by Zara Keane
I should probably report for duty right away, but I needed time to think over my conversation with Luke. There had to be a reason why Con had cast Judd, despite the dude being a walking, talking liability. If the director needed the movie to be a success, picking Judd as the male lead made no sense. Did the actor have some kind of hold over Con? If so, what?
I turned these thoughts over in my mind while I got ready to face the rest of the day. I’d accepted Con’s job offer on the assumption that the threat against my sister was a figment of her overactive imagination. What if Beth was right? And even if she was wrong about the danger being directed at her, what if someone was out to make sure Wedding Belles flopped before it got filmed?
12
It was nine-thirty by the time I’d unpacked and swallowed another painkiller. I left my tent, careful to click the lock shut, and tramped across the lawn to Dunfarrig Castle. The gardens, including the Poison Garden Sammy was keen to visit, were on the far side of the castle and stretched as far as the cliff edge.
The castle perched on the highest point of Dolphin Island, affording it an unparalleled view over the ocean. Unlike many castles of its era, Dunfarrig had neither a moat nor an outer wall. Given the castle’s location on a remote island in the Atlantic, I supposed its occupants didn’t feel the need for the extra layers of protection. The castle’s primary purpose was as a lookout point for potential invaders of nearby Gull Island, Whisper Island, and the mainland.
The last time I’d been on the island, the castle had been covered in scaffolding. Now that the restoration work was complete, it was magnificent. On the uppermost level, a walled rampart connected four towers. The main castle was a boxy construction designed for functionality rather than pomp and ceremony. It was no less impressive for its lack of ornamentation. Various extensions had been added to the castle over the years, including a long building tacked inelegantly onto the side. If I recalled correctly, this was an assembly hall dating from the period the British military had occupied the castle.
The main door was open when I approached, and a beefy security guard stood in the frame. I flashed him my pass, and he stepped aside. Inside the oval-shaped entrance foyer, various members of the cast and crew hurried back and forth, slipping down corridors and into rooms. I’d barely had a chance to admire the tapestries on the walls when I was enveloped in an enthusiastic bear hug.
“Maggie,” Lenny exclaimed. “You made it.”
“I survived the treacherous journey from Whisper Island.” My smile turned to a grimace when he accidentally jogged my bad arm. “Careful.”
“Oh, sorry. I forgot about your injury.” Lenny bounced from one foot to the other. “Isn’t this awesome? I can’t believe you scored us a case on a movie set.”
“Shh,” I admonished, darting a glance around the hall. “Keep your voice down. Is there anywhere private we can talk?”
He scrunched his forehead. “We can sneak into the library if the door’s still unlocked. It’s Con’s lair, but I saw him leave a few minutes ago.”
“Won’t Con have locked it after leaving?”
“I heard him yelling at a security guard earlier because the lock doesn’t work. Unless they’ve fixed it, we should be good.”
I checked what the security guard was up to, but he was busy examining a new arrival’s pass. “We’d better move fast.”
My assistant led me across the hall to an arched wooden door. He tried the handle and peeked inside. “Coast’s clear,” he said over his shoulder. “No sign of Con or Harper.”
We dashed into the room and closed the door.
The library was high-ceilinged with several floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Dead animal heads hung on the walls, alongside heraldry and an enormous map of Ireland during the seventeenth century.
Lenny flopped into a high-backed armchair, and I took the sofa opposite. “Have you spoken to anyone yet?” he asked. “Or had a chance to look around the movie set?”
“I just arrived. So far, I dumped my stuff in a tent and had an interesting chat with Luke on the way from the ferry.” Struggling to recall all the details through my medication-induced brain fog, I gave Lenny the gist of what Luke had told me.
When I finished, he gave a low whistle. “Does that make Judd our number one suspect?”
“I don’t know. It indicates Judd has dirt on Con or some kind of hold over the guy. It doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the accidents. What about you? Have you toured the set?”
