Ghostly Hecklers

Ned's discovery seemed to convince the firemen that no one in the film club had planted the smoke bomb as a prank. The piece of greenish fabric was the final proof.

" You can see for yourself, Chief, " Ned said as he climbed back in through the window and held out the material. " None of us is wearing any clothing of this color."

" You've made your point, " the fire chief conceded.

" It looks like the young lady was right. Some outsider must have climbed the tree and tossed in the bomb."

" Maybe its the same troublemaker who burned down the stable, " another fire fighter remarked.

The fire truck finally rumbled off with its crew, and the college group went ahead with their filming. Nancy and the other actors played their parts dramatically, and the spooky scene, after only a single flub and retake, was soon completed to everyone's satisfaction.

The next scene did not go quite as well. Ernie Gibson had trouble with his lines, causing Ned to break off filming long enough to make some hasty changes in the script. His rewrite of the scene played so effectively that the onlookers broke into spontaneous applause as soon as the action ended and Ned shouted " Cut! "

" That was great, everyone! " he added as the applause tapered off.

A third scene was also shot successfully that afternoon. It, too, drew cheers and applause. Nancy went off, flushed and happy, to remove her makeup and change back to street clothes, while the club members packed up their equipment.

Ned was waiting for her in the front room of the mansion as she came down the curving staircase. " Do you think you could come back tonight? " he asked. " I'd like to shoot one of the outdoor scenes."

She agreed enthusiastically. " Conditions should be perfect. A clear sky and a full moon! "

" Just one thing, " Ned warned, suddenly looking grave and worried. " Watch out for werewolves and vampires! "

He broke into an eerie, wolf howl that left Nancy giggling helplessly.

" Come to think of it, I'd better pick you up, " Ned said. " Is seven too early? "

" No, fine! I'll try to be ready."

On her way home, Nancy decided to stop off at the River Heights Public Library. Why don't I read up on racing, she mused. It might give me some ideas that would help to unravel the Shooting Star case. Although she already knew a good deal about thoroughbreds from her show riding, Nancy realized that she had much to learn about the sport of horseracing and the business of bloodstock breeding.

She parked her car and walked into the library. The reading room was moderately full of people for this late hour of the afternoon. Nancy went first to the card catalog and looked in one of the file drawers under HORSES to find the location of her subject.

Moments later, as she closed the drawer and started toward the reference shelves, her gaze fell on a familiar figure. That's Hugh Morston, Nancy thought. He was standing at the magazine desk on one side of the room, evidently asking for a back issue of some periodical.

As the librarian came out of the stack room and handed him a magazine, Morston thanked her and turned away. Nancy would have said hello as their paths converged. But he sat down at a table without speaking and leafed open the magazine. I guess he didn't see me, Nancy told herself.

She found a whole shelf full of books on horses, dealing with every aspect of the subject, from riding and caring for horses to racing and breeding. There were also colorful volumes showing the many breeds found throughout the world.

Nancy picked out two books that looked particularly interesting and started toward the checkout counter located near the door. As she emerged from between the shelves, she saw that Hugh Morston was no longer seated at the table reading. But the magazine still lay open where he had left it.

Nancy glanced at the periodical in passing and saw that it was a copy of a well-known news magazine called World. A strangely familiar face on the left page caught her eye, yet she could not quite place it.

Suddenly, Nancy caught her breath. That's Roger Harlow! she realized. What had kept her from recognizing him at once was the fact that he looked considerably younger in the picture than the man she knew now.

Pausing for a closer look, Nancy read the caption. It confirmed that the person in the photograph was Roger Harlow. From the date on the cover, she saw that the magazine was ten years old.

Obviously, Hugh Morston had been looking up an old story about his neighbor. But why? And what exactly did it say? Intrigued, Nancy sat down to scan the article.

The story, which was in the business section of the magazine, told of a bitter fight between Harlow and an industrialist named Howard Ainslee for control of a large corporation. Apparently, the struggle had gone on for months at a cost of millions of dollars.

Nancy closed the magazine with a troubled sigh, then picked up her books and carried them to the checkout counter.

When she arrived home, her father put down the evening paper to greet her with a kiss. " How goes the vampire movie, dear? "

" Great so far, Dad! It may not win the contest, but I think Ned and the film club will at least end up with a good entry."

