Free Nashville Nights by Tracey West

Those two are very suspicious. But I don’t have any idea why they would want to steal the tape.”
    â€œMe either,” Aly agreed. She leaned back in her seat. “Maybe this is one mystery we won’t be able to figure out.”
    AJ took her notebook from her bag and began to leaf through the pages. “Don’t say that. There’s got to be something we overlooked. Aly, did you sketch anything that might be useful? Any clues?”
    Aly took her sketchbook out of her bag. “I don’t think so. I did a few quick sketches the day we filmed the video.”
    She turned to a page that showed Cadence and Calista in their sunglasses, pretending to shop for the video. “I sketched this before the tape was stolen, so I don’t see how there could be a clue in it,” she said. Then she frowned. “Hmm. That’s strange.”
    â€œWhat’s strange?” AJ asked.
    Aly passed the sketchbook to her sister. “There’s Cadence, with the short hair and the heart-shaped birthmark on her shoulder. But I forgot to draw a birthmark on Calista. Only, I’m thinking maybe I didn’t forget.”
    â€œBut you must have forgotten,” AJ reasoned. “Everybody knows that Cadence and Calista have identical heart-shaped birthmarks.”
    â€œRight,” Aly said. “So if Calista doesn’t have a birthmark, maybe she’s not Calista.”
    â€œA Calista impostor?” AJ thought about this, and her green eyes started to shine. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together in her head. “We have to know for sure about that birthmark.”
    AJ picked up her cell phone and started dialing.
    â€œFaith? It’s AJ,” she said. “Was somebody taking publicity photos at the shoot? Yes? Is there any way Aly and I could look at them? We think we might have finally figured out who stole the master tape.”
    Aly heard Faith’s excited voice on the other line. “Great. We’ll be there as soon as we can,” AJ said. Then she stood up.
    â€œFaith and Hope are going to meet us at Nashville Star Studios. The photos are there,” she said.
    â€œGreat!” Aly grabbed her bag.
    Just then, the waitress walked up, carrying a tray full of food.
    â€œUm, could we please get that to go?” Aly asked.

    Faith and Hope were eagerly waiting for them at the studio. Maxine was with them. She had a folder of photos with her.
    â€œWe just got the prints today,” Maxine said. “What exactly do you girls need them for?”
    â€œWe need a photo of Cadence and Calista in their sundresses,” AJ explained.
    Maxine flipped through the photos. “We’ve got some good ones. They looked so pretty. It’s such a shame they won’t reshoot the video.”
    Maxine handed them three photos. In all of the photos, the twins’ shoulders were facing the camera. Cadence clearly had a birthmark on her right shoulder. Calista did not.
    â€œAha!” AJ cried. She showed the photos to Faith, Hope, and Maxine. “Calista clearly doesn’t have a birthmark in these photos, right?”
    Faith picked up a photo. “No, she doesn’t,” she said. “That’s odd. I thought both twins had the same birthmark.”
    â€œThey do,” AJ said. “But these girls aren’t twins. That isn’t Calista in the photo.”
    â€œIt’s not?” Hope asked.
    â€œNo, it’s not,” Aly confirmed. “Now everything makes sense. We know who stole your master tape, and why.”
    â€œWell, this is big news,” Maxine said. “What exactly is going on?”
    AJ slipped the photos into her bag. “We’ll tell you on the road. We have to get to Cadence’s hotel—fast!”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
    A DOUBLE DECEPTION
    AJ pushed the button on Cadence’s hotel room door. Aly, Faith, Hope, and Maxine stood behind her.
    They heard footsteps behind the door. Then