Secret Admirer Page 9

  “Places!” Mr. Riordan’s shout interrupted.

  Eddy rushed offstage. The other actors swarmed around Selena. She calmed herself by taking several slow, deep breaths.

  I’m ready, she thought.

  Ready to become Juliet.

  For the last time, said a voice in her head.

  Unless you find The Sun.

  “Curtain!” Mr. Riordan called.

  The rehearsal went well. Once the play started, Selena forgot about The Sun and her fear. Whenever she performed, she forgot about her Selena-self, as she called it, and felt herself inhabiting the character. Her Juliet-self.

  Even the fact that her Romeo was Danny Morris didn’t interfere with her performance. While she was acting, she felt that she was Juliet, desperately in love with Romeo.

  She was dimly aware of the audience, sometimes laughing, sometimes murmuring. As the curtain went down for the last time, applause filled the auditorium.

  The curtain went up again.

  As Selena bowed, she imagined that Jake was on the stage beside her.

  He should be here, Selena thought. This play is for him. And I’ll never quit acting. I’ll dedicate all my performances to Jake. My life would have no meaning if I quit acting.

  Standing next to her, Danny took hold of her hand and squeezed. She tried to pull away, but he held on tighter.

  “Cut it out!” she growled out of the side of her mouth. But he continued to grasp her hand.

  As soon as the curtain dropped again, she angrily yanked her hand away from him. “Let me go!” she shouted.

  “Hey, I was just staying in character,” Danny protested.

  “Well, you can get out of it right now!” She stormed away.

  She waved to Mr. Riordan. “Good show!” he called, looking up from his clipboard. “I’ll have notes for everyone after school tomorrow.”

  Selena hurried to the backstage locker room. She’d promised her mother she’d get home early and help with some chores.

  She ignored the excited voices and laughter of the other drama club members. She changed her outfit. Then she searched for her backpack. The kids all tossed their backpacks against the back wall.

  Selena grabbed up each one, then dropped it back to the floor. I’m going to miss the bus, she thought. Where is my backpack?

  “Oh!” She remembered she had left it in her locker in the front of the building.

  “Hey, Selena—!”

  She heard Katy calling to her. “No time!” Selena called back. She ran to the hallway and headed at full speed toward her locker all the way on the other side of the building.

  Breathing hard, she fumbled with the lock. Finally pulled the locker open. What a disaster area! She’d been meaning to clean it out for weeks.

  She pulled out the backpack. Frantically shoved books and papers from the locker floor inside. Slammed the locker. Locked it. And ran to the bus stop.

  She didn’t check the contents of the backpack until after dinner. She went up to her room, planning to do her homework. The backpack was jammed so full, she couldn’t find anything she needed.

  So she dumped everything out on the bed.

  And saw the square white envelope. The square white envelope with the sticker of the orange sun in the corner.

  Another note.

  With a cry of disgust, Selena tore open the envelope and quickly scanned the ugly message:

  Dear Selena,

  How did you like my new surprise?

  Bet you never guessed I’d kill another one. Another person close to you. In the same place, too.

  You should have listened to me. But you did the play anyway. So it’s not my fault. It’s yours.

  I told you I would be at dress rehearsal, Selena. It was the perfect time to kill someone.

  I’ll be at opening night, too. It will be the perfect time to kill you.

  The Sun

  Selena stared at the note, unable to breathe, unable to move.

  Someone else killed?

  Who?

  24

  Killed someone? Killed someone?

  Selena read the note again, her pulse racing, the words flashing as she squinted at them.

  What on earth was The Sun talking about? He claimed he’d “killed another one.”

  But no one had been killed. Or even hurt.

  Selena forced her mind to focus. The Sun said he had killed someone in the auditorium. Killed someone as he had killed Jake. At dress rehearsal.

  But dress rehearsal had been over for hours.

  And it had gone perfectly smoothly.

  No one had died. No one. No one. No one …

  “Ohhh!” Selena let out a moan of horror as she realized what had happened.

  The note … it had been shoved into her locker in the front hall. The stalker didn’t think she’d go back to that locker.

  He had left the note there for her to see tomorrow morning.

  She wasn’t supposed to receive this note until tomorrow.

  A chill crept down Selena’s spine as she understood.

  She wasn’t supposed to see this note until after The Sun had killed whoever he was planning to kill.

  Until after tonight.

  She felt sick. Someone was in terrible danger.

  Tonight. Now.

  Because of her.

  I have to go back to school! she decided. I’ve got to stop him.

  And then she had an even more chilling thought. The Sun was threatening to kill someone close to her. There weren’t many people left.

  Katy.

  No—please! I can’t let him kill Katy!

  Selena grabbed up the phone and punched in Katy’s number. One ring. Two. Three.

  “Come on, Katy. Pick it up! Pick it up!”

  No one home.

  Katy is probably back at school working on the lights, Selena realized. Yes. Katy must be there. She’s walking into a trap.

  She grabbed her jacket and started out of her room.

  The phone rang. Selena grabbed it quickly. Please be Katy, she prayed.

  “Selena? It’s Eddy.”

