by Zara Keane
“You were pretty cryptic on the phone.”
He nodded. “I need to be discreet, and I need to know you can be too.”
“Discretion is part of my job description.” I took a sip from my water glass, allowing him time to gather his thoughts.
“We spent eight weeks filming indoor scenes in a studio in Belfast. Eight weeks of mishaps. I put it down to chance. I was sure our luck would change once we arrived on Whisper Island.”
“That hasn’t happened?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“Quite the opposite.” Con’s mouth set in a grim line. “We’ve been on the island for ten days, trying to shoot a couple of scenes featuring Eliza before she meets Judd’s character. Since our arrival, we’ve been dogged by bad weather and bad luck. I can’t do anything about the weather, but I’m starting to wonder about the luck part.”
“Con’s referring to the so-called accidents that have happened to me on and off set,” my sister added in a hushed tone.
I sucked in a breath. “Were you hurt?”
Beth’s lower lip trembled, and unshed tears brimmed in her lovely blue eyes. “No, but I might have been.”
“The accidents didn’t happen only to you, Eliza. Sonny Barnes was almost killed when that stage light fell today.” Con glanced at me. “That’s who Luke was collecting from the medical center when he ran into you, Maggie. The poor guy had a panic attack after the accident.”
“I was standing next to Sonny when the light fell,” Beth said with a pout. “Given that I was the target of the other attacks, it’s reasonable to assume that the falling light was meant to land on me.”
Con didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know if any particular person is the target, but there have been too many incidents for me to write them off as coincidence. After this latest drama, I contacted you, Maggie. The rest of the cast and crew arrived today, and news of the falling light spread fast. After all that happened during the Belfast shoot, everyone’s on tenterhooks. That’s no way to shoot a rom-com.”
“You think someone is trying to sabotage the movie?” I asked. “But why?”
“To hurt me,” Beth insisted. “Aren’t you listening? I’m the target.”
Con swallowed his drink, refilled his glass, and downed it in one. “I don’t know what’s happening. What I do know is that I need it to stop.”
“From what I understand, you have a lot riding on this movie.” I was being tactful, or trying to be. Con’s last three movies had flopped big time, including an ultra-expensive action movie. In fickle Hollywood, he literally couldn’t afford another box office failure.
The director poured a third helping of whiskey into his glass and brooded over the amber liquid. “It’s no secret that I need this movie to be a success,” he said as though reading my thoughts. “Between the accidents and the threatening letters, I can’t risk doing nothing.”
I perked up. “Letters?”
“They’re the reason I’m convinced the so-called accidents are intended to hurt me.” Beth withdrew a stack of letters from a folder on the coffee table and handed them to me. “They’re from an anonymous stalker. They’ve been bothering me for months, but it’s grown worse since the movie shoot started. I’m getting at least two a day now, sent from different places in Ireland.”
I leafed through the letters. All were handwritten in clumsy capital letters. Each contained a crude threat, incongruously scrawled on colored, scented paper. “The first of these were sent from the U.S., and the most recent from Ireland. If you suspect a stalker has followed you across the Atlantic, you need to talk to the cops.”
“No,” Con barked before Beth had a chance to respond. “No cops.”
His vehemence took me aback. It was bizarre that I’d been approached by two potential clients on the same day, both complaining of threatening letters and both adamantly opposed to involving the police. Given the apparent differences between the messages Beth had received and the one Theresa Crawley had shown me this morning, it had to be a coincidence. And yet…
“Why no cops?” I demanded. “They’d roll out the red carpet to accommodate you. Whisper Island isn’t used to film crews and movie stars. You guys are a hot commodity.”
“That old saying about all publicity being good publicity?” His smile was wry. “Not true. I don’t want any negative stories leaking about the movie. I can’t risk our insurers pulling the plug. I had enough problems getting them to agree to my casting decisions.”
Beth dropped her voice to a stage whisper. “He means Judd. Con had to fight to get him insured.”
He shot her a warning look. “I’m sure Maggie reads the gossip columns, Eliza.”