“Oh, yeah.” A wide grin spread across his face. “It’s amazing, Maggie. Storm showed me around the makeup artists’ area. They have the most incredible tools to make all sorts of looks. I’m bummed they don’t have monsters in this movie. Can you imagine the awesome looks Storm could create?”
“Sounds like you’re having fun,” I said dryly. “Just don’t forget why we’re here.”
Lenny drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair in a cheerful rhythm. “No worries, boss. You can count on me. I’m combining work with pleasure. I took the opportunity to pump Storm about the accidents on set. I told her I’d heard rumors from the other extras and asked if they’d mentioned anything to her. She wasn’t around while they were filming in Belfast, but her roommates filled her in on the drama.”
I leaned forward in my chair, sucking in a breath when I accidentally jogged my sling. “What did Storm tell you?”
“Everyone’s on edge. There’s tension on the set, and they’re all wondering when the next mishap will occur.”
“Did she have any idea who was behind the accidents?”
Lenny shook his head. “She’s as in the dark as we are, but then she’s new on the set. She didn’t believe the stories until a light fell during filming yesterday. The guy responsible for lighting swears the cord was cut.”
“Interesting. Con told me the man who had a close encounter with the falling light is called Sonny Barnes. I’ll try to talk to him today. Did you get a name for the lighting guy?”
“Mark Grasso. He’ll be helping at the scene I’m in this afternoon. I can corner him at the break.”
I inclined my head in approval. “Smart. What’s your role, by the way?”
Lenny beamed at my question. “Liam and I have been cast in a cross-dressing dance scene. Our costumes are the most fantastic sequinned ball gowns.”
“You have to wear drag?” I burst out laughing at the image of the two hairy guys rocking ball gowns. “Can either of you dance?”
“No, but it doesn’t matter. Our part is super basic. We need to move in time to the music, but we’re just filling space. The pros will be the ones the cameras focus on.”
“All the same, you’re going to have to show some coordination, no?”
“Merry, the assistant choreographer, demonstrated the basic steps already, and we’ll practice the routine again this afternoon in our costumes. She said it’s easy to do, even in a ball gown and heels.”
“Heels?” I howled with laughter. “I can’t wait to see you guys in your outfits.”
“Liam’s not thrilled about his role,” Lenny confided, “but I talked him round.”
“You mentioned it’s a cross-dressing dance. Does that mean the women will wear tuxedos?”
Lenny bobbed his head. “Yeah. They look dapper.”
“I wouldn’t mind wearing a tux,” I mused, “but I hope Con doesn’t cast me as a dancer. I have two left feet, and I doubt my arm will help my coordination.”
“No way,” Lenny protested. “You’d do great. Do you know what your role is yet?”
“No, but Harper’s email indicated it’d be a part that allows me plenty of time to roam the set and talk to people. I’m supposed to meet her for a briefing at ten-thirty.” I waved a hand over my faded jeans and V-neck T-shirt. “They probably won’t want me wearing this outfit if I’m supposed to be a wedding guest.”
“Get them to kit you out in a gorgeous costume that’ll wow Liam. If he’s looking pretty in sequins and heels, you’ll need
to up your game to outshine him.”
I snorted. “I’m happy to leave the sequins and heels to you guys.”
“Liam will think you look gorgeous no matter what you’re wearing. The guy’s besotted.”
My cheeks grew warm. “I’m pretty fond of him too.”
My assistant’s body quivered with excitement. “I know we’re here on an investigation, but we’re going to rock our roles, Maggie.”
“I’m glad one of us is enthusiastic.” I sighed. “The more people we know on set, the more awkward it’ll be to carry out an undercover investigation. People from Whisper Island will be suspicious if they overhear us asking questions about the accidents. We’ll have an even harder time keeping our investigation a secret from Liam.”
My assistant ceased his finger drumming, and his expression grew serious. “Speaking of Liam, have you figured out what you’re going to tell him? He wasn’t surprised to see me on set, but once he sees you, he’ll know we’re here on a case.”
