When Violet and Jessie returned to the movie set, Henry, Antonio, and Benny were waiting anxiously for them.
“What did you find out?” Henry asked,
“Well, we think the call was made from a phone near Antonio’s mother’s lemonade stand,” Violet said.
“Why do you think that?” Antonio asked.
“Because Claire kept talking about announcements and music in the background.”
“Verdad!” Antonio said. “That’s the truth! The wax museum plays the same announcements night and day. It drives me crazy when I’m working at the booth. The pay phone is right in front of the museum and directly across from my mother’s stand.”
“Do you think you can keep an eye on that phone while you’re working, Antonio?” Violet asked. “If the person who called Claire used that phone once, he or she might use it again.”
“Of course,” Antonio said.
“Okay, people,” Amy said as she clapped her hands. “Break time is over. Let’s make a movie here! This is an easy scene for you all to do,” Amy explained to the children. “You’re going to stroll down the street like you’re tourists.”
“Which most of us are,” Henry added.
“That’s right,” Amy said. “When you see Claire, smile and wave at her. Then come back over here. Claire is going to talk about the number of tourists that visit San Antonio and the Alamo each year. Does anyone have any questions?”
“No,” Henry said. “We understand what we’re supposed to do.”
“Good,” Amy said. “You’re all doing a great job.”
As the group walked toward the set, a loud screech came from the stage.
“What in the world?” Amy said as she ran with the children in the direction of the screaming.
Mary Jenkins was on the ground crawling around the hem of Claire’s wide skirt. Claire was jumping up and down, screaming.
“Help me! Help me!” Claire said as she climbed up on a chair.
“What is it?” Amy shouted.
“What’s wrong, Claire?” Violet asked.
“A r-r-rat is loose in here,” Claire said.
Finally Mary stood up. She was holding the tail of a squirming white mouse.
“I hate rats,” Claire said. “Get that thing away from me!”
“Now, Claire, it’s just a little mouse,” Mary said. She gently cupped her hand over it.
“Let me have it,” said Roger Martin, calmly walking over. “I’ll take it to the park.” He found a box with a lid and placed the mouse inside.
Claire looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry — it was silly to get so upset. Oh, dear, look at me. . . .”
Claire had ripped one sleeve of her costume and torn the hem out of her dress. Her wig had come loose and hung untidily around her shoulders. Her face was red and beaded with sweat.
“Oh, my,” Mary said as she examined Claire’s dress. “This costume will have to be repaired before it can be worn again.”
“Claire,” Amy said. “I know you’re upset, but we’ll have to go on without you. I can’t afford any more delays. I’ll just have to give your lines to Roger and Janice.”
“I understand,” Claire said sadly. She left the stage and ran toward her trailer.
Roger smiled. “After I get rid of this mouse, I’ll be right back.”
“Did you see that?” Jessie whispered to Henry.
“Roger Martin seemed awfully happy when he found out he was getting some of Claire’s lines.”
“And he didn’t look surprised when the mouse was captured, either,” Henry replied.
“Do you think he put the mouse in here on purpose?” Jessie asked.
“I don’t know,” Henry said. “But I think we should keep an eye on him.”
“I wonder where Janice is,” Violet whispered. “She’s usually around when we’re going to film.”
“That is unusual,” Jessie said.
“I think Benny, Antonio, and I should follow Roger at lunchtime today,” Henry said.
“What about our lunch?” Benny asked.
“Don’t worry, Benny,” Henry said. “We’ll get some sandwiches and take them with us.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Jessie. “Violet and I will keep an eye on Janice and Claire, even though I don’t see how Claire could have anything to do with this.”
“I hope not,” Violet said. “I really like Claire.”
Janice appeared on the set a few minutes before the filming started. Roger followed soon afterward. There were no accidents as they said their lines. The children did their parts perfectly.
“Okay! Cut!” Amy said. “Wonderful job, everyone! Let’s go to lunch.”
“It’s about time some professional actors got to work around here,” Roger said to Janice.
Violet and Jessie, who were standing nearby, exchanged glances.
As soon as they could leave without being noticed, Henry, Benny, and Antonio followed Roger Martin.
Jessie and Violet followed Janice. “It looks like she’s going into Amy’s trailer,” Jessie said.
