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  “Don’t cry,” Kay ordered, dabbing Mattie’s eyes with a tissue. “You’ll ruin your makeup.”

  “Sorry. It’s just so upsetting.”

  “Maybe you should start at the beginning,” Nancy said, taking an empty chair next to Mattie.

  “It began with the chocolate,” Mattie explained, leaning forward. Kay chased after her face with a powder puff. “A box of it came in with the rest of the fan mail one day. Rick is a maniac for chocolate, so he opened the box and ate one right away. It was so bitter that for a minute he thought he’d been poisoned. After a while, though, when he didn’t keel over, he figured it was just a practical joke. We all did. But then a letter arrived. It said something like, ‘Scared you, didn’t I? Good, because this was just a dress rehearsal.’ About two days later, a watch came in the mail. It was set at five to midnight, and there was a note attached that said, ‘Your time’s running out.’ You see? Somebody is trying to kill him!”

  Mattie was practically standing up in her chair. Kay gently pushed her back down and began working on her eyes. “Take it easy, hon,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Maybe this is a stupid question,” Nancy ventured, “but has anybody called the police?”

  Kay laughed. “If we called the police every time we got a nasty letter around here, we’d be calling them every day! You should see some of the fan mail.”

  Mattie wheeled around in her chair. “But this is different! These aren’t just nasty letters, they’re real threats! The trouble is, nobody is taking them seriously!”

  “Not even Rick?” Nancy asked.

  “Especially not Rick,” Mattie said huffily. “He thinks nothing will ever hurt him. As far as he’s concerned, the whole thing is the work of a single loony fan out for kicks. I’m the only one who’s really worried, and that’s why I need your help.”

  “She’ll help you, won’t you, Nancy?” Bess said, not really asking the question. “We’ll stay here as long as it takes!”

  Nancy smiled wryly. Bess would have promised anything if it meant she could spend more time with her idols.

  “But, Bess,” she said, protesting. “We have a lot of sightseeing planned, and—”

  Just then, the door flew open and Rick Arlen burst in. Bess gasped. He really was even more gorgeous in person. A lock of blond hair had fallen over his forehead, and he impatiently brushed it away. He was holding up a black-and-white glossy photograph of himself. The photo had been scratched almost beyond recognition.

  “Mattie,” he said, thrusting the picture into her hands, “it’s happened again! Look at this!”

  Mattie looked at the photo, and at the message scrawled beneath it. “ ‘If you won’t be mine, you won’t be anybody’s,’ ” she read. She looked up at Nancy. “You see what I mean?”

  “At least it’s an old picture,” Rick said, trying to make a joke. “It’s not even very good, actually.”

  Bess was standing, absolutely frozen, staring moronically at Rick. Noticing her obvious interest, Mattie hastily introduced the girls to Rick, but it was clear that his mind was on other things. He hardly noticed them.

  “Whoever did this has some nerve,” he was saying. “Imagine, tearing up my face like that.”

  “Please, Rick,” Mattie begged, “if you won’t call the police, will you at least tell security about this?”

  “Come on, now,” he said, waving away her concern. “What are they going to do about it? Shake their heads and wring their hands, that’s what. Anyhow, it’s probably just old man Pappas trying to scare me.”

  “Rick!” Mattie gasped. “You don’t really think—”

  “I don’t know what to think,” he muttered with a shrug. “All I know is that we’re scheduled to be on the set in five minutes for dress rehearsal, and I haven’t got time for nonsense like this.” Rick turned toward the door. Jaw set, eyes ablaze, he was the picture of that perfect romantic rebel, Rory Danner. “See you on the set, Mattie. Oh, and nice meeting you, girls.”

  He gave Bess and Nancy a cursory nod as he left the room. “What a hunk!” Bess whispered hoarsely. “Oh, Nancy, you’ve just got to take this case! Just think what might happen to Rick if you don’t.”

  “Bess, sick as it might be, sending hate mail is not a felony.”

  “Please,” Mattie said, breaking in. “Something’s very wrong here, I’m sure of it. I’d feel so much better if you’d at least stay and watch this morning’s dress rehearsal.”

  Nancy looked from Mattie to Bess and back again. There was no way they would let her say no. Besides, she reasoned, watching a soap rehearsal was kind of like sightseeing, wasn’t it? “Okay, we’ll stay,” she agreed.

  “Oh, Nancy!” Mattie cried happily. “You won’t regret this! I promise!”

  Nancy hoped not. But she couldn’t get rid of the depressing feeling that for the hundredth time, a relaxing vacation was about to be ruined.

  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.

  “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 assistant director. While Luther is up in the booth playing God, she’s his watchdog.”

  “Sounds like she’s not your favorite person.”

  “She’s not. But then, Lillian’s just a nobody 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 brass 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 do
wn 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.

  Pushing 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 don’t get it, do you?” the other man shouted back. “Mattie could have been 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.

  “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 glass! What if one of them had cut your face? Your career would be ruined.”

  “Nobody 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?”