Actually, I didn’t, but Lenny had filled me in on Judd Ryan’s checkered history. On-set arguments, addiction issues, and brushes with the law, including the DUI crash that’d earned him a six-month jail sentence. In comparison to the average Joe, Judd’s expensive legal team had worked wonders. However, the spell behind bars rendered him toxic in the eyes of Hollywood. Scoring the male lead in Wedding Belles was as much a comeback opportunity for Judd as it was for Con.
“I understand your reticence to involve the authorities,” I said, “but if your cast and crew are in danger, you have to take action.”
Con raised his eyes from his now-empty tumbler. “I am taking action. I’m hiring you.”
“To do what, exactly? I’m a private investigator, not muscle for hire.”
“I want you to go undercover and find out who’s causing the accidents. Beth thinks they’re connected to the letters, but I’m not convinced. Either way, the accidents have to be an inside job.”
“Undercover as what? Most people on the island, and many of your cast and crew, know who I am.”
“Yes. And everyone knows your sister is playing the female lead. Casting you as an extra wouldn’t raise eyebrows.”
“It would among the people who know me well,” I explained. “I love movies, but I have no desire to appear on the big screen.”
“Spin them a yarn,” Con said. “Tell them it’s a way to spend more time with your sister.”
I snuck a glance at Beth. To my complete lack of surprise, she didn’t look enthusiastic at the prospect of hanging out with me. It shouldn’t have hurt, but it did.
“Being an extra gives you a plausible reason to join us on the Dolphin Island shoot,” he continued. “It’s the perfect cover.”
I wasn’t so sure. “How will you sell your decision to cast an extra in a sling? I don’t see an injured extra adding to the rom-com vibe.”
He waved a hand in a dismissive movement. “You’ll be taking part in crowd scenes. No one will question the sling. And if they do, we’ll tell them your injury was written into the story. Look, Maggie, I’m not interested in hiring you just because you’re Eliza’s sister. I was here when you caught the Santa Killer. I trust you to solve the case.”
I leaned back in my seat and considered Con’s proposition. Lenny would leap at the opportunity to go undercover as an extra. Still, the idea of spending three days trapped on Dolphin Island with my sister, a movie crew, and half the population of Whisper Island was my idea of a living hell. “I need to sleep on it,” I said finally. “I don’t know how much pain I’ll be in tomorrow.”
“Perhaps this’ll convince you.” Con scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to me, careful not to let Beth see what was written on it. “The first number is your base fee. The second is the bonus you’ll receive if you catch the saboteur.”
I scanned the note, my eyes bugging at the figures. The money would cover our expenses for the next few months, plus provide a welcome boost to my nonexistent savings account. I chewed my bottom lip, considering. My gut told me to walk away, but by doing so, I’d put not only my livelihood at risk but also Lenny’s. “I’d need to bring my assistant.” I held up my injured wrist to underscore my demand. “We can question more people if there are two of us.”
Relief flooded Con’s face. “No problem. I’ll cast h
im as an extra in one of the wedding scenes. Will that do?”
I hid a smile. “I’d say so.” Even if I wasn’t happy about my brush with fame, the news would make Lenny’s year.
“I’ve hired extra security guards for the shoot,” Con added. “To avoid the information leaking to the press, I haven’t informed them about my suspicions. However, they’ll be there if we need them. Meanwhile, I want you and your assistant to mingle with the cast and crew. Find out who knows what.”
“What about me?” Beth’s mouth formed a pout. “Will I get extra security? What if the letters and the accidents are connected? I might be in danger.”
“I’ve asked Luke to stick by you all weekend,” Con said soothingly. “I don’t think hanging with Luke will be a hardship for you.”
An emotion sparkled in my sister’s eyes, but it vanished before I’d identified it. I liked Luke, but I wasn’t sure he and my sister were in it for the long haul. He was a rough-and-ready guy from Brooklyn, and my sister aspired to greater things. If their relationship lasted beyond the end of the shoot, I’d be surprised.
“Sure, I love being with Luke, but he can’t be with me 24/7,” Beth pointed out. “Who’ll look after me when he needs a break?”