I blew out my cheeks. “I’m too dizzy to concoct a semi-plausible story. I’ll avoid him for as long as I can, and when he catches up with me, I’ll cite client confidentiality.”
Lenny raised his eyebrows. “Good luck with that plan. Your injured arm will bring out his protective side. He’ll want to tail you wherever you go.”
“Ah, but he’s not in a position to tail me,” I reminded him with a chuckle. “You said the dance scene would keep you two busy over the next couple of days. Liam won’t have time to follow me.”
“Yeah, but what about me? I can’t avoid him—we’re in a scene together. If he suspects we’re working a case, he’ll quiz me, and I’m a terrible liar.”
He had a point. Lying wasn’t my forte, and Lenny was even worse. “We’ll be economical with the truth. We don’t yet know that a crime was committed.”
“Yeah, but what do we do if we find proof?”
“Then we persuade Con to tell the police,” I said. “He won’t like it, but I won’t give him a choice. The movie set is crawling with children this weekend. If I get even a shred of evidence that points to a saboteur, I’ll tell Liam if Con won’t.”
Unless we had a funny anecdote to share, Liam and I avoided discussing work. Unlike many cops, he had no issues with my profession—unless one of my investigations strayed into his territory. I’d rarely insisted a client call the police, but this would be one of those times.
Lenny checked his watch. “I gotta roll. I’m due for a costume fitting at ten.”
“Okay. I have time to kill before meeting Harper. I can use it to explore.”
We got to our feet and left the sanctuary of the library behind us.
Outside in the entrance hall, people hurried past, chattering excitedly about a dance. A memory broke through my brain fog. “Dude, I’m so not on top of my game.” I took a quick look around, but the only two other people nearby huddled by the main door, deep in conversation. “Luke mentioned a dance choreographer who’d argued with my sister. I think the name was Miss Coconut.”
Lenny snorted with laughter. “Miss Coco.”
“Can you talk to her about the accidents? Or arrange for me to meet her? Or meet him?”
“I’m not sure if Coco answers to ‘him’ or ‘her’ out of drag. What I do know is the pros are practicing a number in the ballroom.” Lenny indicated a door on the other side of the entrance hall. “They should be wrapping up any second. Maybe we can catch Coco after they finish.”
“Great. I’ll try that.”
Lenny rechecked his watch, and his attention shifted to a corridor opposite the ballroom. “I’ll have to point and run, but Coco’s hard to miss.”
My mouth twitched. I was enjoying my assistant’s internal battle between his sense of duty and his excitement to try on his costume. “Go to your fitting, Lenny. I’ve got this.”
He dropped his gaze to my sling. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. You don’t need to babysit me all weekend. I’ll be okay.”
Still, he hesitated. “I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“That’s sweet, but I’ll ask for help if I need it.” I gave him a playful shove with my good hand. “Go try on sequins and heels.”
A happy smile spread across Lenny’s thin face. “You’re awesome, boss. Catch up later?”
“Sure. I’ll send you a message when I know my schedule.”
“The phone and internet service on Dolphin Island sucks. We should arrange a time now, just in case your message to me doesn’t get through. I have a break at five. Why don’t we meet then? If you don’t show after a few minutes, I’ll know you’re stuck filming.”
“Okay. Let’s meet at Magnum’s food truck. Did you hear he’ll be serving food to the cast and crew?”
Lenny grinned. “I did, and I’m totally on board with the idea of a carbs overload. See you later, Maggie.” Still smiling, my assistant bounded out of the entrance hall.
He left and I turned to face the ballroom door. It was time to talk to Coco.
13
Before I had a chance to open the ballroom door, the security guard trundled over, frowning. Although the man was built on a massive scale, nature hadn’t seen fit to give him a neck. He squinted down at me as though assessing my threat level. I deliberately put a hand on my sling, diverting his attention to my injury.
“Do you have permission to enter the ballroom during rehearsals?” he asked, still riveted by my sling.
