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Barrington.
    Bess was breathless when Nancy returned. “I thought you’d never get back,” she said. “Esme and Janine have already left with Todd and Giancarlo. Kim’s waiting for us.”
    Nancy and Bess stepped inside the spacious limousine and the driver closed the door behindthem. Kim smiled, then gave the driver instructions to a photographer’s studio across town. After that, she sat back and studied her fingernails the rest of the trip and didn’t say another word.
    When they arrived at the studio, they saw Esme already posing with Todd and Giancarlo. Janine was giving the photographer, a young woman in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots, instructions on how to pose the three and which angles were Esme’s best. Bess turned to Nancy and said, “Isn’t this exciting?”
    Nancy opened up her sandwich and began to eat, smiling at her friend’s enthusiasm. Truthfully, she found the whole process pretty tedious. Every time Janine asked for another shot, the photographer and her assistant had to move the lights and reset the meters and the cameras. Then the camera would need to have a new roll of film and Janine would change her mind again and the whole thing would be repeated. For a while Nancy watched, but soon she was strolling around the spacious studio, checking out the various props and backdrops. She passed by the darkroom at one point and saw that the lights were on. Kim was chatting with the photographer’s assistant, a young man in jeans, a black T-shirt, and a single hoop earring.
    â€œI don’t know why everyone doesn’t just see right through her!” Kim cried. “I mean, she is so fake. Did you see her posing with Todd andGiancarlo, like she’s crazy about both of them? You want to know the truth?” she asked.
    â€œMmmm,” the young man replied, evidently more worried about the film he was loading than Kim’s complaints.
    â€œThe truth is, she can’t stand Todd, and doesn’t care a bit about Giancarlo. She’s only out for herself—”
    â€œKim!” came Janine’s voice. “We need that suitcase. Where is it?”
    â€œComing!” Kim replied.
    Nancy darted out of sight as Kim scooted past her carrying a suitcase that Nancy remembered her having in the limousine. For a moment Nancy wondered why Kim hadn’t just put the suitcase in Esme’s dressing room. Kim strode over and handed Esme the suitcase. Apparently it contained a change of clothes, because by the time Nancy returned to Bess, Esme had gone off to the dressing room and Janine was scolding Kim for wandering off with Esme’s change of clothes.
    â€œIf she doesn’t like it, she can fire me,” Nancy heard Kim grumble.
    â€œShe’s got attitude,” Bess whispered to Nancy.
    â€œYou don’t know the half of it,” Nancy said. She was about to pull Bess aside to tell her about what she’d overheard, when Esme’s screams filled the studio.
    â€œHelp!” she cried. “Someone help!”
    Nancy was the first to react. She raced to thedressing room and frantically knocked on the door.
    â€œEsme, it’s Nancy. Are you okay?” she asked. “Is something wrong in there?”
    Esme, who was still dressed, threw open the door and rushed out of the room. Her hair was disheveled, and her face contorted with fear.
    â€œIn my suitcase!” she cried, barely getting the words out. “There . . . there . . .”
    â€œEsme, calm down,” Janine said as she approached. She put her arm around the romance writer. “What’s wrong?”
    Carefully Nancy and Bess walked into the dressing room and stepped over to the suitcase. Then they saw what had made Esme so frantic. Nestled among the folds of Esme’s white lace blouse, they spotted a black mound with eight hairy legs.
    It was a deadly black widow spider.

Chapter

Five
    L OOK AT THAT