“We’ll figure something out,” Con said, his tone revealing a growing irritation. “Between Maggie and her assistant and the extra security personnel, you don’t need to worry.”
Beth opened her mouth as if to continue the argument, but I cut her off. “I understand you’re scared,” I said with more patience than I possessed in my state of exhaustion, “but we don’t know that you are the intended target. We don’t even know that the accidents have any sinister background. Keep calm and let Lenny and me start our investigation, okay?” My sister loved being the center of attention. It was hard to tell if this was just another instance of Beth creating drama out of nothing, but she was genuinely afraid.
She pursed her lips. “Whatever.”
Ignoring her evident pique, I turned to Con. “When will you need Lenny and me on Dolphin Island tomorrow? The first ferry leaves at eight o’clock.”
“We’ve arranged extra crossings with the ferry company, starting at five. If you can swing it, I’d like you to be on the first crossing. And bring a bag. Most of the extras will travel back to Whisper Island each night of the shoot, but a select group of cast and crew will stay on the island to shoot scenes after dark. I want you and your assistant to be part of that group.”
I ran through my to-do list. It wasn’t long. I needed to return Theresa’s letter and speak to Trudy Nelson about her cat. Thankfully, I’d already packed a bag and arranged for my aunt Noreen to look after my pets during the now-postponed getaway with Liam. A few clothes substitutions and I’d be all set. “It’s too late for me to contact my clients tonight, but I’ll ask Lenny if he can catch the five o’clock ferry. I can catch one later tomorrow morning. How frequently will they run?”
“The extra crossings for the movie shoot are every hour, on the hour, from five until seven. The sun is due to shine, and I want to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Good luck, dude. Irish weather was notoriously fickle. I’d learned to take weather forecasts with a large pinch of salt.
I took out my phone and checked the ferry schedule. “Looks like the ferry company will have their regular schedule of crossings from eight onward. I’ll shoot for the eight o’clock crossing.”
“Sounds good.” The director stood, indicating that our meeting was at an end. “Thanks for stopping by, Maggie. I’ll have Harper email you the contract and any other details that occur to me.”
I said my goodbyes to Con and Beth and left the suite. On my way downstairs to meet Liam, I dictated a quick message to Lenny, grinning at how excited he’d be to learn that he was to be part of the movie shoot after all. Despite the throbbing in my wrist, a tingle of excitement put a spring in my step. Funny how quickly things changed. This morning, I’d been facing the threat of not being able to pay my bills. This evening, the future of Movie Reel Investigations was looking rosy. Dared I hope my run of bad luck was at an end?
8
After a restless night, I hauled my butt out of bed early on Friday morning. I swallowed a painkiller, dragged on clothes, and opened my curtains. Even pain-wracked and sleep-deprived, the sight of the clear sky through my bedroom window filled me with joy. When I reached the hallway, Bran was at the cottage door, whining for me to hurry up. He nudged my running shoes.
“Sorry, buddy.” I pointed at my sling. “No jogging for me today. You’ll have to make do with a sedate walk.”
Bran’s low whine indicated his disapproval of this plan. In his opinion, walks were tedious.
I clipped on his leash, pausing to stroke my dog’s soft fur. Bran was a Border collie-Labrador mix of even temperament and tiny brain. He’d originally belonged to my aunt Noreen. When I’d moved out of her house, she’d sent Bran to stay with me, allegedly temporarily. The temporary situation had developed into a permanent one, and I couldn’t imagine life without this daft dog.
I dropped a kiss on his furry head. “Let’s roll, or I’ll never make the eight o’clock ferry.”
Outside my cottage, I basked in the glow of the dawn. After weeks of gloom and rain, it was glorious to see a cloud-free sky. Shamrock Cottages was busy for this time of the morning. Liam and I were the only permanent residents, and the other cottages were holiday rentals. Con Ryder had block-booked the cottages for his crew members, and they were already on the move, packing their vehicles for the weekend on Dolphin Island.
I spotted Lenny’s makeup artist friend, Storm, standing by a black SUV outside her cottage. Storm had lived on Whisper Island since June, but she’d agreed to share her home with three other makeup artists during the movie shoot. I suspected Con had made it a condition for giving her the job.
