Carolyn Keene - Stay Tuned For Danger

On their way to the set, Nancy filled Mattie in on what she and Bess had overheard outside Pappas’s office.

“Those two are really on the outs these days,” Mattie said. “Ever since Rick got that film deal and gave his notice, it’s as though a war has been declared between them. I can’t really blame Mr. Pappas, though. The show’s ratings depend on Rick. If he goes, ‘Danner’s Dream’ could be in big trouble, and that means trouble for all of us.”

“Hmmm.” Nancy thought for a moment. “So it’s not just Mr. Pappas who’s down on Rick.”

“Oh, no. In fact, lately it’s been Rick against the world.” She stopped. “Well, here we are.”

Mattie pushed against a vacuum-sealed door. With a whoosh , it opened, and the three of them walked onto the set.

Nancy and Bess gazed around the massive studio. In straight rows, rooms that had three walls but no ceilings were set up. Rows of klieg lights hung on suspended bars. Above the lights was a narrow catwalk, and above that, total darkness.

On the ground level, the activity was incredible. Hundreds of cables wound across the floor, and several huge cameras were mounted on dollies. Each one was surrounded by people. On the set of the Danner living room, where the first scene was about to be shot, set dressers were putting the final touches on the scenery. And in the middle of it all stood Rick Arlen. Kay was fussing over his makeup, and he was going over his lines with a script girl. But in case he or anyone forgot a line, a teleprompter stood in either corner of the room. All an actor had to do was cast a glance at one of them and read his lines from the screen.

Nancy and Bess were struck by the strangeness and complexity of it all. They looked dazed as Mattie motioned them to a spot on the floor where they could watch the rehearsal and still be out of the way. Then she disappeared behind the walls of a set.

“Can you believe this?” Bess whispered excitedly.

“Could somebody tell Rick to get on the set, please?” A beautiful black-haired woman barked impatiently into a small megaphone.

“I’m right here, Lillian, dear,” Rick purred sarcastically. “What would you like?”

“I hope you bothered to memorize your lines,” she snapped.

“Yes, love, I did,” he cooed.

“That’s what you always say,” she said, trying too hard to keep the anger out of her voice. “You shouldn’t need a teleprompter, Rick. You’re a big boy and a professional.”

“If you’re referring to that one small incident, Lillian, you’ll also recall that I received a death threat that morning. It wasn’t exactly my best day.”

Suddenly a voice boomed over the set’s sound system. “Lillian, back off, will you?”

“Who’s that?” Nancy wondered out loud.

A bearded stagehand who was walking by with a line of cables answered her. “That’s Luther Parks, the director. He’s up there.” The stagehand pointed to a Plexiglas booth above the door at the back of the room. “He watches the rehearsal on a bank of TVs up there, and then chooses which camera shots they’ll use.”

“And who’s Lillian?” Nancy asked.

“Ready to roll, ladies and gentlemen,” the director’s voice interrupted them. “Let’s have quiet on the set, please.”

“Places, everyone!” the stage manager yelled. “Charlie, are we locked up?” The man at the door nodded. A bright red light went on above him.

“That light means we’re shooting,” the same stagehand explained in a soft whisper. With a quick smile, he was gone.

In the silence of the huge studio, Nancy could feel the crackling of tension. For a split second no one moved. Then Rick appeared on the set and sat down on the beige sofa in the Danner living room. With his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, he looked just like the tortured Rory Danner, brooding over his life. Then Mattie, playing the cool and dignified Serena, appeared in the living room doorway.

“Rory?” she called out softly. “May I come in?”

Rick looked up, but then dropped his head back into his hands. “I don’t want to see you, Serena,” he growled. “Just get out and leave me alone!”

Mattie stood by the door, cold as ice. “Rory, I have to talk to you—right now.” The cameras rolled in for a closeup.

Just then, Nancy noticed a faint shadow moving back and forth on the back wall of the set. She glanced up to see what was causing it. High overhead, she saw a klieg light wobbling wildly on its track. Horrified, Nancy watched, as it broke off the bar with a sickening snap and hurtled downward. It was heading right for Rick!

Chapter Three

Nancy stood up and dove across the set, landing on top of Rick. The sofa beneath them toppled over backward. Everyone watched in frozen terror as the heavy lamp hit the floor where the couch had been, shattering into a thousand pieces.

Moments later pandemonium broke out as the cast and crew gathered around the scene of the disaster. Mattie rushed up to Nancy and Rick, who were still in a heap on the floor, gasping for breath.

“Rick! You could’ve been killed!” Mattie cried. The stage manager was calling for everyone to remain calm on the set, and Bess tried to push her way through a group of stagehands. She stretched, looking to see if Nancy and Rick were okay.

“What in the world is going on around here?” William Pappas hurried onto the set, pushing people aside as he went. “This is all I need! Our insurance rates are high enough as it is!” he muttered angrily. “Is anybody hurt?”

“Nope,” Rick replied from his position on the floor. “I was just rescued by this beautiful creature.” He looked up at Nancy with a grateful smile. “Hello, gorgeous. Where have you been all my life?”

Nancy turned red to the roots of her hair as she scrambled off Rick and onto her feet. Brushing herself off, she started to push her way through the crowd of onlookers. She had to find Bess.

“Wait!” Rick called after her. “Don’t leave me now!” With that, a group of stagehands who were standing nearby broke out in nervous laughter.

Just then Nancy felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Mattie. “Thank heavens you were here. If you hadn’t gotten to Rick so quickly . . .” She shivered. Turning to the crowd, she called out, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Nancy Drew. She’s my guest today.” Everyone clapped, and Mattie smiled weakly. “And now I’m going to call security. Maybe they’ll believe that someone really is after Rick!” And with a toss of her pretty head, she stepped off the set, headed for the intercom behind the scenery.

“Well, dear, that’s one way to meet a star,” Lillian observed caustically, glaring at Nancy.

“Wait just a minute—” Nancy began. But then she decided it would be better not to say anything. Lillian might not be the friendliest person she’d ever met, but the last thing Nancy wanted was to make an enemy at the beginning.

Beginning of what? Nancy asked herself. An investigation? Was there really anything to investigate? After all, she reasoned, accidents do happen.

Dodging Lillian’s pointed remark, Nancy excused herself and made her way over to the corner of the set. Rick was there, chatting with Bess.

“Ah, my savior!” he said when he saw Nancy. But her quick frown made it clear that she wasn’t going to fall for his lines.

“Hey, girls,” Rick suggested, “why don’t the three of us go back to my dressing room? We can have a soda and get to know each other a little better while they’re cleaning up this mess.”

“Oh, we’d love to!” crooned Bess. Elbowing Nancy in the ribs, she prompted her friend. “Wouldn’t we?”

“I guess that would be all right,” Nancy shrugged. Until security had finished looking around, no one would be allowed near the scene of the accident anyway. And maybe she could use the time to find out a little more about Rick Arlen.