_Chapter XXV_ THE STARS VANISH
Janet and Helen did get roles in "Kings of the Air" and even though theywere very minor parts, both girls were elated. They were cast aswaitresses in the restaurant which served the pilots at the main westernterminal of the air mail line.
Almost every contract player on the Ace lot was in it, with a good,substantial role going to Curt Newsom, who was taken out of BillyFenstow's western unit long enough to play the part of a bitter fieldmanager. Even Bertie Jackson got a part as a gold-digger who was out toget all the information she could from the pilots and was suspected ofselling secrets to a rival air line.
Janet and Helen saw little of Helen's father for the next few days. Hewas immensely busy on the details of the production and a completeairport was set up out in the California desert for one of the majorsequences would revolve around this lonely outpost on the air mail route.
The sequences in which Janet and Helen were to appear were shot at GrandCentral at Glendale, actually in the field restaurant and were among thefirst to be taken.
Janet had only four lines and Helen had three. All of them were in abrief scene with Curt Newsom and his encouragement helped them throughfor it was hard work under the glare of a brilliant battery of electrics.What made it all the harder was that Mr. Rexler was with the company theday this particular sequence was shot, but somehow they managed to getthrough with it. After that they were free to stay with the company andwatch the rest of the shooting schedule until Billy Fenstow called themback for his next western.
It was during the second week of shooting that things started to gowrong. There were innumerable little delays that were maddening inthemselves and when a dozen of them came, almost at the same time, evenlevel-headed Henry Thorne showed signs of extreme exasperation. The castwas large and expensive and a dozen planes had been leased. The dailyoverhead was terrific and each day's delay sent the cost of the picturerocketing.
When they went on location out in the desert Curt Newsom, lunching withJanet and Helen, gave voice to his fears.
"This outfit is getting jitters," he said. "I heard this morning that oneof the pilots found several of his control wires half way eaten throughby acid. That's bad business."
Janet, looking up from a dish of ice cream, spoke slowly. "Then thatmeans someone is deliberately trying to cripple the company?"
"It means someone is doing it. That flyer pulled out; refused to take hisplane off the ground again and some good shots are already 'in the can'with his plane in it. Means they'll have to get another plane and fix itup like his or shoot over a lot of footage. Either one will beexpensive."
That night Henry Thorne called the company together. Their location wasat the edge of the ghost town of Sagebrush, and members of the companywere sheltered in the three or four habitable houses which remained. Allof them had grumbled a bit, but there was nothing that could be doneabout it for the nearest town of any size was too far away to make thedrive back and forth daily.
Helen's father spoke plainly.
"There have been a series of accidents," he said. "These have slowed upproduction and put us almost a week behind schedule. All of you know whatthat means on a picture of this size. I am convinced that someone in thecompany is aiding in this sabotage and I am giving fair warning now thatthis town will be patrolled at night and that all equipment will bewatched. The guards are armed and have orders to shoot first and askquestions afterward."
That was all, but it started a buzz of conversation that lasted nearly anhour. When the company finally broke up to go to quarters, Janet happenedto be watching Bertie Jackson and she saw the blond actress, slip betweentwo buildings and vanish into the night.
Helen was some distance away and Janet, playing a hunch, followed Bertieat a safe distance.
There was no moon, but the sky was studded with stars. The walkingthrough the sand was hard going, but noiseless, and Janet, keeping low,could discern Bertie's silhouette.
Suddenly the older actress stopped and whistled softly, a long, a shortand a long whistle. The sound could not have carried back to Sagebrushand Janet, vaguely alarmed, waited.
Almost before she knew it another figure joined Bertie and she could hearthe two conversing, but she didn't dare move closer. The newcomer strucka match to light a cigarette and carefully shielded though it was, Janetwas close enough to glimpse his face. It was that of a stranger. Thematch went out and the night seemed darker.
Janet wanted to get closer, but as she moved forward she stumbled oversomething in the dark and plunged headlong into the sand.
Before she could regain her feet she heard a muttered exclamation andknew she had been discovered.
Then the thin beam from a shielded flashlight struck her face.
Janet knew her only chance was to run for it and she tried to rise, buther feet were entangled in a tough creeper.
"Look out! She may scream!" warned Bertie.
Janet opened her lips to cry out, but before she could do it, the manwith Bertie leaped forward and thrust a heavy hand against Janet's mouth.Suddenly the world went black, the stars vanished, and she dropped intothe sand.
Janet Hardy in Hollywood Page 25