  “Eddy!” she exclaimed. Ordinarily she would have been happy to hear his voice. But not now. Not now.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. But I don’t have time—”

  “You sound upset,” he interrupted. “I won’t keep you. I just called to say I’m sorry I couldn’t watch your rehearsal this afternoon.”

  “That’s okay,” Selena said, scarcely listening.

  “So how did it go?”

  “What? Oh, the rehearsal. It went great,” she told him impatiently. “I’ve really got to go—”

  “Fine,” he replied. “But I’d like to see you tonight. Are you busy later? It’s seven now. Could I meet you at eight?”

  “I—” Selena didn’t know how to answer. “I don’t know. There’s something I have to do.”

  “Can I help?”

  “I wish you could,” Selena declared. “But no one can help. I have to go.”

  “Okay,” Eddy replied, his voice disappointed. “But—”

  “I’ve got to go now,” Selena repeated. “Bye.”

  She hung up the phone, feeling guilty—and afraid. Maybe I should have told Eddy what’s going on, she thought. But I can’t trust him. I can’t trust anybody!

  She shut her eyes tightly and tried to calm down.

  Katy. Katy is in danger because of me. I can’t let him hurt her. Whoever he is.

  She grabbed her jacket and hurried out the door.

  The Shadyside High parking lot stood empty except for the custodian’s van. Selena didn’t see a single light shining from the building.

  She pulled a pocket flashlight from her backpack and crossed the parking lot to the back of the school. The heavy double doors of the auditorium appeared dark and forbidding.

  Selena glanced over her shoulder. I’d feel better if there were cars here, she thought. Is The Sun already here? Is he waiting for his victi
m?

  At least Katy’s car wasn’t in the student lot. Maybe Katy isn’t here, Selena hoped. Maybe the stage crew isn’t working tonight.

  The doors were shut, but not locked. She pulled them open. Selena stepped inside the darkened auditorium, moving as silently as she could. She switched on the flashlight and swung it around.

  Empty. No one here.

  No one in the seats. No one on the stage.

  Was Katy up on the catwalk, working on the lights? Trying to stay calm, she called out. “Katy? Are you here?”

  No answer.

  And then Selena heard a sound that made her gasp and drop the flashlight.

  A muffled scream. From behind the closed curtain.

  “Katy?” she called again. “Katy? Katy? Is that you?”

  25

  “Katy?”

  No answer.

  Selena grabbed the back of a chair. And listened.

  Silence now. No scream. No cry. No sound.

  Get out of here! screamed a voice in Selena’s head. Turn around and run!

  Katy is in danger because of me, Selena reminded herself.

  Did she hear someone behind the curtain? She had no choice. She had to find out.

  She picked up the flashlight and slid it into her jeans pocket. Then she began to move through the blackened auditorium. It was so dark that she could barely make out the stage ahead of her. She tiptoed down the center aisle, scarcely daring to breathe, her ears alert for any sound.

  Moving carefully, silently, Selena reached the stage and climbed the steps. She peeked through the curtains, straining to see something, anything.

  For a moment she considered turning on an overhead light. But she didn’t want to give The Sun an advantage. Instead, she switched the little plastic flashlight back on.

  “Katy?” she called softly, hearing her own voice tremble. “Katy, it’s Selena!”

  Still no answer.

  She pushed through the curtains. Holding her breath, she shone her light around the backstage area. Again she saw nothing.

  Selena let the beam of light explore the stage.

  Empty. No one here.

  Not a sound. Not a sound …

  Until she reached the very back of the stage.

  And heard a moan, so faint that she had to strain to make it out.

  “Katy?” she called again. “Where are you?”

  Another moan. From above?

  Selena swung the beam of yellow light up toward the catwalk. But the flashlight wasn’t powerful enough to reach that high.

  At the top of the metal ladder stood the small prop room that led out onto the catwalk. Selena knew it was up there, but she had never seen it.

  Her fear of heights kept her from climbing that ladder.

  She moved closer to the ladder. Something shiny glinted on the floor beneath it.

  Selena swung her flashlight beam toward the spot. What shone so darkly there on the floor? A puddle.

  A dark red puddle. Red as blood.

  Selena jumped back as she heard another moan from above.

  The moan of someone in pain.

  And then the words, so faint, so faint that Selena could barely hear them: “Help me … someone … please help me!”

  26

  Selena gazed up at the catwalk. It was very high, she saw, feeling a cold shudder run down her back. So high and steep. Straight up.

  Katy had never been afraid to climb the ladder.

  Selena had tried to climb it once. On a dare from Jake. She had made it halfway to the top. Then she felt so dizzy and sick that she had to climb back down.

  “Ohhhhh.” The moan again.

  “I’m coming!” Selena called. She shoved the flashlight back into her jeans pocket. Firmly gripping the ladder with both hands, she began to climb.

  One step after another.

  Don’t look down, she told herself.

  She climbed higher, higher still. She felt the familiar panic fill her chest. For a moment the dark walls spun around her. She stopped, shut her eyes, and hugged the ladder as tightly as she could.

  I can’t go any higher, she thought.

  You have to, she urged herself. This time you have to.

  She took another step up.

  Her stomach churned. Cold sweat beaded her face.

