A Script for Danger (Nancy Drew Diaries #10)(22)

“It doesn’t look like Ronan Beale lives in Los Angeles anymore. All that’s here is a forwarding address. . . .”

“Great! Where?”

“It’s in River Heights.”



By the time I finished my phone call, the atmosphere on set had become noticeably tense. Alex couldn’t seem to get the ghost to be as scary as he had hoped, there were issues with maintaining focus throughout the shot, and the entire crew had to huddle in the woods to remain out of frame.

I quickly updated Bess and George on Ned’s important discovery.

“Are you serious?” Bess gasped.

I nodded. “Well, he is from here. The forwarding address turned out to be his parents’ house. I left a message with his mother, saying that I wanted to interview Ronan as part of an article about RHU alumni working in the film business. We’ll see if he calls back.”

“This is crazy,” Bess said. “What are the odds of Ronan being in River Heights right now? He has to be related to the pranks somehow!”

“You girls look way too stressed out!” Brian exclaimed, popping up right in front of us. He had finished with the stairs and was now jogging in laps around the woods. “What’s got you down?”

“The ghosts are getting to be a little too realistic for us,” I said glumly. Brian stopped to catch his breath and mop his forehead.

“Aren’t you tired, Brian?” Bess asked. Apparently she had worked her way up to speaking to him in full sentences.

“Of course, but that’s the point. Dylan is supposed to look worn out and frightened in this scene. What do you think?” He messed around, doing a silly I’ve just seen my mother’s ghost! reaction, throwing his hands in the air and flailing wildly.

“I believe you,” George assessed.

“Of course, if I actually saw a ghost,” Brian said, “this is what I’d do.” He mimed attacking the ghost and knocking it out with some kind of martial arts moves.

“Aren’t ghosts transparent?” I asked.

“Sure, sure,” Brian replied. “But what if I have to fight off a snake that crawls out of a sewer?”

“You’re crazy!” Bess laughed.

“Brian! We’re ready to do a take!” Alex called.

Brian nodded good-bye as he ran off to take his place in front of the camera.

“And—ACTION!”

Apparently, the lengthy rehearsal time had paid off. Everything moved just as it was supposed to. The camera was mounted on a dolly so that it could roll next to Brian as he walked alongside the house, looking pensive. Even Alex calmed down a bit as he watched the first take in the monitor.

In addition to the artificial fog, a creaking sound coming from the trees added to the dramatic mood. I tried to imagine how the shot would look in the final film; the script indicated that many of the more sinister scenes would be enhanced with visual effects.

The creaking sound became louder and suddenly Brian caught my eye, breaking out of character.

“Brian?” Alex said. “What are you . . . cut!”

Before I could register what was happening, Brian pushed me to the ground just a split second before an enormous light tipped over and landed with a resounding crash—right where I had been standing.





CHAPTER NINE





Shadows and Light


“NANCY! ARE YOU OKAY?” ALEX and Lali rushed over as Bess and George helped me to my feet.

“Yep. A little surprised, is all.” I tried to seem composed, but my heart was racing.

“If Brian hadn’t seen the light falling . . .” Bess’s voice quivered.

Spencer’s hands shook as he examined the light stand. “Someone moved the sandbag off the stand and loosened the screw,” he muttered. “That’s why it fell!”

“Are you sure someone didn’t just forget to put on a sandbag and tighten the screw?” Lali asked.

“This light has been here for at least an hour!” Spencer replied defensively. “If someone had forgotten to do those things—which none of my people would—it would have fallen over a long time ago.”

“I had to ask!” Lali snapped.

“No, you didn’t!” Spencer spat.

“Thank you, Brian,” I said gratefully, regaining my balance.

“Anyone would have done the same. I’m just glad I noticed the light tipping over before . . .”

He didn’t seem to want to finish the sentence out loud, so I silently added, before it crushed me like a bug. Several crew members crowded around the fallen light, murmuring. Sensing the growing dissent among the troops, Lali took charge and addressed the group.

“Listen! Whoever is pulling these pranks is ruining the film and putting all our jobs—and now our lives—in danger. If this is a vendetta against Alex—or me—please have the courage to come forward and discuss this like an adult,” she pleaded.

Suddenly Brian was standing right next to her. “What is the purpose of putting people’s lives at risk? What could all of this possibly be worth?” he added passionately.

Lali seemed surprised at first, and then said, “Thank you, Brian. That’s exactly right.”

As we all looked around, one baffled face to another, nobody could answer the one question that had been plaguing me from the moment the firecrackers went off.