event. That’s why we are all decked out. I’m Sabrina, and this is Holly and Eve,” she said as she gestured to her sisters.

  Aly and AJ greeted the girls.

  “Thanks for agreeing to meet with us,” AJ said. “We heard you were shooting next door, and we’ve always admired your music.”

  Aly chimed in. “We spent all day yesterday helping Faith and Hope with their new video. But someone stole the footage!”

  The sisters’ smiles changed to serious looks. Holly nodded. “We heard about that. It’s such a shame!”

  “I can’t imagine working so hard on something and then having someone come along and take it,” Eve said. “We’re going to be extra careful on this set with our video footage. It would be a shame for it all to go to waste.”

  AJ reached into her pocket. “I think this belongs to one of you,” she said. She opened her hand and showed the pin to HeavenSent. “We found it in the studio last night after the break-in was discovered.”

  Holly, Sabrina, and Eve exchanged puzzled glances with one another. Sabrina reached out and took the pin from AJ.

  “Thank you,” she said as AJ dropped the pin into her hand. “I don’t know how that got there. It isn’t mine. Holly, Eve, does this belong to either of you?”

  Holly and Eve shook their heads no. There was an awkward silence for a moment. It was clear that Aly and AJ were wondering why the pin would have been found in the studio where the video footage was stolen.

  “It’s probably a cheap copy,” Holly suggested.

  “People are always copying our style,” Sabrina added. She slipped the pin into her purse.

  “It must be a great copy, then, because those look like real diamonds to me,” AJ said.

  None of the sisters had an answer for that. There was an awkward silence.

  Aly decided to try and change the subject. “So what song is this video for?”

  Sabrina looked relieved to have something else to talk about. “It’s for our newest single, ‘Sister Power.’ ”

  Aly and AJ exchanged glances. Faith and Hope’s video was sister-themed, too!

  But before they had a chance to ask more questions, a production assistant interrupted them.

  “Girls, we’re ready to resume shooting,” he said to HeavenSent.

  Holly, Eve, and Sabrina stood up. All three were very tall to begin with, but in their ultra-high heels they towered over Aly and AJ.

  “Thanks for stopping by,” Sabrina said.

  “Good luck with the video!” Aly replied. They said their good-byes and walked into the hallway.

  Aly looked at AJ. “What did you think of that?” she asked.

  AJ glanced around. “We’d better not talk here. Besides, I’m getting hungry. We can talk it over at lunch.”

  They began to walk toward the entrance when Holly came into the hallway.

  “Excuse me,” she said as she teetered by them on her high heels. She stumbled and bumped into Aly, clinging to her for a second before she steadied herself.

  “Sorry about that,” Holly said. “I’m just trying to find the bathroom. These heels can be hard to navigate in.”

  “No problem,” Aly said.

  “Nice meeting you both. Good-bye,” Holly said. Then she turned and made her way down the hall.

  “Every time I see a picture of HeavenSent, they’re always in heels,” AJ remarked thoughtfully. “Why would Holly have trouble walking in them now?”

  “Mmmm, hot, melty, cheesy goodness.” AJ was in heaven as she speared a chunk of bread with her fork and dipped it into the bubbling cheese fondue. She and Aly had decided to go to a fondue restaurant for lunch. They sat at a booth that had its very own tabletop fondue pot. Inside was the melted cheese, and Aly and AJ were dipping bread and veggies into it. It was delicious!

  Aly crunched on a piece of broccoli covered in cheese. “This was a great idea!”

  AJ patted her guidebook, which was sitting on the table next to her. “It’s good to have one of these. I like to get one for every city we visit.”

  “So, what did you think of HeavenSent?” Aly asked.

  AJ shook her head as she dipped another piece of bread into the fondue. “I’m not sure. They seemed perfectly nice, but they weren’t exactly chatty.”

  “They were very closed-mouthed about the pin, that’s for sure,” Aly said. “No one wanted to say anything about it.”

  “I’m pretty sure those diamonds were real, and that pin wasn’t a copy. I wish we could get a good look at it, but Sabrina kept it,” AJ said, frowning.

  “I thought that was a little suspicious,” Aly remarked. “Do you think the pin was hers?”

  “I don’t know,” AJ answered, sighing. “At least the meeting wasn’t a total waste. What did you think of the fact that HeavenSent’s new single and video is sister-themed, just like Faith and Hope’s?”

