Read On the Avenue for Free Online Page A

killed Zahara Bell!”
    “Jesus, it
is
Zahara!” Jeremy said. He held Madison firmly in his arms and at the same time leaned forward to inspect the corpse.
    “Oh, this is so
gross,
” Coco whispered.
    “Call the police,” Park ordered. “Open the door and get security in here!”
    But before anyone moved, the door burst open and the two security guards rushed inside. They didn't speak. They didn't even breathe. The shock showed on their faces instantly. They both reached for the radios on their belts and began shouting out codes. “All of you kids, get out of here!” one of them bellowed.
    “Wait!” Lex said. “Oh, my God! I don't believe it!
Look!
”
    “What is it?” Madison asked, her voice quavering.
    Lex pointed down at the body of Zahara Bell, indicating her clothing. The dead woman was wearing a black strapless cocktail dress that appeared to have been hastily yanked over her boobs. The lace pattern running down the center was intricate and unique: At close glance, the hand-stitched seams formed a slender champagne flute that looked as though it had been superimposed onto the delicate fabric. Pinned to the dress's left sleeve was a bright orange silk orchid. “That's one of my dresses!” Lex screamed. “It's a Triple Threat original!
And it should be hanging in my closet right now!
”
    “What?” Park asked, her tone incredulous. “That's impossible.”
    “She's right,” Madison confirmed weakly. “My God, she's
totally
right. Lex wore that dress to the opening of Lotus in Vegas two months ago.”
    “That's right! I did!”
    “Enough!” the security guard bellowed. “Get out of here now!
Now!
”
    “What about the scarf?” Coco asked, ignoring the order. “You didn't design that too, did you? Looks like it's what did her in.”
    Lex held a hand to her stomach. “Are you
kidding
? Like I'd make a scarf that ugly.”
    “The poor woman,” Park whispered, recoiling and pushing her sisters and Coco toward the door. “Who would want Zahara Bell dead?”
    “You know the deceased woman?” the security guard asked.
    Lex whirled around. “
Know
her? She's the most brilliant and powerful fashion editor in the world!”
    “For God's sake!” Coco sneered, narrowing her eyes at the guard. “Can't you at least
pretend
to know who important people are?”
    “Fine. Next time I will.” The guard pointed to the door. “Get out. But don't you girls even
think
about leaving until the cops have spoken to all of you.”
    They walked out of the coatroom and into the corridor. A crowd had already gathered at the opposite side of the wing, the din of voices drifting through the air. As the girls hurried across the floor and out of earshot, Madison said, “Hey, wait a minute. Where's Jeremy? And what happened to the psycho photographer?”
    Park blinked, confused. She looked around, poking her head out at the crowd and scanning dozens of curious faces. Jeremy had, in fact, vanished. And so had the paparazzo.
    “The little dick bounced on us,” Lex snapped. “See what I mean? You can never trust actors.”
    “He was holding me up one minute and gone the next,” Madison said. “Where did he go? I didn't see him leave.”
    “Maybe …” Park found herself struggling to find the right words. “Maybe he's in the men's room, or maybe he's just hiding out, avoiding the crowd. He knows he can't leave without talking to the police.”
    “Well, neither can we.” Madison looked down at her hands. She was still clutching the camera. She gestured for Lex to open up the magic purse and dropped it inside.
    “This is ridiculous,” Coco said. “I don't want to stay here. There's a dead body here. There's a
killer
here. Why do we have to stay?”
    “Because we found the body,” Lex told her quietly. “And that spells a whole lot of trouble. My God—you heard that security guard. We have to talk to the cops. They probably think we're
guilty
of something.”
    Madison nodded. Anxiety showed in her eyes.