Free Model Crime 1 by Carolyn Keene

Dragon, both attired similarly to Vic, took their places next to the other two models in the background.
    “Aloha, my beautiful bride!” Vic said loudly, sweeping into a bow. “I wish to welcome you with the traditions of the island of Hawaii, where the two of us decided to announce our love to the world by becoming engaged.”
    I might not have known Vic very well yet, but I couldn’t help noticing that the words didn’t exactly sound like something he would come up with on his own. Glancing over, I saw that Donald was holding up cue cards just off camera.
    “So this is reality TV, huh?” Bess whispered into my ear. “Interesting version of ‘reality,’ isn’t it?”
    I grinned at her. When I turned my attention back to what was happening, I saw that Vic had just swept a lush Hawaiian lei out of a rustic-looking wooden box on the “beach” nearby. The lei was similar to the ones Akinyi and Candy were already wearing, but this one was pure white, bursting with gorgeous orchids and other tropical-looking flowers.
    “Aloha nui loa,” Vic said as he draped the lei over Sydney’s head.
    Sydney blushed. “Aloha nui loa,” she said shyly as the flowers settled around her neck. She smiled up at Vic, looking blissfully happy.
    “What’s all that aloha stuff mean?” George muttered. “I hope there are going to be subtitles with this thing.”
    Vic was smiling down at his bride. He leaned closer, clearly about to go in for a kiss.
    But suddenly Sydney’s expression changed. Her eyes widened, she let out a yelp of alarm, and her hands flew up toward the white lei.
    “Ow!” she cried, yanking at the lei and dancing up and down. She let out a shriek of pain as she tugged at it. “They’re biting me!” she exclaimed, doing her best to rip the lei off over her head. “They’re biting me!”
    I gasped. Clearly visible against Sydney’s creamy skin were hundreds of tiny black insects swarming all over her neck and shoulders!

REALITY BITES
     
     
    “T hey’re ants!” Vic shouted, grabbing the lei and ripping it off Sydney’s neck, sending white petals flying in every directions.
    “Oh my gosh—somebody do something!” Donald the PA exclaimed, hurrying forward and flapping his hands helplessly in Sydney’s direction.
    Meanwhile Sydney was still crying out in pain as she spun in circles, trying frantically to brush off the tiny insects. My friends and I rushed forward to help, along with Sydney’s mother, Candy and Akinyi, and most of the other people within view. But I was blocked by the bushy-browed cameraman, who stepped in front of me for a better view, filming every second of Sydney’s distress.
    “Excuse us!” Bess said firmly, trying to push past him.
    That did about as much good as trying to shove aside the Sears Tower. The cameraman held his ground, ignoring us. “This is great stuff,” he muttered with a barely muffled, rather mean-spirited guffaw. “Awesome.”
    We managed to dodge around him just in time to see Vic brush Donald, the other models, and Aunt Ellie aside. “I’ve got this,” he said grimly, scooping Sydney into his arms like a wriggling puppy.
    “They’re biting me!” she whimpered, still slapping at herself. “Vic, they’re biting me!”
    “Hang on, baby.” Vic raced across the field, carrying her toward the horses I’d noticed earlier. For one crazy moment I thought he was planning to leap onto one of the beasts and ride off into the sunset like some demented cowboy. Instead, however, he headed straight over to the big water tank and dropped Sydney into it.
    Water splashed out over the sides, and Sydney let out a squeak of surprise just before her head went under. “Good thinking,” George said, watching along with the rest of us. “That’s probably the quickest way to get them off her.”
    She was right. Within a moment or two, Sydney was ant-free. Vic flicked a few ants off his own bare chest, then helped Sydney out of the water tank as the surprised