Carolyn Keene - Stay Tuned For Danger

“He—he asked you out?” Mattie whispered. Her eyes grew incredibly wide, and her mouth fell open.

“Yes,” Nancy interjected soothingly. “And I’m going along, too. It’s perfect, don’t you think? That way I can keep an eye on Rick.”

“I see.” Mattie looked somewhat calmed by Nancy’s explanation. Still, she turned to Bess with a sudden, compelling stare. “Just be careful, please,” she said, warning her. “You don’t know Rick the way I do—you don’t know how dangerous he can be.”

Chapter Six

“Listen, Bess—” Mattie relaxed her stare a bit, trying hard not to look so severe. “I really don’t want to upset you, but, honestly, Rick can really love them and leave them. Maybe it’s because deep down inside, he’s very unsure of himself. Or maybe he’s become too successful too fast, and— Sometimes I wonder if he can really handle it.”

“Rick? Unsure of himself?” Bess shook her head, in disbelief. “I’m sorry, Mattie. I don’t think you know the real Rick.”

“Maybe not, but I’ve known him a long time. We did summer stock together years ago. He was different then, warm and sincere. In the past few years, he’s really changed. He can be so cold now, even cruel.”

“Well, maybe he just hasn’t met the right girl yet,” Bess suggested.

“Wait a minute,” Nancy interrupted. “Mattie, why are you so concerned about a man you’ve just told us is cold, cruel, and steps on people?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Mattie answered softly. “I guess I still think of him as a friend, even if it didn’t work out between us.” Looking over at Nancy imploringly, she added, “Rick would never admit it, but I’m sure that way down deep he’s scared. I’d just feel so much better if you were on the set tomorrow.”

Bess rolled her eyes and got up from the table. Nancy watched her go. She hoped Bess knew what she was doing where Rick was concerned.

“I’d like to be there myself,” Nancy replied, turning back to Mattie. “But now that the set’s closed to visitors—”

“Wait a minute!” Mattie cried. Her eyes shimmered with excitement. “I just got a brilliant idea! We’re shooting a hospital scene tomorrow, and I’ll bet I could get you and Bess jobs as extras! What do you think? Will you do it?”

Across the kitchen, Bess couldn’t help jumping up and down with excitement. “That would be fantastic!”

Nancy thought for a moment. “Are you sure you could do it?”

“Almost sure. Here, let me call the casting director. Eloise, do you have a phone book handy?”

Nancy’s aunt brought the book over as Bess loaded the dishwasher. “Just imagine, Nancy, appearing oh my favorite soap!”

“We’re in luck!” Mattie announced, hanging up the phone a few minutes later. “She says you two can be nurses. Just report to the studio at seven sharp, and go straight to the costume room as soon as you get there.”

“But what if people recognize us?” Nancy wondered out loud.

“Oh, they won’t recognize you.” Mattie laughed and stood up to leave. “No one ever looks at the extras. Besides, when you’re on camera you’ll probably have wigs and uniforms on. You probably won’t even recognize yourselves.”

“You know, Nancy,” Bess said after Mattie had gone. “No matter what anyone says, I’ve read that a lot of big stars started out as extras. You never know—this could be my lucky break!”

Bess and Nancy had reported to the studio at seven the next morning. After the dry blocking, in which they learned what they were to do, they reported to makeup and wardrobe. Now, standing on pedestals as two wardrobe people finished their final fittings for the dress rehearsal, Bess and Nancy couldn’t help giggling.

“You’re really a knockout as a brunette, Nancy!” Bess said.

Nancy looked over at her friend, who was wearing an identical uniform. She had a white nurse’s cap over her bright red wig, and Nancy had never seen her look more excited.

“Your dress rehearsal will be third, ladies,” a production assistant told them. “After the big love scene, which is the second, report to Lillian. You know where to stand and what to do from the first rehearsal. So, break a leg. Oh, if you want to catch Rick and Mattie in rehearsal, you can. Rory and Serena are going to have a big scene. It’s supposed to be pretty hot stuff.”

Bess immediately dashed down the corridor to the set, determined not to miss a word of Mattie and Rick’s scene. It was all Nancy could do to keep up with her.

Watching the cast and crew gather around the set of Serena Livingstone’s living room, Nancy could feel their edginess. The near-disaster of the day before had obviously gotten to everyone. Even though the set was closed to outsiders, Nancy could tell that nobody felt truly safe.

The only person who seemed at ease was Rick. Flashing a smile at Bess as he walked onto the set, he looked as if he were on top of the world.

He took his place in the middle of the set, and slowly Rick Arlen seemed to fade away. When the director finally called “Action,” he had become Rory Danner.

In the scene, Rory was supposed to tell Serena that he’d be hers forever, if she would have him. Even though it was an intense scene, Nancy noticed that Rick was reading nearly all his lines from the teleprompter. But then, with all the excitement the day before, she reasoned, he probably hadn’t had time to memorize them.

Mattie was having trouble with her lines, too. She had excused herself early the night before to go home and work, but obviously she didn’t remember much. Although she was really throwing herself into the scene, Nancy noticed that she, too, kept glancing over at her teleprompter to check her lines.

“Should I leave, Serena? Is that what you want?” Rick asked, pacing in front of Mattie nervously.

“No, Rory, don’t go. I love you,” Serena said. Her voice was quivering, and her emerald eyes were full of tears. “I’ve always loved you, even when you didn’t want me.”

“Cut!” came the director’s voice. “Mattie, I need you to cool it a little. If you start the scene at such a high emotional pitch, we won’t have anywhere to go.”

“Right, Luther.” Mattie nodded up to the director’s booth.

“Okay, everyone, take it from ‘Should I leave,’ ” Lillian ordered.

“Should I leave, Serena? Is that what you want?” Rick said.

“No, Rory, don’t go. I love you! I’ve always loved you, even when you didn’t want me.”

They were into it by then. Mattie and Rick were utterly convincing, making everyone who was watching really believe they were desperately in love. Bess had tears in her eyes as she watched them move slowly toward each other. Finally, Serena collapsed in Rory’s arms.

“Here comes her big speech,” Lillian muttered under her breath to nobody in particular. “Watch her screw it up.”

“Oh, Rory, I want to do so many things with you,” Mattie whispered hoarsely. “I want to take walks in the rain with you, I want to sit with you under the stars on a deserted beach. I want to dance with you, to sing with you, to—”

Mattie suddenly fell silent. She stood as if frozen, her eyes fixed on the teleprompter, her beautiful face a terrible white. Then, as everyone looked on in horror, she let out a bloodcurdling scream and slumped slowly to the floor.

Chapter Seven

“Mattie! Mattie!”

“What happened?”

“Is she all right?”

“Don’t touch her!”

Everyone gathered around Mattie, who was lying on the floor. After what seemed forever, her eyes began to flutter open. She looked dazed. Mattie struggled to her feet with Rick’s help. The look in her eyes only grew wilder.