  Don’t think of how high it is, she thought. Just concentrate on each step. One at a time.

  After what seemed like hours, Selena reached the top of the ladder. She leaned into it, gripping firmly with her right hand. Then she used her left hand to pull out the flashlight and click it on.

  The beam of light revealed the prop room leading onto the catwalk.

  The door was shut.

  Selena saw no sign of Katy. No sign of anyone.

  “Katy!” she called, her voice choked with panic.

  “Where are you?”

  Silence.

  Selena glanced down. A wave of dizziness swept over her. For a moment, her grip on the ladder loosened and she knew she would fall.

  I have to get off this ladder, she thought. Then I’ll decide what to do.

  Gripping the ladder tightly with one hand, she pulled the prop room door open with the other. Then she stepped off the ladder and threw herself into the room. Trembling, she slammed the door shut and leaned against the wall.

  The prop room was dark. For a moment Selena saw nothing. Slowly her eyes focused on a sliver of light seeping under another door. The door that led onto the catwalk.

  I’m safe for now, Selena told herself. I’ll worry about how to get back down later.

  “Katy?” she whispered into the darkness. “Are you here?”

  No answer.

  Selena shone the light around the tiny room. She was surprised at how full it was, the rows of shelves crammed with props and costumes.

  One large storage cabinet divided the room in half. Selena crawled toward it. She heard a scraping sound from the other side of the room.

  “Hey—!” She spun around. “Who is there?” she cried hoarsely.

  Her question was answered by another moan.

  Selena crawled closer to the cabinet.

  She leaned around it.

  And found herself face-to-face with Danny Morris.

  27

  Selena opened her mouth in a terrified scream.

  I’m trapped, she realized. Danny has trapped me up here!

  He stared silently at her.

  “Danny!” she cried. “Danny?”

  Now she noticed that he wasn’t moving. That his eyes were only half open. That he didn’t blink.

  Selena gaped at him, her brain spinning in confusion. “Danny …?”

  His jaw slid open and he uttered a soft moan.

  She raised the beam of light to Danny’s face and leaned closer to him. He sat propped against the cabinet, his arms and legs tied by thick ropes.

  An ugly purple bruise spread across his forehead. And his blond hair was caked and matted with blood.

  “Danny!” Selena gasped. “What happened? Who did this?”

  Danny’s eyes fluttered open. “Selena?” he murmured.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded. “Who tied you up?”

  “You asked me to come,” he choked out.

  “Huh? I what?” Selena cried, confused. “What happened to you? Who did this?”

  “I don’t know,” Danny groaned. “I came up here because you told me to. You said to wait. I don’t remember any more. Why did you ask me to wait for you up here?”

  “I—I didn’t!” Selena stammered. “I didn’t call you!”

  “Untie me,” he pleaded. “Please.”

  “Of course,” Selena replied. She reached for the ropes. Her hand stopped in midair.

  Danny couldn’t be The Sun—could he?

  No way he hit himself over the head and tied himself up! She stared at him. His eyes had closed. Blood dripped thickly from the cut under his hair down the side of his face.

  Selena caught her breath. T
he stalker had planned to kill Danny. Danny, not Katy. And Selena must have interrupted him before he could finish.

  I saved him! she realized. I saved Danny!

  Then she felt her heart slide up to her throat. The stalker tried to kill Danny. Selena showed up unexpectedly. The creep ran away. And hid.

  Hid somewhere in the auditorium?

  Was he still here somewhere?

  “We’ve got to get out of here!” Selena cried. She tugged frantically at the heavy, coiled ropes. They didn’t budge. “I’ll find something to cut you loose,” she told him.

  “Clippers … in the corner,” Danny murmured.

  Selena stumbled to the corner and searched frantically for the clippers. “They’re not here!” she cried.

  “Over the door,” Danny choked out. Selena felt above the door. No. No clippers. Nothing she could use to cut Danny free.

  She began to paw through the props on the lowest shelf.

  And then she heard something. Another sound.

  The sound of footsteps, echoing on the stage below.

  “It’s him,” she breathed.

  “Who?” Danny whispered.

  “Shhh!” Selena stopped moving, straining to hear more.

  The footsteps moved closer. Right below them.

  She heard a metallic clang. The sound of a foot on the ladder. Another clanging footstep.

  Selena switched off the flashlight. She felt sick with fear. In the darkness, she crawled back to Danny and huddled next to him. “Be quiet!” she whispered urgently. “Don’t make a sound!”

  The steps continued up the ladder. Steady, confident footsteps.

  Then a long silence.

  The door creaked open.

  In the doorway, nearly lost in the darkness, stood a large figure.

  The stalker.

  28

  Selena froze. And stared into the dark doorway.

  And heard a familiar voice. “Selena? Is that you?”

  Katy. Katy’s voice.

  “Katy!” Selena cried, almost sobbing with relief.

  “What’s going on?” Katy asked. “What are you doing up here?”

  “I can’t explain now—we’re in danger,” Selena told her. “Did you see anyone down there?”

  “No,” Katy said. “I didn’t look. I left my math book up here. I was doing some problems during breaks in the rehearsal. Should I look for someone else?”