“So you really think it’s someone who’s mad at one of us?” Amelia chirps after Paul passes. “I mean, I’m the one who saw the ghost the most. But who could be mad at me? My mom says I’m totally loveable!”

Aubrey nudges me in the ribs. Kind of doubtful that everyone loves Amelia.

True to his word, when the head guard in the little hut at the drive-on gate looks up and sees Amelia, he beams. “My fellow Aquarius!” he cries. “How are you?”

“Good, Timothy,” Amelia says, giving the rest of us a knowing look. “How are you?”

She leans on his little window, and for the next few minutes, the two of them talk horoscopes, rising signs, and Mercury being in retrograde. I’ve never been so impatient in my life. Finally, I blurt, “Amelia, can you ask Timothy our question, please?”

“Oh. Right.” Amelia straightens.

But when she asks Timothy if anyone suspicious or unfamiliar has come on the lot lately, he shakes his head. “We haven’t allowed anyone new on the set since you guys arrived. A top secret movie is shooting over on Stage Seventeen. Huge stars. The kind that are always in the gossip magazines. They put it into their contract not to allow any visitors.” He points at Amelia. “We even had to convince them to let your mom on the set!”

“Really?” Amelia looks dazzled. “Who are the movie stars?”

“Afraid I can’t tell. But anyway, no one we don’t know has come through these gates. We’ve made extra sure.”

We thank Timothy and turn back toward Stage Five. A golf cart buzzes by. A few people wearing staff T-shirts for Chat with Matt, a popular talk show that also shoots at Silver Screen Studios, stroll past. I even see Mr. York and Mike, the guy who builds our sets, strolling from the direction of the cafeteria. They seem deep in discussion. Mr. York wears a fancy suit. Mike’s got on jeans and a dingy T-shirt. They make a strange pair.

“What a shame,” Aubrey sighs. “I thought for sure Timothy would give us some kind of clue. It’s hard to believe no one unfamiliar has come onto the set!”

“Actually, we did get a clue,” I say, stopping short. Something has just come to me. “A big one.”

Chapter Sixteen

Amelia stares at me like I’ve sprouted a green unicorn horn on my head. “What are you talking about? What clue did Timothy give us?”

I spin around and point at the security hut behind us. At that very moment, a car pulls up. Timothy steps out of his hut and checks the driver’s ID. Then he nods, waving the man inside. I recognize the guy from the cafeteria. He’s definitely Silver Screen Studios staff.