“Wow. That’s big news.” Sloan Kingston was a major movie producer who everyone with a pulse had heard of. He’d recently released a box office hit that was raking in millions of dollars. I hadn’t realized that he already had his next movie in the works.
“Most of the interior portions of the movie are being filmed in the studio, but Kingston is going to be in the area for the next two weeks getting the exterior, and some lobby and other interior shots,” Dex continued. “I’ve arranged to have someone onsite to cover the filming, and I want you to cover the process from beginning to end.”
My eyes widened. “Me? Really? That would be awesome. What sort of movie is he here to produce?”
“It’s a murder mystery set at an isolated resort. The film crew and cast will arrive Monday, and they plan to begin filming out at Eagle Ridge Ski Resort Tuesday. I understand that they will be on location for ten days to two weeks, which should give you plenty of time to write an article from a behind the scenes perspective and interview the stars. The film crew and cast are staying out at the resort, but it’s close enough that you can go back and forth each day, which should give you some flexibility in your schedule.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“You will need to put in a lot of hours, so I’m hoping you can work that out.”
“I’m sure I can, and I’m really excited about this opportunity. I won’t let you down.”
Dex smiled. “I know you won’t. I plan to put out a special edition in addition to the regular press runs. I think this series of articles is going to put our little newspaper on the map.”
“I would think so.”
“It will be a lot of work, a lot of hours,” he warned once again.
I had a feeling that while he wanted me to be the one to do the series, he wasn’t certain I was up for it. I guess I understood that. I was the newest reporter on the staff, and it would have made sense for him to assign the movie’s coverage to someone with more experience.
“Features, photos, interviews,” he added. “I’m going to be expecting total coverage.”
“I’m up for it,” I promised, realizing even as I said the words that I had a whole lot of commitments I’d have to unwind for the two weeks the movie was being filmed. “Do you know who’s starring in the movie?”
“Logan Underwood,” he replied.
“Really?” Just the thought of the dark-haired heartthrob made me lightheaded.
“I’m having the production assistant send me a list of all the cast members, filming schedules, and scene locations. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the entire process. I have a few things you can look at while we’re waiting for the rest.” Dex handed me a folder that was stuffed with information. “As I mentioned, you’ll need to clear your calendar beginning with this coming Monday, so you’re available as needed for this project. I know that you’re normally busy at this time of the year with all your various volunteer commitments, but this needs to come first.”
“I understand. I’ll talk to Aunt Gracie and make sure she’s okay taking over the rides and whatnot with Paisley. I’ll make it work. I promise.”
Dex smiled. “Excellent. I’m excited to see what we can come up with.”
I really hated to ruin Dex’s good mood by bringing up Lorraine’s ad, but I had promised her I would. “So I ran into Lorraine on my way over to speak with you. It seems she’s pretty upset about the mix-up with her ad.”
Dex frowned. It almost appeared as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.
“I guess the ad which was supposed to run this week actually ran on the second,” I continued. “She told me she’s left you a bunch of messages but hasn’t heard back. She’s a good customer, so you might want to call her.”
“You want me to call her about the ad?” he asked.
I nodded. “I spoke with Gabby, and she’s going to send a proof over for this week’s ad, but I still think an apology and maybe some free advertising might be a good idea.”
“Uh, sure. I’ll talk to Paul about it.”
“Paul quit,” I reminded Dex. “Almost two months ago.”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “Slip of the tongue. I’ll check on the ad and call Lorraine.”
“Great.” I forced a smile. “I guess I should be going.”
On my way out of the building, I pulled Gabby aside. “Has Dex been acting this oddly for long?”
“If by oddly you mean confused and forgetful, then I guess it started about two months ago, right around the time he and Paul had that falling out, but it hadn’t gotten really bad until two weeks ago.”
“I think we need to explore the idea that he might have a medical issue,” I said. “When I spoke to him about Lorraine’s ad, he said he’d have Paul look into it.”
“Should we talk to Garrett about it?” Gabby asked. Garrett Heatherton was Dex’s father and the owner of the newspaper. Dex ran things, but Garrett was still in the picture to a degree.
“Maybe. Let me think about it. Right now, if you could get that proof over to Lorraine, that would be great. If she has any other problems, have her call me. I need to pick Paisley up from school, but we should talk again. Dex and Garrett don’t get along all that well, so I hate to throw Dex under the bus by bringing mistakes he’s made to his father’s attention, but if Dex is sick, then I guess talking to Garrett might be a good idea.”
Chapter 3
I chatted with Gabby for a few more minutes and then headed to the elementary school to pick Paisley up. She’d been on my mind all day, and it did my heart good to see the huge grin on her face when she slid into the passenger side of my car.
“I take it you had a good day.”
“Very good,” she replied, fastening her seatbelt.
“So, what happened to make today a very good day?” I asked as I pulled away from the curb.
“Jillian Weatherby broke her arm.”
I couldn’t help but frown. “And Jillian breaking her arm is a good thing?”
“No.” She giggled. “Of course not. It’s just that I really wanted to be Adrianna in the school play. We’re doing Cassandra the Teenage Witch this year. I tried out for Cassandra’s best friend, Adrianna, but Jillian got the part, and I was cast as supporting witch number five. But when I showed up for rehearsal today, Mrs. Oxford pulled me aside and told me that Jillian had broken her arm and wouldn’t be able to participate. She asked me if I wanted to take her place and play the part of Adrianna.”
Now I smiled. “That’s wonderful, Paisley. You must be so excited.”
“I am, but I have a bunch of lines to learn before Monday. Will you help me?”
“You know that I will. Gracie too.”
Paisley rolled down her window just a bit. “Is Gracie back from seeing Grandma?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered. “I haven’t been home yet.”
“Do you think she will be able to come home soon?” Paisley asked the question she’d been asking ever since an ambulance took her grandmother away.
“I’m not sure,” I answered the question with the same response I’d been giving her for the past week. “Let’s see what Gracie found out.”
By the time we got home, Gracie and Tom had returned from visiting Ethel. Gracie very gently informed Paisley that while her grandmother was doing much better, she still had a long recovery ahead of her and would most likely be away for an extended period. As I had on several occasions, Gracie assured Paisley that she was welcome to stay with us for as long as she needed to, and as she had with me, Paisley asked Gracie what would happen to her if her grandmother didn’t ever come back. Gracie managed to skirt the issue, but it seemed clear by the expression on her face that she didn’t have any more answers than I had.
After Paisley had her snack, I shooed her off to do her homework. I intended to follow her upstairs and make sure she had everything she needed, but I wanted to hang back for a minute to talk to Gracie. “Did you talk to Ethel about Paisley?” I asked.