Mattie pushed against a vacuum-sealed door. With a whoosh, it opened, and the three of them walked onto the set.

Nancy and Bess gazed around the massive studio. In straight rows, rooms that had three walls but no ceilings were set up. Rows of klieg lights hung on suspended bars. Above the lights was a narrow catwalk, and above that, total darkness.

On the ground level, the activity was incredible. Hundreds of cables wound across the floor, and several huge cameras were mounted on dollies. Each one was surrounded by people. On the set of the Danner living room, where the first scene was about to be shot, set dressers were putting the final touches on the scenery. And in the middle of it all stood Rick Arlen. Kay was fussing over his makeup, and he was going over his lines with a script girl. But in case he or anyone forgot a line, a teleprompter stood in either corner of the room. All an actor had to do was cast a glance at one of them and read his lines from the screen.

Nancy and Bess were struck by the strangeness and complexity of it all. They looked dazed as Mattie motioned them to a spot on the floor where they could watch the rehearsal and still be out of the way. Then she disappeared behind the walls of a set.

“Can you believe this?” Bess whispered excitedly.

“Could somebody tell Rick to get on the set, please?” A beautiful black-haired woman barked impatiently into a small megaphone.

“I’m right here, Lillian, dear,” Rick purred sarcastically. “What would you like?”

“I hope you bothered to memorize your lines,” she snapped.

“Yes, love, I did,” he cooed.

“That’s what you always say,” she said, trying too hard to keep the anger out of her voice. “You shouldn’t need a teleprompter, Rick. You’re a big boy and a professional.”

“If you’re referring to that one small incident, Lillian, you’ll also recall that I received a death threat that morning. It wasn’t exactly my best day.”