The girls ducked behind the edge of the trailer. Janice knocked on Amy’s door.
“Who is it?” Amy called.
“It’s me, Janice. I’m here to go over my lines.”
Amy opened the door and smiled. “Great! I hope Claire will be able to film her part this afternoon, but if she can’t, at least you’ll be ready. Come on in. I ordered some salads for lunch.”
Janice went inside and closed the door.
“Well,” Violet said. “We know what Janice will be doing this afternoon. Now let’s go and check on Claire.”
As the girls came near Claire’s trailer, her door opened and she came down the steps. Jessie grabbed Violet and dragged her behind the trailer.
“Do you think she saw us?” Violet whispered.
“I don’t think so,” Jessie answered. “She didn’t even look around.”
“Let’s follow her,” Violet said.
Claire headed down the street to a small cafe a few blocks from Alamo Square. Jessie and Violet watched through a window as she went in and sat down at a booth. After a few minutes, a tall man with red hair and glasses came in. He sat at the same table.
Jessie and Violet went into the cafe and snuck into the booth behind Claire and the man. Claire’s back was toward the girls, and several large flowering plants shielded them from view. The girls could not see Claire or the man, but they could hear them.
“Nolan,” Claire said. “You’re my agent. We’ve worked together for years. You know that I’d love to take the starring role in that important movie being filmed in California, but I can’t start right away. I can’t break my contract. Once I take a job, I do the best work I can until the job is completed.”
“Are you sure there’s no way you can get out of this contract?” Nolan asked. “What happens if you get fired?”
Before Violet and Jessie could hear Claire’s response, a waitress loudly asked what the girls wanted to order.
“Two chicken sandwiches and two glasses of milk, please,” Violet said softly The waitress wrote down their order and hurried away.
“No — I don’t even want to talk about it,” Claire said loudly. Then Jessie and Violet could see her heading out of the cafe. The man followed.
Jessie looked out the window. “They’ve gone their separate ways. And we still don’t know what Claire said about getting fired, but we do know she wants to leave and go to California.”
“Do you think she arranged all those accidents so that Amy would fire her?” Violet asked.
“I don’t think so,” Jessie said. “She said she does her best once she takes a job. Maybe the boys found out something that will solve this mystery.”
“Are we going to stay and eat?” Violet asked as the waitress put their plates down in front of them.
“Yes,” Jessie answered. “These sandwiches look delicious!”
When the girls got back to the set, the boys were waiting for them.
“You won’t believe what we saw,” Henry said.
“You won’t believe what we heard,” Jessie said.
“You go first,” Henry said.
After Jessie and Violet told Henry, Benny, and Antonio about Claire’s meeting with a man named Nolan, it was the boys’ turn to talk.
“We followed Roger Martin back to his trailer,” Antonio said. “He met a man there. You won’t believe what the man had with him!”
“What?” asked Jessie, anxious to know what the boys had seen.
“He had a cage with him,” Benny said. “I saw it!”
“A cage?” Jessie said. “A cage for what?”
“It looked like a mouse cage. There was a treadmill inside it,” Henry said.
“Are you sure?” Jessie asked.
“Yes. We’re sure,” Henry said. “Roger must have borrowed the mouse from a pet store. We heard him thank the man for letting him use the mouse in the movie.”
“It looks like he’s the one who has been making all the mischief,” Antonio said.
“But why would he want to do that?” asked Violet.
“Well,” Jessie said, “he doesn’t like it when Claire gets most of the speaking parts, or most of the attention.”
“We heard him say that. Remember?” Henry said. “He also said that he’d get even.”
“You’re both right,” said Antonio. “But there’s nothing we can do about all this today.”
“Why not?” Henry asked.
“Because your grandfather is coming down the street,” Antonio said with a smile. “And I need to go help my mother. I’ll keep an eye on the pay phone across from our lemonade stand. Don’t forget that you’re coming over tonight to make cascarones. I’ll meet you at your hotel after the tour.”
“We haven’t forgotten,” Jessie said.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Violet said.
“Are my movie stars ready to tour San Antonio?” Grandfather said when he saw his grandchildren.
“Yes, we are!” Jessie said.
“Then let’s go,” Grandfather said. “We have a lot to see and do before we go over to the Rivas’s house tonight.” |