“It’s about this really tough former policeman who was framed and kicked off the force, so now he’s waging a one-man battle against crime,” said Ziegler.
“I’ve seen the commercials,” Bess said, reciting the slogan. “ ‘He’s a one-man police force. . . . He’s . . . Cop.’ ”
Visiting the set with Matt Ziegler would give Nancy the chance to check him out further. “Sounds good,” Nancy said. “We’d love to watch the filming.”
“We’ve got a whole busload going over from the convention tomorrow morning at nine,” Ziegler said. “Just meet us in front of the hotel.”
The girls thanked Ziegler, who headed back to the door.
“What do we do now?” George asked.
“I don’t know about you,” Bess said, “but I know where I’m going.” Nancy and George watched her totter away on her high heels toward a maroon-uniformed waiter holding a tray of little hot dogs.
“I should have known,” George said, rolling her eyes.
Bess returned with a plate full of hot dogs. “Anybody want one?” she asked.
Nancy took one and popped it in her mouth. “Not bad,” she said. “But try to keep your eye on the door, not the food, okay? We don’t want to miss our suspects when they walk in.”
“I can watch and eat at the same time,” Bess said, sitting down in a nearby folding chair. “Besides, I need provisions. We don’t know how long we’re going to have to wait until they show up.”
Four hours later the girls were still staring at the door. Not one of their suspects had shown up. Not Thornton, Ellingsen, Braddock, or Sherbinski.
“Where do you think they could be?” George asked. “We’ve been watching this door all night.”
Nancy shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe Thornton and Ellingsen were embarrassed to come since their clients are missing. Maybe Sherbinski’s shift is over or he’s on duty somewhere else in the hotel. As for Braddock, who knows?”
“Maybe they heard the food was terrible,” Bess said, clutching her stomach. “I feel sick.”
“That’s not from what you ate,” George said. “It’s how much.”
“It’s awfully coincidental that they all stayed away,” Nancy said. “Could it mean they’re all in this together?”
Bess yawned. “Or maybe they’re all sleeping. It’s after midnight.”
Nancy rose from her chair. “Well, this was a total washout. Let’s get some sleep ourselves. We’ve got to be up early tomorrow morning for the shoot.”
• • •
The next morning Nancy, Bess, and George were on a big tour bus with twenty other conventioneers, heading for Chicago’s Loop. It was called the Loop because of the elevated train that made a horseshoe loop through the area. The streets were narrow and dark in the shadow of the train. The buildings were big and old, with fancy carvings and statues on the outside.
The bus parked on one of the narrow side streets and everybody got out. Matt Ziegler was waiting for them on the sidewalk and led them to an open square at the end of the block. A statue of a strange-looking orange horse stood in the center of the square.
“This is where they’re shooting the scene,” Ziegler said.
Police barricades were set up all around the square. A motion picture camera was set up at one side, and crew members scurried around with walkie-talkies.
Ziegler led the group behind the barricades. Nancy, Bess, and George found a spot behind a barricade, but a little apart from the crowd. From where they were standing, they would have an unobstructed view of the filming.
“We’ll be filming a shoot-out scene here in just a few minutes,” Ziegler explained, “but don’t worry. The bullets are blanks, so you’re in no danger.”
Everybody laughed.
“Before we start,” said Ziegler, “I’d like you all to meet someone.”
Ziegler waved in the direction of the camera, and Nancy noticed a tall man with broad shoulders sitting in a director’s chair. He got up and approached them slowly.
“That’s Dan Redding, the star of ‘Cop,’ ” George whispered to Nancy.
Redding was in his late thirties, with sandy hair, a rugged, handsome face, and steely blue eyes. He was big and muscular, like a football player.
“Hi, folks,” he said simply. His voice was a deep monotone. “I hope you’ll watch our show.” Then he turned and walked away.
“He doesn’t say much,” said George. “Just like his character on the show.”
“It’s the next-to-last scene of the show,” Ziegler explained. “Our hero is about to catch a hooded bank robber. Dan’s character managed to infiltrate the gang of thieves, so he’ll be wearing a hood too.”
The director shouted something at Redding, and the star placed a hood over his head. He crouched down by the orange horse. Then he aimed his gun at a small building to the right of the girls. Nancy turned around and saw a hooded figure in the doorway of the building.
“That’s the criminal,” said Ziegler, “in case you hadn’t guessed.”
Someone yelled, “Action!” Redding jumped up and fired his gun toward the hooded “criminal.”
Nancy heard a clang. She looked up and saw a bullet hole in a No Parking sign above her head. Nancy’s heart jumped—the sign could have been her!
Nancy turned back to tell Redding his gun was loaded with real bullets, not blanks. But before she could open her mouth, she saw him whirl around and point the gun directly at her and her friends.
Wait! Nancy wanted to scream, but the word froze in her throat.
