Willingham,” Joe said angrily, “lying on the floor next to him!” He pointed accusingly at Todd.
“It’s a setup!” Todd shot back. “Those two have been near the scene of every accident on this set. They’re the ones behind all this trouble!”
“That’s a lie,” Frank said.
“Now look,” Willingham said, raising his voice even more, “things have been tense on the set and we’ve had some problems, but anyone who wants to stay in the competition must stay focused.” As he turned toward Todd he found Stacia Allen and her cameraman in the way. He scowled and stepped around them.
“Mr. Sabatine, I’m sympathetic to your wanting to cheer your sister on,” Willingham said. “However, I think it’s best if we close the competition to spectators at this point.”
“But that’s not fair!” Lily protested.
“I’m sorry, but that’s my decision.” Willingham looked at Missy. “Sorry, Ms. Gates. The policy applies to you, too.”
Missy stopped picking her teeth with her one good hand and sneered at him. “Typical,” shesaid. She stood and headed for the door.
Jay went with her. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” he called. “I’ll be back!”
Willingham let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.
Stacia Allen stepped up and thrust her microphone in his face. “How does this latest setback make you feel?” she asked.
“It makes me feel,” Willingham said slowly, “like I’ve had more than enough of your intrusions.” He signaled to a couple of security guards standing nearby. “Take Ms. Allen and her crew out of here.”
The guards stepped forward and began escorting the WSDS team from the building. “You can’t throw me out!” Ms. Allen called back over her shoulder. “We have free press in this country! We—” The slam of the warehouse door cut off the rest of her words.
Willingham smiled slightly. “Right now,” he said wryly, “we have freedom from the press. At least on my set.” He turned back to the rest of the assembled cast and crew.
“Now, if we can avoid any more outbreaks of . . . enthusiasm,” he said, glancing warningly at the Hardys, “maybe we can get back to work. Please finish up your lunches and then move on to your next assignments. I want to thank you again for sticking with us through all of the tough spots.” He turned and went off to discuss something with Ms. Kendall.
Lily glared at the Hardys, then escorted herbrother to the door. Willingham’s security guards kept their distance but watched carefully as Todd left. Missy followed him out.
“Do you think Todd dropped those pills?” Frank asked.
“He was right next to them,” Joe said. “But Jay was pretty close too. Maybe they fell out of Todd’s pocket, or maybe Jay planted them, or maybe someone was trying to use sleeping pills to knock out the competition again.”
“Todd’s not in the game, though,” Frank said. “So if someone dropped those pills on purpose, the target had to be either Jay, Bo—he was pretty close by too—or us.”
“We don’t have a lot of friends on this set,” Joe admitted, “aside from Daphne and Chet. Taking us out would make things easier for some of the other players.”
Frank nodded. “And there have been a lot of accidents during events we’ve been at. Even Todd noticed that.”
“Let’s not get too paranoid,” Joe said. “Scuttling this whole show seems a better motive for the trouble than removing a few contestants.”
“That depends on the prize, I suppose,” Frank responded. “Of course, only Willingham and his staff know what the final treasure is. All we’ve seen so far is some golden keys.”
“Yeah,” said Joe. “And we know that Daphne’s ringwasn’t a part of whatever Willingham has stashed.”
“So Todd, Bo, or Jay could have been setting us up, or any one of them could have been setting up any one of the others,” Frank concluded.
“Or it could be someone we’re not even considering,” Joe
“It’s a setup!” Todd shot back. “Those two have been near the scene of every accident on this set. They’re the ones behind all this trouble!”
“That’s a lie,” Frank said.
“Now look,” Willingham said, raising his voice even more, “things have been tense on the set and we’ve had some problems, but anyone who wants to stay in the competition must stay focused.” As he turned toward Todd he found Stacia Allen and her cameraman in the way. He scowled and stepped around them.
“Mr. Sabatine, I’m sympathetic to your wanting to cheer your sister on,” Willingham said. “However, I think it’s best if we close the competition to spectators at this point.”
“But that’s not fair!” Lily protested.
“I’m sorry, but that’s my decision.” Willingham looked at Missy. “Sorry, Ms. Gates. The policy applies to you, too.”
Missy stopped picking her teeth with her one good hand and sneered at him. “Typical,” shesaid. She stood and headed for the door.
Jay went with her. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” he called. “I’ll be back!”
Willingham let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.
Stacia Allen stepped up and thrust her microphone in his face. “How does this latest setback make you feel?” she asked.
“It makes me feel,” Willingham said slowly, “like I’ve had more than enough of your intrusions.” He signaled to a couple of security guards standing nearby. “Take Ms. Allen and her crew out of here.”
The guards stepped forward and began escorting the WSDS team from the building. “You can’t throw me out!” Ms. Allen called back over her shoulder. “We have free press in this country! We—” The slam of the warehouse door cut off the rest of her words.
Willingham smiled slightly. “Right now,” he said wryly, “we have freedom from the press. At least on my set.” He turned back to the rest of the assembled cast and crew.
“Now, if we can avoid any more outbreaks of . . . enthusiasm,” he said, glancing warningly at the Hardys, “maybe we can get back to work. Please finish up your lunches and then move on to your next assignments. I want to thank you again for sticking with us through all of the tough spots.” He turned and went off to discuss something with Ms. Kendall.
Lily glared at the Hardys, then escorted herbrother to the door. Willingham’s security guards kept their distance but watched carefully as Todd left. Missy followed him out.
“Do you think Todd dropped those pills?” Frank asked.
“He was right next to them,” Joe said. “But Jay was pretty close too. Maybe they fell out of Todd’s pocket, or maybe Jay planted them, or maybe someone was trying to use sleeping pills to knock out the competition again.”
“Todd’s not in the game, though,” Frank said. “So if someone dropped those pills on purpose, the target had to be either Jay, Bo—he was pretty close by too—or us.”
“We don’t have a lot of friends on this set,” Joe admitted, “aside from Daphne and Chet. Taking us out would make things easier for some of the other players.”
Frank nodded. “And there have been a lot of accidents during events we’ve been at. Even Todd noticed that.”
“Let’s not get too paranoid,” Joe said. “Scuttling this whole show seems a better motive for the trouble than removing a few contestants.”
“That depends on the prize, I suppose,” Frank responded. “Of course, only Willingham and his staff know what the final treasure is. All we’ve seen so far is some golden keys.”
“Yeah,” said Joe. “And we know that Daphne’s ringwasn’t a part of whatever Willingham has stashed.”
“So Todd, Bo, or Jay could have been setting us up, or any one of them could have been setting up any one of the others,” Frank concluded.
“Or it could be someone we’re not even considering,” Joe
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