Scene of the Crime (3 page)

A motorcycle engine revved by the open garage door. Janet Wynn was astride the chopper, wearing a tight, black-leather motorcycle suit. She smiled at Frank, Joe, and her father as they approached.

"Everything checks out, Dad," she said. "I'm ready to go."

The Hardys followed as Janet and the captain rolled the motorcycle outside to a short strip of road that had been laid just for the film. A thick wooden fence was rigged at the end of the road, blocking it. "The fence will be on fire as Janet rides the motorcycle straight through," the captain told Frank and Joe. "It's a breakaway wood frame — it'll be like riding through paper."

Sy Osserman and the crew were already in place. Sy nodded slightly at Frank and Joe, then took his seat behind the camera. Frank noticed that the director had his fingers crossed.

Off to the side, sitting on a canvas director's chair with her name stenciled across the back, was Kitt Macklin. She also was wearing a black motorcycle outfit. Just then she seemed more interested in combing out her long, silky blond hair than in the action.

Kitt looked up and caught Joe staring at her.

"Hello, there," she said in a sexy voice. "I haven't seen you before."

"Joe Harris." He held out his hand. "I'm just a stunt apprentice."

"Actors bore me," Kitt said, smiling into Joe's eyes. "I like men of action."

"Okay," Sy Osserman said. "Let's roll."

Janet put on her motorcycle helmet, straddled the bike, and revved the engine twice. She gave a thumbs-up sign.

At that moment a special-effects person carried a torch over to the wooden fence. He touched one board, and the whole fence burst into flame. There was no time to lose. The crew had only one take to get the shot — or rebuild the fence. ' 'Action!" the director growled. Janet roared off. She picked up speed and leaned back, pulling her front wheel off the ground. For fifteen feet she rode out the "wheelie." Frank, an expert rider himself, marveled at her control.

The front wheel touched down, and Janet ducked her head, preparing to crash through the burning barricade—but the wood didn't give.

Janet hit hard. The bike flew out from under her.

She pinwheeled on the ground, a human fireball.

EVERYONE STOOD FROZEN, staring at the flames licking at Janet.

But Frank was already moving, scooping up blankets left out on a nearby chair for emergencies. He pushed past the crew to Janet, who was silent and not moving.

Joe joined Frank, and together they covered Janet with blankets, to smother the last of the flames. Finally they removed Janet's helmet, and she stirred and groaned.

"Janet! Janet!" The captain's voice was tight as he dropped to his knees beside his daughter. "Are you all right?"

Janet nodded. "Fine," she managed. "Just a bit out of it."

"What about burns?" Joe kept the blankets tight around her. "We'd better get a doctor."

"I'm fine." She grinned up at him. "My suit is made out of Nomex. It's flame retardant. This isn't the first time it's saved my life."

Frank and Joe helped Janet up and led her back from the still-blazing fence. "It's my own fault," she said. "A good stunter always scoops out the whole gag from beginning to end. I forgot to check the fence."

"Well, we can forget that now," Frank said, staring at the flames.

"I should have looked it over," the captain said. "I know on this set nothing goes as planned." He turned and glared at Sy Osserman. "Don't look at me," the director said defensively. "I'm sorry about this accident, but checking that fence wasn't my job."

The captain stomped over to Osserman. "Yeah? Your job is to call all the shots around here. Last week Ty nearly had his arm chopped off. This morning Frank and Janet almost got killed. Now she nearly gets burned alive."

The captain looked away—and for a moment he seemed very old. Then his deep brown eyes flashed back and peered sharply into Osserman's. "I know there's sabotage on this set. You know it, too. If we don't find out who's behind it, someone's going to get hurt — bad."

He pulled off his cap and ran a hand through his white hair. "When that happens, you won't be able to keep it quiet anymore," he said in a low growl.

Sy Osserman opened his mouth, but the captain had already turned and was striding away. The director headed in the opposite direction with Frank following him. "The captain is right," he said in a low voice. "Sabotage is the only possible explanation."

Osserman glowered at Frank.

"You thought so yourself," Frank added. "That's why you hired my father, isn't it?"

"I hired your father and you two boys to get proof," Osserman said. "Hard evidence."

"Will getting someone killed convince you?" Frank retorted. "I know there'll be more accidents before we get to the bottom of this."

"So what's your point?" Osserman asked.

"I think all filming should temporarily shut down," Frank told him.

The director thrust his moonlike face close to Frank's, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Sure," Osserman said half hysterically. "We'll shut down, send everybody home. The investors and the studio will love that. What do I tell them? Frank Hardy suspects sabotage, so you're out thirty million dollars? No proof yet, but Frank Hardy suspects. That'll go over real big."

His right eye twitched. "Tell you what — I'll keep shooting and you keep investigating."

