Anatomy of a Crossword by Nero Blanc

Author:Nero Blanc
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497671744
Publisher: Open Road Media

CHAPTER 24

Bubba Screter pulled what looked like a small portion of a flexible gladiator’s breastplate out from under his special effects worktable and bent it around Dan Millray’s exposed chest.

“Looks good,” he said. “If you can hold it there, Dan, I’ll tape it in place.”

“Kevlar, huh? Is this the stuff the cops wear? Kind of thin, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah, the cops’ stuff is much thicker. This piece here will only protect you from possible blow-back from the blood pack and the paper wad from the blanks. It’d never stop a real bullet. Not a .38, that’s for damn sure.”

Bubba took a wide roll of white athletic tape and began securing the Kevlar to the actor’s chest.

Dan laughed. “I haven’t seen tape like that since I was a linebacker at Northwestern. Does it come off any easier nowadays, or does it still rip all the hair from your body?”

“It’s no different. Do you want to shave your chest first?”

Dan rolled his eyes and groaned. “Thanks, Bubba, I’ll take my chances.”

After the Kevlar was fastened, Dan slipped into a pair of the silk pajamas. Bubba checked the positioning of his handiwork against the Kevlar. He double-checked the aluminum safety plate and the angle of the radio receiver’s small antenna. When he was happy that everything looked perfect, he buttoned up the pajamas. “Okay, buddy-boy,” he said, “time to meet the Grim Reaper.”

The two men made a quick stop at the prop table, then stepped onto the set and checked in with Dean Ivald, as Bubba’s assistant followed close behind with the clothes rack and the four remaining pairs of pajamas. Bubba carried the remote control box he would use to ignite the five blood packs; each charge was tuned to a different frequency.

The set had been transformed slightly to give it a “slept in” look. A pair of tweed trousers, rumpled shirt, bow tie, braces, shoes, socks, and a camel-hair sports jacket had been scattered across the floor. The quilt on the canopy bed had been pulled back and jumbled up to make it appear as if Dan had been sleeping restlessly. One of the pillows had also been tossed onto the floor and the alarm clock knocked over. Miso Lane was busy taking Polaroid photographs to make certain there was continuity between the five different takes.

“Okay, Danno,” Ivald said, “let’s have you on the bed, shall we?”

Millray crossed over to the bed, reclined on his back, and made himself comfortable. Bubba Screter followed and rechecked his blood pack to be certain it hadn’t shifted in position now that the actor was lying down. A makeup man approached, mussed up Dan’s hair, and lacquered it in place with hair spray. Miso Lane materialized once again, and snapped a Polaroid of Dan’s new sleep-heavy and rumpled appearance.

“Now, Dan,” Ivald continued, “remember that you drank far too much vino before going to bed. You left your wife stewing on the couch downstairs, and your sleep had been restless. We want to play up the

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