“Morning,” I shouted.
Bran took my greeting as an indication that we should join Storm. He tugged on his leash so hard that he yanked it out of my grasp. He took off across the gravel courtyard at speed, greeting Storm in an ecstasy of barking, licking, and peeing on the ground.
I groaned. At this rate, I’d never get him walked in time to shower before my taxi arrived.
I trudged over to join them. Storm and Bran had struck up a friendship when she’d first moved into her cottage, and he was reveling in her attention. I bit back a smile. It seemed the makeup artist had charmed both my assistant and my dog. I saw why. She was a tiny, elfin-like creature with spiky pink-tipped platinum hair. While she favored black clothing, her makeup screamed of color. Today, she’d teamed neon-green eyeliner with sparkly pink eyeshadow. Her lipstick was ruby red. The look shouldn’t have worked, but Storm owned it.
She glanced up when I approached, her dark eyes widening when she clocked my sling. “How are you, Maggie? Lenny mentioned you’d had an accident.”
“I’ve felt better, but I’ll live. You guys catching the six o’clock ferry?”
“We should’ve been on the five o’clock crossing, but there wasn’t enough space.” Storm’s red lips curved into a smile. “I hear you and Lenny are joining us this weekend.”
“Yeah.” I tried to inject enthusiasm into my delivery. “We’re looking forward to being extras on the shoot, especially Lenny.”
The makeup artist gave Bran a last pat and straightened. “Oh, I know. He texted me last night, right after he learned you guys had scored parts.”
I experienced a twinge of sadness for Sile Conlan. Despite Lenny’s protestations that he and Storm were just friends, I wasn’t so sure Storm knew that. “How are you guys getting all your gear over to Dolphin Island? Did you get a special permit to bring cars?”
“The equipment’s already there,” Storm replied, “including most of my makeup boxes. Con arranged for the big stuff to be brought over last week. We’ll have to leave our cars at the harbor and carry the smaller items.”
“Sounds like you’ll be kept busy over the ne
xt few days.”
Storm stretched her arms from side to side. “I’m glad. I don’t like sitting around, waiting. With our start date uncertain, I couldn’t use the time to do other jobs.”
Having received his fill of attention from Storm, Bran danced around me, dragging his leash in the gravel. I stooped to retrieve it. “I’d better take this guy for his walk before he starts whining.”
“I guess we’ll see each other on Dolphin Island,” Storm said. “Tell me, are there really dolphins near the island?”
“Yeah. Dolphins have been in the bay near Dolphin Island for as long as I can remember. I was taken to see them when I was a kid. I hope to get a sighting this weekend.”
As I’d predicted, Bran tugged on his leash and whined.
Storm laughed. “That’s your cue to get moving. See you on Dolphin Island, Maggie.”
“See you later. Have a safe journey.”
Bran dragged me down the drive and toward the winding coastal path that was my preferred running route.
“Hey, buddy. Quit tugging. Am I walking you, or are you walking me?”
My dog’s woof didn’t give clarity. Bran whined and pulled on his leash until I gave in and let him run free for a while. No one was about to yell at me for allowing my dog off his leash, and Bran spent a happy hour chasing rabbits and digging for nonexistent bones.
He wasn’t thrilled when I put a stop to his fun and coaxed him back to the cottage, but the smell of breakfast in his bowl perked him up. While Bran and the cats ate, I showered and finished packing for my trip to Dolphin Island. Once I’d left out enough food and water to last my pets until Noreen’s afternoon visit, I wrote Trudy Nelson an email. I updated her on my lack of progress in the quest to find Quibbles and suggested we schedule an appointment for early next week. With one hand out of commission, everything took longer than usual, but by seven-fifteen, I was seated in a cab and on my way.
My first stop was at the Happy Campers caravan park. It was early for a social call, but Theresa Crawley and I weren’t buddies and never would be. I needed to return her letter before I left for Dolphin Island, and I didn’t want to hang around until her food truck opened for business. If she was home, I’d give it to her in person. If not, I’d figure something out.