  “I think it adds to their motive,” Aly replied. “Faith and Hope’s video is supposed to premiere at the music awards. HeavenSent are performing there. Let’s say they stole the footage to keep Faith and Hope from stealing their spotlight. It makes more sense now. If both groups come out with sister-themed videos, they’ll be compared against each other.”

  “Even though it was under weird circumstances, it still was amazing to meet HeavenSent in person,” AJ said. “They are so pretty—and did you see those dresses?”

  “I would have loved to sketch them,” Aly replied. “In fact, I’d like to do a few rough sketches while I can still remember.”

  She grabbed her bag and reached inside for her sketchpad. But instead her fingers closed around a folded piece of paper. She pulled it out of the bag.

  “What’s this?” she wondered. She opened the note and began to read it.

  “Please meet me at Club Constellation at midnight tonight. Holly,” Aly read. She looked up at AJ. “You were right. Holly can walk just fine in heels. She must have used them as an excuse so she could bump into me and slip this note in my bag!”

  AJ grabbed the note and read it herself.

  “Do you think the pin is Holly’s?” Aly asked her.

  “I don’t know, but I think we’re going to find out!” AJ said.

  CHAPTER SEVEN:

  MIDNIGHT DETECTING

  “I can’t wait to find out why Holly wants to meet us,” Aly said to AJ. The two stood in front of Club Constellation, the most exclusive, hottest club in town. When celebrities came to town, this was where they went. Aly and AJ knew the club was dressy, so they ditched their jeans and put on some new dresses they had bought on tour. AJ wore a black velour dress with cute little flutter sleeves and a crocheted, yoke-style neckline. Aly dressed in a cream-colored brocade halter dress with a ruffled hem.

  It was 11:30 at night. The girls wanted to get to the club early so they could check out the club before Holly showed up. A crowd of people was lined up outside the door, waiting to get in. Everyone in the young crowd was dressed to impress; the girls favored minidresses and high heels, while a lot of the boys wore pin-striped pants and jackets. Aly and AJ were glad they had changed.

  The bouncer at the door smiled when Aly and AJ approached. “I heard Aly and AJ were in town!” he exclaimed. “I’m glad you decided to visit us. Come right in.”

  He held the door open for them. Some members of the crowd looked at them enviously as they walked into the dark club. The ceiling was pitch-black, but tiny lights dotted it, making it look like the night sky. The lights twinkled and glowed. In the middle of the room was a dance floor surrounded by different seating areas. Some areas featured deep purple couches around tables topped
with lit candles. There were also booths built into the walls, blocked by gauzy curtains for privacy.

  Even though it was relatively early for the club scene, the place was already almost packed. People had already started to crowd onto the couches, talking in low tones. A deejay sat in a glass-enclosed room over the dance floor, while dancers grooved to the techno music he was spinning.

  “Let’s see if we can sit in one of those booths with the curtains,” AJ suggested. “That way we can keep a watch for Holly. I’m not sure why she asked to meet us alone, at midnight. I’d rather not be seen until we know what’s up.”

  Aly agreed, and the two found an empty booth. The filmy curtains gave them the ability to see out while making it hard for others to see inside. They couldn’t help grooving along to the music as they sat in their seats. Then the song ended and some of the dancers left the floor, while another wave of dancers hit the floor, ready for the new song. One of them was a slim blond woman who bounced along to the beat, dancing wildly. Her long blond hair swung in the air.

  “Isn’t that—”AJ started.

  “Calista?” Aly finished.

  It was. The pop sensation was dancing away at Club Constellation.

  “She doesn’t look sick at all,” AJ remarked. “If Calista is here, I wonder if Cadence is, too?”

  Aly scanned the room. She spotted Cadence sitting by herself at a table in the corner of the room.

  “She sure is,” Aly said. “Should we even bother to say hello?”

  “We might as well be polite,” AJ said. “Anyway, something strange is going on with those two. I have to admit, I’m kind of curious.”

  Aly and AJ walked through the crowded club toward Cadence’s table. Once again, she was chatting on her pink cell phone.

  “But Calista, you really need to come back,” they overheard Cadence say into the phone. She sounded stressed out.

  AJ glanced at the dance floor. Calista was still out there, bopping to the beat. And she was not talking on the phone. Aly noticed, too. She looked at AJ and raised an eyebrow. This was strange.

  Cadence looked up and spotted them. “I’ve got to go,” she said into the phone and quickly put it away.