Read Online Stay Tuned for Danger by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Ads: Link
lot together.”
Nancy put her hand comfortingly on Mattie’s arm. As they listened to Bess giggling happily in the other room, Nancy could feel Mattie’s grief. If a girl were talking with Ned like that, she’d be crushed, too.
“But then,” Mattie said with a sad smile, “Rick obviously doesn’t feel the same way. Well, I’d better go. I might as well get some sleep. We’re still having brunch tomorrow morning, right?”
Nancy nodded and walked Mattie to the door, watching as she went down the stairs to her garden apartment. Just as the actress was about to disappear, Nancy remembered what she had been thinking before the phone rang.
“Mattie! Wait!” she called.
The actress looked up from the stairwell. “Yes?”
“How could I get into Dwayne Casper’s office? I’d just like to take a look around.”
“Well,” said Mattie, her brow wrinkling as she thought, “I suppose you could set up an appointment and say you were an aspiring actress. You could even say we did a show together once.”
“That might work. I don’t think he ever noticed me before. Whenever I saw him I wasn’t near you or him. But I don’t have any pictures or résumés,” she reminded Mattie.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Mattie assured her. “Just tell him you’re new in town. Ask him for advice—he loves that. Dwayne’s really good with newcomers, and he’ll be flattered that you came to him for guidance. If you call first thing Monday morning and say I told you to call, I guarantee you’ll get in. But I promise you, Dwayne is harmless. I should know—we’ve been friends for years.”
“I hope you’re right. But if Dwayne’s got anything to do with this, I’ve got to find out. And, Mattie,” she said softly, “don’t worry about Bess. I know her. She falls in and out of love all the time. She’ll get over Rick as soon as she gets back home, you’ll see.”
Mattie stared into the distance, trying to hide her feelings. “Maybe,” she murmured softly. Giving Nancy a strange look, she disappeared down the stairwell to her apartment. Nancy could hear her door close behind her.
That night, tossing and turning in her bed, Nancy couldn’t sleep. Her eyes kept popping open, and she’d lie still and stare at the ceiling while her mind was in high gear and she worked through detail after detail. If only they added up.
Rick Arlen. She could picture his handsome face with that winning grin of his, and those sparkling azure eyes. Someone wanted him dead, but who? Rick might not win any popularity contests among the people who knew him best, but only one person hated him enough to want him dead.
It took a very clever person to conceal such powerful hatred so successfully. Nancy tried to imagine who it might be, but there were so many people wishing him ill: Pappas, Casper, Lillian Weiss, and who knows how many others there were just on the set alone. Nancy had had cases this difficult before, and she’d solved them successfully. But this time there were so many possibilities; which one should she investigate first?
As she drifted to sleep, the shadowy figure of Rick came back into her mind. He was signing autographs for a crowd of fans. A monstrous figure walked toward him, slowly stalking him. Nancy tried to cry out, but her voice was caught in her throat. The figure turned toward her, seeing her for the first time. Eyes of indescribable evil glowed at her, paralyzing her with fear.
Then the figure drew a long and sharp knife that glinted in the dim light. Nancy tried to scream, but nothing happened. The shadowy figure was getting closer and closer—
Nancy awoke with a gasp and sat up in bed. The clock-radio by her bed read 5:05 A.M. It was only a dream, thank goodness! she thought, her heart racing. But it was so real.
Sighing with relief, she turned over, ready to go back to sleep. That’s when she noticed that Bess’s bed was empty.
In an instant, Nancy was up and out of bed. She hurried into the
Nancy put her hand comfortingly on Mattie’s arm. As they listened to Bess giggling happily in the other room, Nancy could feel Mattie’s grief. If a girl were talking with Ned like that, she’d be crushed, too.
“But then,” Mattie said with a sad smile, “Rick obviously doesn’t feel the same way. Well, I’d better go. I might as well get some sleep. We’re still having brunch tomorrow morning, right?”
Nancy nodded and walked Mattie to the door, watching as she went down the stairs to her garden apartment. Just as the actress was about to disappear, Nancy remembered what she had been thinking before the phone rang.
“Mattie! Wait!” she called.
The actress looked up from the stairwell. “Yes?”
“How could I get into Dwayne Casper’s office? I’d just like to take a look around.”
“Well,” said Mattie, her brow wrinkling as she thought, “I suppose you could set up an appointment and say you were an aspiring actress. You could even say we did a show together once.”
“That might work. I don’t think he ever noticed me before. Whenever I saw him I wasn’t near you or him. But I don’t have any pictures or résumés,” she reminded Mattie.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Mattie assured her. “Just tell him you’re new in town. Ask him for advice—he loves that. Dwayne’s really good with newcomers, and he’ll be flattered that you came to him for guidance. If you call first thing Monday morning and say I told you to call, I guarantee you’ll get in. But I promise you, Dwayne is harmless. I should know—we’ve been friends for years.”
“I hope you’re right. But if Dwayne’s got anything to do with this, I’ve got to find out. And, Mattie,” she said softly, “don’t worry about Bess. I know her. She falls in and out of love all the time. She’ll get over Rick as soon as she gets back home, you’ll see.”
Mattie stared into the distance, trying to hide her feelings. “Maybe,” she murmured softly. Giving Nancy a strange look, she disappeared down the stairwell to her apartment. Nancy could hear her door close behind her.
That night, tossing and turning in her bed, Nancy couldn’t sleep. Her eyes kept popping open, and she’d lie still and stare at the ceiling while her mind was in high gear and she worked through detail after detail. If only they added up.
Rick Arlen. She could picture his handsome face with that winning grin of his, and those sparkling azure eyes. Someone wanted him dead, but who? Rick might not win any popularity contests among the people who knew him best, but only one person hated him enough to want him dead.
It took a very clever person to conceal such powerful hatred so successfully. Nancy tried to imagine who it might be, but there were so many people wishing him ill: Pappas, Casper, Lillian Weiss, and who knows how many others there were just on the set alone. Nancy had had cases this difficult before, and she’d solved them successfully. But this time there were so many possibilities; which one should she investigate first?
As she drifted to sleep, the shadowy figure of Rick came back into her mind. He was signing autographs for a crowd of fans. A monstrous figure walked toward him, slowly stalking him. Nancy tried to cry out, but her voice was caught in her throat. The figure turned toward her, seeing her for the first time. Eyes of indescribable evil glowed at her, paralyzing her with fear.
Then the figure drew a long and sharp knife that glinted in the dim light. Nancy tried to scream, but nothing happened. The shadowy figure was getting closer and closer—
Nancy awoke with a gasp and sat up in bed. The clock-radio by her bed read 5:05 A.M. It was only a dream, thank goodness! she thought, her heart racing. But it was so real.
Sighing with relief, she turned over, ready to go back to sleep. That’s when she noticed that Bess’s bed was empty.
In an instant, Nancy was up and out of bed. She hurried into the
Similar Books
