Part 2 (1/2)
”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 love to!” crooned Bess. Elbowing Nancy in the ribs, she prompted her friend. ”Wouldn't we?” 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.
”By the way, who was that woman-Lillian somebody-who was so angry at you earlier?” Nancy asked him as they headed down the empty corridor.
”Her name is Lillian Weiss,” he hissed, making the name sound snakelike. ”She's the a.s.sistant director. While Luther is up in the booth playing G.o.d, she's his watchdog.”
”Sounds like she's not your favorite person.”
”She's not. But then, Lillian's just a n.o.body around here. I don't let her get to me-she's not worth even thinking about.”
Just then they came to a door with a polished bra.s.s star on it and Rick's name above the star. ”Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” he quipped lightly. He ushered them in and closed the door quietly behind them.
The bright lights in the dressing room blinded Nancy for a moment when she stepped in.
”I love this room-it's so warm and bright. This is the place I go to get away from the craziness out there.” He pointed toward the door. ”Let's see, now,” he mumbled. ”I'd offer you a chocolate, but I'm afraid they're a little bitter. But can I get you something to drink?” Rick opened a small refrigerator.
Bess pushed a lock of blond hair behind her ear before she said, ”Okay. Um, a diet soda for me.”
”Pour vous?” he asked, turning to Nancy.
”The same, thanks.”
”You're a very smart girl. And brave, too. Would you care to marry me?” Rick had taken Nancy's hand gently in his own, and now he offered her a bouquet of imaginary flowers with the other.
Nancy pulled her hand away and looked at him. ”I have a boyfriend. Sorry,” she said, apologizing.
”Ah-I'm crushed. Well, then,” he purred, instantly turning to Bess and taking her hand. ”How about you? Would you marry me?”
Bess's eyes twinkled mischievously. ”Okay, you're on.”
”Oh, you only like me for my looks,” Rick complained. Nancy saw him catch a quick glimpse of himself in the mirror before he gazed back at Bess appreciatively. ”But then, you're not too bad yourself.”
Bess blushed. She seemed to melt into the dressing table as Rick stared at her.
Rick Arlen obviously knew how to flirt, Nancy observed. And Bess was definitely being taken in.
”Well,” said Nancy, trying to break the spell, ”for a guy who just barely escaped a terrible accident, you're in an incredibly good mood.”
”Of course! Of course I am!” Rick said agreeably as he poured the sodas. ”I was lucky. That's the best way to be if you're going to be in an accident. Don't you agree? But then, I've always been a lucky guy. I mean, I just met you two, didn't I?”
”Some people don't think the things that have been happening to you lately are accidents,” Nancy said.
Rick sank into a plush chair and looked at her impatiently. ”Some people are also frightened of their own shadows. Look, when you're a TV star, you have to expect a little craziness. It comes with the territory. Along with a lot of good things, too. Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful,” he added offhandedly to Bess. She almost swooned into his costume rack.
She's really eating this up, Nancy thought. Bess actually seemed to take Rick's baloney seriously.
”Look, I'd better get back to the set,” Nancy said, putting down her soda. ”Security should have had a good look around by now, and I want to find out exactly what happened. Are you coming, Bess?” she asked.
”Is it okay if I meet you back there in a little while?” Bess responded.
”Don't worry about Bess here,” Rick put in with a grin. ”I'll take care of her.”
That was just what Nancy was afraid of.
Pus.h.i.+ng through the thick, soundproof door, Nancy stepped back onto the set. Immediately she saw Mattie trying to break up a fight. One of the men was William Pappas. Nancy hadn't seen the other man before. He was slim, handsome, and at that moment his eyes were ablaze with anger.
”It was an accident!” Pappas was shouting. ”Technicians are only human. Now, if you'll get off my back, I'll find out who was responsible and deal with that person. I can't do anything if you're going to stand here and scream at me all day!”
”You still still don't get it, do you?” the other man shouted back. ”Mattie could have been don't get it, do you?” the other man shouted back. ”Mattie could have been killed killed in there! And I promise you, if so much as a hair on my client's head is ever hurt, your network will be facing the biggest lawsuit the world has ever seen! Come on, Mattie!” He grabbed Mattie's arm and marched toward the door. Nancy ducked behind a piece of scenery and continued to watch. in there! And I promise you, if so much as a hair on my client's head is ever hurt, your network will be facing the biggest lawsuit the world has ever seen! Come on, Mattie!” He grabbed Mattie's arm and marched toward the door. Nancy ducked behind a piece of scenery and continued to watch.
”Dwayne, please, calm down!” Mattie protested. ”No one was trying to hurt me! I was nowhere near the accident!”
”It's the network's responsibility to protect you from things like this, Mattie. Look at those shards of gla.s.s! What if one of them had cut your face? Your career would be ruined.”
”n.o.body is going to get hurt, Dwayne,” Pappas said, calmer now. ”This is never going to happen again. Now, will you please get out of here so we can clean up this mess and get on with the show?”
As Dwayne stalked off, Nancy heard Pappas remark to Mattie, ”It's just my luck that that idiot agent was here today. The last thing I need is a nervous Nellie on the set the day the roof falls in. No offense, Mattie, but the man is a complete fool. Excuse me, please, will you?”
As Pappas breezed by her, Nancy grabbed Mattie's elbow, and they followed him. The producer walked immediately over to the chief of security and began asking questions. Nancy and Mattie got as close as they could without being noticed and listened intently.
”It looks like an accident, plain and simple, Mr. Pappas,” the security man was saying.
”Thank you,” Pappas muttered. Then he strode directly over to where the lighting technicians were gathered. ”Which one of you was responsible for checking the lights this week?” he asked.
”I was,” admitted one of the men unhappily. It was the man with the beard who had talked to Nancy and Bess earlier. ”But they checked out fine. In fact, just this morning-”
”What's your name?” asked Pappas darkly.
”Uh, MacPherson, Mr. Pappas, but-”
”You're fired, MacPherson. Stop by the front office and pick up your severance pay. I don't ever want to see you around here again, understand?” Before the man could say another word, Pappas was gone.
Mattie and Nancy looked at each other. ”You've got to believe me,” Mattie whispered urgently. ”That was no accident, I'm sure of it!”
Nancy sighed. If security thought it was an accident, it probably was. Still... ”I think I'll take a look around myself. You never know.”
There wasn't much to see. All the gla.s.s from the broken light had been swept into a pile in the corner, and the light itself was in pieces against the wall. Each piece had been tagged for reference. Security seemed to have done a thorough job.
Nancy was about to give up and go back to Rick's dressing room but decided to take a last look around. As she walked over to the back wall of the living room, a flash of something metallic caught her eye, and she bent to the floor. There, almost completely hidden from view, was a piece of metal with a bolt attached. One edge of the metal was s.h.i.+ny, as if it had been sc.r.a.ped or cut.