A Moment in Crime by Amanda Allen

Author:Amanda Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

CHAPTER 10

If Maddie had wondered if Luther Bishop’s death would put a damper on filming, or even end up shutting it all down, she saw that was very wrong as they arrived on set the next day. In fact, she had never seen anything busier. It was almost like Grand Central Station at nine o’clock on a Monday morning.

Even more crew members swarmed around the wagon set, hammering, shouting, hauling away buckets and making mysterious piles of bricks and stones. Several girls in pink smocks rushed around, waving powder puffs and mirrors as they checked the effects of sunlight on cheekbones. Maddie glimpsed Francisco having his hair pomaded, and she waved at him.

“Look, Juanita, Francisco is here today,” she said, pointing him out. He gave a beaming smile at the sight of Juanita. “He seems happy to see you again.”

Juanita gave him the tiniest wave in return, blushing a little as she turned to fiddle with the clasp on her handbag. “He’s probably just happy to be working today. No time for mourning?”

“Oh, I told you Bridget wouldn’t let any grass grow under her feet,” Gwen said. She didn’t look nearly as enthusiastic as Francisco. In fact, she was rather pale, her eyes shadowed as if she hadn’t slept much the night before despite Juanita’s plying her with warm milk. “I bet this flick will be in the can before you can say cut. We have to get paid before the studio honchos decide to pull the plug, you know.”

“Oh, Gwen, there you are!” Bridget called, emerging from the throng of makeup girls with Will trailing behind her. He looked exhausted, but she looked like she was utterly bursting with her own source of sunlight. Her arms were full of typewritten pages, and she wore a smart dark-blue suit piped in white, a wide-brimmed hat on her bright hair. “I need you to look at these new scenes Will finished last night! You are in the first one up for today, and I think we are going to need to redo the ending of the arrival scene just a bit, too. Everyone needs to know the changes as soon as possible.”

Gwen stared numbly down at the pages Bridget pushed at her. “Is my part going to be bigger, then?”

“Oh, yes. There’s so much potential there, don’t you think? You have a new little romance. Be sure and pay close attention to this scene here. I’ve just sent a telegram to Marcus Whiting, asking him to come out here and play your adoring swain. Wouldn’t that be fabulous?”

“Marcus Whiting?” Gwen gasped. “But he’s so—so …”

“Scrumptious looking? Yes, I know, and such an up-and-comer,” Bridget said with a laugh. “Audiences do like a cute young couple to sigh over. I’ve also added a part for Lorelei as your sister; she’s been wanting to give it a go for so long. Pictures need as many actresses as possible these days. No one wants to watch actors chest-thumping for twelve reels, do they?”

“Speak for yourself, darling,” Phil Ballard called.

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