Frank watched as Osserman stormed off. "What was that all about?" Joe asked, when Frank rejoined him and Janet.

"I told him the captain was right," Frank said. "And I asked him to shut down the set."

Joe made a face and shook his head. "Fat chance, right?"

"Right or not," Janet told the Hardys, "Dad shouldn't have shouted at Osserman."

"Well, watching his daughter catch fire probably shook him up," Joe said.

Janet nodded. "More than you know." She started off with the boys flanking her on either side.

"Stunting is a family tradition," she said. "My grandparents were pioneers in the business. And my mom was a top pro."

"Really?" Frank's eyebrows rose. "Is she retired?"

"No," Janet whispered, her voice catching. "My mom's last stunt was running through a burning building. In those days, safety equipment wasn't nearly as good as it is today. Mom," — her voice broke — "my mother never made it out of the flames."

Joe shuddered. He'd seen his girlfriend, Iola, disappear in a flaming fireball, from a terrorist bomb meant for him.

Janet went on, "I was just a kid. When I have to do a fire stunt, I put the tragedy out of my mind."

They were silent then, each lost in individual thought. Finally Frank broke the silence. He looked from Janet to Joe. "I'll tell you what I'm thinking," he said. "If Osserman won't take this sabotage seriously, maybe his stars will."

After leaving Janet at her trailer, Frank and Joe went looking for Ed Kemble. They found him sitting on a deck chair in front of his trailer, holding a reflector to improve his already dark tan.

"Grab a chair, guys," he said. "Cop some rays beside the old star."

Frank and Joe pulled up two chairs on either side of Ed. The actor's eyes were closed, and he hummed an old cowboy song. Joe recognized it as the theme of an early Ed Kemble movie.

"Janet Wynn just had another accident on the set," Frank began.

Ed opened one eye. "No! That's something. The girl really knows her craft, too."

"She's a great stunt woman," Joe said. "But she almost got barbecued."

"Two accidents in one day. Let's see, five in the past two weeks." Ed calculated, shaking his head. "You heard about Ty almost losing his arm?"

Frank and Joe nodded.

"This film isn't worth it to me. My role is too small — a joke compared to what I used to do. I only took the part as a favor to Sy."

"So you wouldn't mind shutting down production until all the problems are straightened out?" Frank asked.

Ed thought that over, narrowing his eyes. "Sy would mind. But it's all right with me. In fact, it's great. Safety first is my motto."

He smiled at Frank and Joe. "I think I'll suggest it to Sy in the morning."

Leaving Kemble, the Hardys split up to tackle the two young stars separately. Frank didn't think Burke Quinn would enjoy seeing Joe again. And Joe knew Kitt Macklin would give him a warm reception.

"My natural charm," he told Frank. "Girls understand me. They go for men of action."

"Uh - huh." Frank shook his head doubtfully. "Just don't overplay it, Romeo."

THE NEXT MORNING when Frank and Joe drove out to the set, a lineup of cars blocked the front gate. Joe stepped out of the van to see what was causing the delay. Several security guards were checking each car.

"I guess reinforcing security was the least Sy Osserman could do," Joe said.

Fifteen minutes later the van finally pulled up to the main gate. Four tough-looking guards motioned Frank and Joe to get out and hand over their passes. One took their IDs and checked them against a list, while another checked out the front of the van.

"Airport security should be so thorough," Joe said as they drove in to park the van.

Inside, crew members were running in all directions, meticulously preparing for the morning's shots. Equipment was double-and triple-checked to make sure that nothing could possibly go wrong.

Instead of heading straight for the stunt building, Frank and Joe walked past the stars' trailers. "I wonder what they're up to at this time of the morning?' Frank asked.

"Breakfast cooked to order by master chefs," Joe said, grinning. "Or maybe they're grabbing a few more minutes of beauty sleep."

But as they passed Burke Quinn's trailer, Frank and Joe heard loud voices.

"Flowers! How dare you send her flowers!" Kitt Macklin's voice quivered with fury.

The door to Quinn's trailer swung open and the female lead bolted down the steps. Burke Quinn, a half-eaten piece of toast in his hand, stumbled out after her.

"I didn't mean anything," he pleaded. "Janet got hurt. Sending flowers was a nice thing to do. That stunt guy, Frank Harris, suggested!—"

"Sure, I bet he did," Kitt cut him off.

"Look, I don't even know the girl." Burke Quinn hunched his shoulders as though he knew his lie wouldn't be believed. He turned then and spotted Frank and Joe. Quinn's eyes lit up.

"There's Frank now." He rushed to Frank and pulled him over to Kitt. "Frank, didn't you tell me about Janet's accident?" he asked desperately.

Frank didn't want any part in this fight. "Yes, but — "