" Tell us all about it at dinner, dear, " Hannah Gruen called from the dining room. " The chops are almost ready."

Nancy quickly freshened up and joined the others as they were about to sit down at the table. " Mmm, these biscuits looks yummy enough to melt in my mouth, Hannah! " she exclaimed.

Carson Drew and the housekeeper listened with interest as she described the afternoon's filming and told of the smoke-bomb scare.

Later, over dessert, Nancy changed the subject. " Dad, do you remember a business hassle ten years ago involving Roger Harlow? He and a man named Howard Ainslee were fighting for control of a company called the Ludex Corporation."

" Yes, vaguely. Why do you ask? " When Nancy explained, Mr. Drew said, " As I recall, the company was having financial problems. Harlow and Ainslee were both trying to take it over. They got into what's called a proxy fight, each one trying to buy up enough stock to gain control. It was a long, drawn-out struggle. Harlow finally won, but I'm afraid in doing so he made a bitter enemy of Ainslee."

The lawyer paused to stir and sip his coffee. " Speaking of business, Nancy, you were asking me before about the syndicate that owns that racehorse Minaret."

" Oh, yes, Dad! Were you able to find out anything? "

" A little. It's a three-man syndicate. Judd Bruce acts as front man for the other two partners. One of them owns only ten percent. But the other is the biggest investor of the three and owns more than fifty percent."

" Who is he? " Nancy inquired keenly.

Carson Drew shrugged and shook his head. " That I can't tell, my dear. In fact, I'm not even sure it's a man. The names of the syndicate investors are not on public record. What Tve just told you I found out from some of my legal contacts in the racing profession."

Their conversation was interrupted by the mellow toll of the door chimes.

" Oh, dear, it's later than I thought! " Nancy exclaimed and jumped up from the table. " That must be Ned now."

Her guess was right, and the two were soon on their way to Brookvale Forest in Ned's car. The velvety, dark-blue sky was studded with stars, and a round orange moon glimmered down through the trees as they turned up the wooded lane that led to Grimsby Mansion.

" What a perfect night for a vampire scene! " Nancy said enthusiastically.

" You're right, " Ned agreed, turning to glance at her and reaching out for her hand. " Almost too perfect to waste shooting a movie! "

Nancy smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Lights were glowing from the windows of the old house, and most of the film club members were already on hand as Nancy and Ned drew up in front. The place was soon busing with activity.

In the scene to be filmed, Nancy, her fiancé, and the elderly doctor were to rush out of the mansion with a lantern after glimpsing a weird face peering in at them. At first, they would only see a bat fluttering among the trees.

Then the script called for Nancy, who had wandered off a little way from the others, to notice a figure beckoning to her just beyond the aura of light from the mansion's windows. Mistaking the figure for that of her fiancé, she would run toward it, only to find herself face to face with the vampire!

Ned—marvelously made up with slicked-back hair, a black cape, and fangs—was to play the vampire. There was a brief run-through of the action, and the lights were carefully arranged. Then the filming of the scene began.

The club members held their breath in suspense. Everything seemed to be going perfectly! Jane Logan kept the camera trained on Nancy as she started toward the beckoning figure.

Suddenly, a flash of light blazed out from among the trees, bathing the night in dazzling brilliance! Nancy stopped short in confusion, almost blinded by the flash.

Angry shouts and groans arose from the club members. " Who would pull a trick like that? " Jack Billings demanded indignantly.

" Maybe the same two jokers who spied on us yesterday, " Mike Jordan suggested. He and the other young men darted to hunt for the perpetrators. They soon gave up, however, realizing that it was hopeless in the darkness.

Ned was as angry as the others, but felt they should go on filming. " Maybe we can salvage most of the footage."

" What if those nuts do the same thing all over again and spoil another take? " Sara asked anxiously.

Ned gave a helpless shrug. " We'll just have to take our chances, I guess. Otherwise we may as well give up for the night."

Once again, filming got underway with Jack holding out a mike on a boom and Jane Logan operating the camera. Nancy resumed her actions from the point at which the scene had been interrupted.

But as she ran toward the beckoning figure with an eager cry, loud mocking voices blared out from the woods all around them!