097-Cast of Criminals by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-07T15:13:33+00:00

Chapter 9

A Dark and Stormy Night

The prop knife dropped from Matt Anglim's hand, clattering on the stage. "Are you okay?" he said, kneeling by Callie. Frank leapt to the stage, pushing Matt aside.

"Callie? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Big tears were welling up in Callie's eyes, tears of pain, fear, and anger.

"I'm okay," she gasped. "Just cut a little. Didn't expect . . . Sick of this!"

Frank picked up the prop knife, pushing its bent blade against the palm of his hand. The blade didn't slide into the handle the way it was supposed to. Someone had jammed the spring. Callie was lucky the cheap plastic had just nicked her. Anything harder and she'd have really been hurt.

"I haven't seen so many things go wrong in one production since I was in Mason's Zanies," grumbled Raleigh Faust.

"Darling," Amelia McGillis said, clicking her tongue at Faust; "give us a break. It's bad luck even mentioning' that play."

"Why?" asked Iola.

"Jinxed," Amelia McGillis whispered.

"Jinxed?" repeated Iola.

"Okay, okay, accidents will happen." Paul Ravenswood cut through the nervous chatter. "Matt, you say you haven't acted much before?"

Matt shook his head.

"Have you killed anyone before? You were excellent," Paul Ravenswood said.

Frank blinked. Had he really heard Paul Ravenswood use the word excellent?

"I disagree," Raleigh Faust said. "When I played the part of Neal on Broadway - "

"When you played the part, we were all in diapers," Paul snapped. "So just can it, okay?"

Ravenswood immediately got everyone back to work on the play, although Faust sulked for the rest of the afternoon.

This is my chance to duck out, Frank thought, and try to find out who Harry Hill's New York customer is. But Paul Ravenswood grabbed Frank before he could escape. Ravenswood sent Frank to the print shop to pick up copies of the play's poster. Joe had arrived with the new chairs when Frank got back. But before Frank had a chance to talk to his brother, Ravenswood ordered them to drive all over town putting a poster in every shop window and on every bulletin board in Bayport. Frank didn't really mind. In fact, he was proud to do publicity work for Callie. But when would they get time to really sink their teeth into this case? he wondered.

Late that night a heavy rainstorm moved through Bayport, knocking trees down and adding bright special effects to the sky. Thunder sounded like rockets passing close overhead.

Callie, Iola, Frank, and Joe could all hear the storm as they sat on the couch in Callie's family room. But their attention was focused on the television screen, where they watched a videotape Iola had made that day. She had brought her dad’s camcorder to the theater to tape Callie rehearsing.

Sometimes Callie watched attentively, leaning closer to the screen, her elbows on her knees, her cheeks between her hands. Sometimes she watched with a pillow covering her face.

"I can't believe I did that," she said. "It's so stupid. Tell me when it's over."

Frank and Joe watched the videotape carefully, too, but for a different reason.

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