Free Nashville Nights by Tracey West Page A

Cadence’s voice. “Please go away. I’m busy.”
    AJ held a photo from the video shoot up to the peephole in the door. “I think you’re going to want to see this photo, Cadence. It’s a photo of Calista. Oh, I mean, whoever is pretending to be Calista.”
    The door slowly opened.
    â€œSo, you figured it out,” Cadence said. She looked miserable.
    â€œMost of it,” AJ replied. “Can we come in? I don’t think you want to talk about this out here.”
    Cadence reluctantly led them into the hotel room.
    â€œAly’s sketch of you and Calista at the video shoot was the final clue,” AJ began. “She noticed that Calista didn’t have a birthmark. So whoever filmed that video with you isn’t your sister.”
    â€œThat’s why you stole the master tape of the video,” Aly continued. “You realized that Calista was filmed without her sweater on. When the video came on, all of your fans would realize the birthmark was missing. Then you’d have to explain why you were using a double.”
    Cadence sank down on the bed and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s my cousin Megan,” Cadence said. “We’re the same age, and we’ve always looked alike. She needed contacts, some hair extensions, and hair color—then she looked just like Calista. Except I forgot about the birthmark.”
    â€œI don’t understand,” Faith broke in. “Where is the real Calista? Is she all right?”
    â€œCalista is off pursuing her dreams, ” Cadence said, in a voice that clearly showed she thought that was a silly thing to do. “She’s tired of singing. She wants to be an artist and design clothes. So she holed up in a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Montana.”
    AJ smiled. It made sense now. When Cadence was speaking on the phone at the club, she was talking to the real Calista. But Calista, you really need to come back. And that package had been addressed to the real Calista, in Montana.
    â€œSo to keep your secret, you waited until everyone left the studio,” AJ said. “You knew how to pick locks because you know how to do magic tricks. You picked the lock and stole the tape.”
    Maxine was shaking her head. “That seems awfully desperate, sugar. Why not let Calista do her thing, and have a sweet solo career of your own?”
    â€œI don’t WANT a solo career!” Cadence said, standing up. She was shaking with anger. “Calista and I have been performing together since we were babies. After we left that stupid TV show we could have faded away into oblivion, but we worked hard. We developed a multimillion-dollar pop act. Our fans want to see Cadence and Calista—not just plain Cadence. Or Cadence and Megan, for that matter. It’s just not the same.”
    The hotel room door opened, and Megan—the fake Calista walked in.
    â€œOh, hey everybody,” she said, looking surprised. “I was just—”
    â€œIt’s okay, Megan, they know,” Cadence said, flopping back on the bed.
    Megan turned pale. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said. “It was—it was Cadence’s idea, and I didn’t see the harm in it, and it’s my fault that I took off my sweater, only I never thought we’d have to steal your tape, and then we burned it, and I—”
    â€œYou burned it!” Hope said in disbelief. She and Faith faced Cadence and Megan now, angry.
    Megan nodded. “It was so important to Cadence,” she said in a small voice. “If everyone finds out I’m fake, her whole life will be ruined.”
    Aly and AJ exchanged glances. Things were getting tense in the room.
    â€œShould we get the police involved?” AJ whispered to Aly.
    But Maxine took control. She put an arm around Faith and Hope. “Now sweethearts, don’t get all flustered. I firmly believe that things always work out for the best, and this