Stage Fright (Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the screen of her smartphone.
    “She’ll be with us as soon as she finishes tweeting,” Linden continued. “So, maybe an hour or two, right Laurel?”
    Laurel was silent for a few seconds as she continued to type. Then she lifted her head. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I was busy making sure the press release went out for tonight. You know, just trying to save our show. Was I inconveniencing you?”
    “Not more than usual,” Linden responded with a smile. Laurel snorted.
    If there’s one thing I know well, it’s siblings who work together. It was obvious that Laurel and Linden loved each other just slightly more than they hated each other.
    Laurel’s handshake was just as firm as her brother’s. “Laurel,” she said.
    “Joe,” I responded. “And this is my brother, Frank.”
    “Good to meet you,” said Frank.
    “So what’s the story with the plane?” I asked him.
    “I can’t tell. It looks like the engine shorted, butwhether it was an accident or on purpose, I won’t be able to tell without a closer look. Can we put it somewhere where I can examine it later?”
    Linden nodded. Side-by-side, Laurel and Linden looked amazingly alike. Same hair, same height, same eyes. Linden was more outgoing and friendly, but aside from that, they were a matched set.
    “But make sure you don’t mess it up,” said Laurel. She paused. “I mean, any more than it already is. It could have some resale value.”
    “Excuse me! Sorry! Mr. von Louden? You wanted me?”
    A short man approached. His hair was black and his skin was very pale. He looked even younger than Frank and I, but from the headset he wore and the clipboard he carried, it was obvious he worked here.
    “Oh, look,” said Laurel. “It’s your pet.”
    The guy blushed a brilliant red and stared down at his shoes.
    Linden snapped his fingers.
    “Damien!” he said. Somehow he managed to have all the intensity of a full scream without going above a normal speaking voice. “How many times have I told you to stay with me at all times?”
    “Yes sir, I know. It’s just … you … you … asked me to go—” Damien stammered his way through an answer, but Linden wasn’t listening.
    “This is Joe and Frank Hardy. They won that contest I told you about, remember?”
    Damien nodded.
    “They can go anywhere they want, ask any questions, talk to anyone. If they need anything, you’ll help them out. And tomorrow, you’ll give them a tour of the entire backstage area.”
    Damien scribbled frantically on his clipboard while Linden spoke. “Tour, tomorrow. Got it. Anything else?”
    “There’s a preview in thirty minutes. Find these guys good seats, and do something about the missing plane.”
    Something , Damien scribbled on his pad, and I had to pity the poor guy. That didn’t look like a fun job.
    “You’re going to have a show, now?” I asked, shocked. A flaming plane had nearly crashed into the stage—and Claire!
    “Gentlemen,” Linden smiled big. “This is Broadway. PLACES!”
    Linden clapped his hands and everyone started scrambling.
    “If you two could, uh, follow me?” Damien said. He led us back into the wing, near where Claire had gone.
    “So what do you do here?” I asked, trying to play our cover story.
    “I’m Linden’s assistant,” he said. “So I do a little of everything.”
    It was hard to imagine Damien having a full-timejob of any kind, let alone working for someone as high-powered as Linden von Louden. But he must have had some kinds of skills, because Linden didn’t seem like the type to put up with incompetence. In fact, our briefing had mentioned Linden’s short temper as one of his dominant characteristics.
    Damien pulled two folding chairs out from behind a giant piece of scenery and put them just offstage, almost in view of the audience.
    “This mark is the sight line from the front row,” he said, pointing to a thin piece of tape on the ground. “Whatever you do, don’t go past it. In fact, don’t get