I flashed him my most dazzling smile and held up my Access All Areas pass. “I’m Eliza’s sister. Con said I can go where I want.”
The guard examined my pass for a long moment and then grunted. “Okay, but be quiet. Coco doesn’t like interruptions.”
I pushed open the door and stepped inside the ballroom. The room was a long rectangle. This must be the former assembly hall I’d noticed from outside the castle. Instead of the stone slabs I’d expected to feel under my feet, smooth wood stretched across the floor. Whitewashed walls made the ballroom appear larger than it was in reality, and long windows bathed it in sunlight.
A group of black leotard-clad dancers stood to the side, observing the action at the center of the ballroom. Ten dancers—five men and five women—performed an elaborate routine, accompanied by a popular dance song. In addition to a man operating the sound system, two women dressed in red leotards watched the dance. The smaller of the two, a red-haired woman of no more than five feet, made notes on a hand-held tablet, while her taller companion had her back to me.
I didn’t need to ask to know the taller woman was the one in charge. Even though I wasn’t able to see her face, the woman oozed presence. She occasionally made a (to me, at least) indecipherable hand gesture at the dancers. While the music played, I dared not move from my position by the door, but I squinted to get a better look. On second glance, the taller dance choreographer must be the drag queen I was here to see, Miss Coco, or Coco as Lenny had said she—or he?—preferred to be called offstage.
The song reached its crescendo, and the pro dancers twirled in time to the music. Suddenly, one of the dancers slipped as though she’d stepped on a patch of ice. One moment, she was pirouetting. The next, she hit the floor with an audible groan of pain. It took a second for her fellow dancers to realize something was amiss, and a moment longer for the sound guy to hit the pause button on the music.
I was already rushing to her aid when it occurred to me I was of little use to her one-handed. The two choreographers had also surged forward. The one I assumed was Coco bent over the fallen dancer.
“Honey, can you move your leg?” Coco asked.
The injured dancer moaned and tried to move her foot. “It’s no use,” she whispered between tears. “I can already feel it swelling.”
Coco addressed the redhead. “Merry, call the nurse. Bob, come over here and help me get Gretchen to a chair.”
The sound guy rushed to help Coco carry the dancer to a straight-backed chair at the side of the room.
I peered at the floor. Was it my imagination, or did the surface look slightly different in the spot where the dancer had fallen? I bent down and ran a fingertip over the floor. Sure enough, the surface in that spot had a greasy feel to it. And a familiar scent… I held my finger to my nose and sniffed.
“Who the heck put Pledge furniture polish on the floor?” I mused out loud.
“What was that you said?” Suddenly, Coco was at my side, staring down at the patch of floor where Gretchen had slipped. “Did you say Pledge?”
“Yeah. But just on this patch of the floor here.” I showed her the rogue area of flooring. “See how the surface appears shinier here than on the rest of the dance floor? A different cleaning product was used just for this patch, and it smells like a wood polish that’s definitely not intended for use on floors.”
Coco stared at me. Close up, she was stunning. She had high cheekbones, dark, kohl-rimmed eyes, and a smooth, brown complexion. Her long, shapely legs were toned from years of dancing, and every movement of her willowy body was controlled and graceful.
The choreographer bent down and skimmed her fingers over the floor before putting them to the sniff-test. “You’re right,” she said in a husky Southern drawl. “This is Pledge.”
Three dancers crowded around us, each vying for a better look at the scene of the disaster.
“Did you say Pledge?” one demanded.
The woman in the middle shivered and hugged herself. “I knew something bad would happen. Didn’t I say the dance troupe was due to have a so-called accident?”
Coco got to her feet. “That’s enough, Ruby. I’ll talk to the cleaning staff. Someone made a mistake, is all.”
“But—” Ruby began, but Coco cut her off.
“Go take a break.” She raised her voice and addressed the group huddled around Gretchen. “That goes for everyone. I want you all back in thirty minutes for our next rehearsal.”