The Show Must Go On Read online

  Molly was only eight, but that seemed beside the point. “I’m her biggest fan.”

  “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that,” the man grumbled. “Lucky for you, her Broadway debut is tonight at eight o’clock at the Music Box Theatre. They may have a couple more tickets left at the box office.”

  “How much do they cost?” Molly asked.

  “One hundred seventy-five dollars,” the man said. “Each.”

  “We don’t have that kind of money,” Finn said.

  “Well, in that case,” the man said, “you can catch Miss Hampton on Thursday nights on TV. Her show—”

  “I know,” Molly said. “Awesome Sauce is on Thursdays at seven-thirty. I’ve never missed an episode.”

  Molly felt as if she was about to cry. She couldn’t believe there were only a couple of steps and a dark plane of glass separating her and Hallie Hampton. But she might as well have been over five hundred miles away in Ohio.

  And then…

  Something amazing happened.

  The limo window rolled halfway down. Hallie Hampton stuck her head out.

  “Hey, Tyson. What’s the holdup?” she asked.

  “Sorry, Hallie. The traffic is terrible.”

  “Hallie Hampton!” Molly cried.

  “Now, look,” Tyson said, “Miss Hampton has a schedule—”

  Molly ignored him and managed to step around him. “Please, oh please. I’d do anything for an autograph,” she said.

  “Miss,” Tyson said sternly.

  But the door was opening!

  “Come in,” Hallie Hampton said.

  “Really?” Molly asked.

  “NO!” Finn told his sister. “We can’t get into cars with strangers.”

  “This isn’t a stranger,” Molly said. “This is Hallie Hampton. I know her.”

  “I don’t know about this…,” said Finn.

  A hole had opened up in the traffic. The limo was blocking the line of cars behind them, and the other drivers started honking their horns.

  “If you’re going to get in, you have to be quick about it,” Hallie Hampton ordered.

  Molly dove into the limo, and Finn had no choice but to climb in behind her.

  The limo door slammed shut behind them, and the driver took off.

  Neither Molly nor Finn had ever been inside a limo before, and it was spectacular! There was a flat-screen TV, a sunroof, and flashing pink neon lights along the walls. Hallie Hampton’s newest song, “Summertime Magic,” was playing on the speakers.

  “Uh…,” Molly said. “Uh…”

  Finn gave his sister a confused look. “I’m Finn Parker,” he said. “That’s my sister, Molly. She’s not usually speechless.”

  Hallie Hampton grabbed Finn’s hand for a shake. Molly wanted to reach out her own hand, but her palm was too sweaty.

  Finn nodded toward a line of miniature bottles and snacks. “Hey, is that stuff free?” he asked.

  “Take whatever you’d like,” Hallie Hampton said. “I won’t charge you.”

  Finn grabbed a chocolate milk. Molly hadn’t quite recovered her voice, but she took a bottle of fizzy strawberry cream soda. That’s what Hallie Hampton was drinking, and Molly wanted to drink the same thing.

  “Thank you,” Molly said softly.

  “No prob,” Hallie Hampton said. “So give me the 4-1-1 on the two of you.”

  “Is that like 9-1-1?” Finn asked.

  Hallie Hampton shook her head. “No. ‘4-1-1’ means give me the deets—the information.”

  “What do you want to know?” Finn asked.

  “Where do you live? How old are you? That kind of stuff,” Hallie replied.

  “We’re from Harvey Falls, Ohio,” Finn said. “Next year we’ll be in third grade. Oh, and we’re twins.”

  “Bummer,” Hallie said. “I thought you were from New York.” She pointed at Finn’s Yankees jersey. “I need someone who knows this city inside and out. If you’re just a tourist, this isn’t going to work.”

  “Wait a second,” Molly said. Her voice was getting louder. “Did you just say ‘work’?”

  “Yeah, I thought you could help me out with something,” Hallie said. “But if you’re not from here, then we need to say goodbye.” She pressed a button on her armrest. The window between the backseat and the front silently rolled down. “Hey, Lou,” Hallie called to the driver. “Pull over. These guys are getting out.”

  “No,” Molly said. “I—I may be from Ohio, but I do know a lot about New York. I read a lot.”

  “It’s true,” Finn said. “She reads more than I play baseball.”

  “You’re going to have to prove it,” Hallie said. She pulled a piece of bright-yellow stationery out of her designer handbag. “POP Magazine Scavenger Hunt” was typed in big black letters on the top. Hallie began to read: “I was born in France, but I’ve lived in New York City for many years. I have extraordinarily large feet—they’re a size 879! Who am I?”

  “You’re Hallie Hampton,” Finn said. “And your feet aren’t that big. I mean, they’re bigger than mine, but—”

  “I’m not describing myself,” Hallie interrupted. “My feet are perfect. This is a clue about someone else in New York.”

  Molly scrunched up her face in deep concentration. This was a test, and Molly was good at tests.

  Hallie tapped her pink nails on the seat. “Speed is very important. If you can’t figure it out in the next five sec—”

  “The Statue of Liberty!” Molly shouted.

  “How do you figure?” Hallie asked.

  “No actual person could have shoes that size,” Molly explained. “And the statue was a gift from France to the United States, so technically she was born in France. Many years ago.”

  Hallie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I think you’ll do really well with the scavenger hunt. Maybe this will work, after all.”

  There was that word again—“work”!

  “What’s a scavenger hunt?” Finn asked.

  “It’s a kind of game,” Hallie said. “You get a clue, and when you solve it, you get the next clue, and on and on.”

  “I’m happy to solve more clues for you, if you have any,” Molly said.

  “Correction,” Hallie Hampton told her. “You’ll solve them on behalf of me. You see, POP Magazine is having a scavenger hunt for kids. The winner will be photographed by Billie Fischer for the cover of the September issue.”

  “I just saw you being photographed by practically everyone in Times Square,” Finn said. “What’s so special about this guy Billie?”

  “This woman,” Hallie Hampton corrected him. “Anyone who’s anyone gets to be photographed by Billie Fischer, so obviously I need to be. Billie photographed Cleo Feather last month. And now Cleo had the nerve to sign up for this scavenger hunt. She’s trying to get a second photo shoot, and I haven’t even had one! It’s not fair!”

  “Who is Cleo Feather?” Finn asked.

  “The star of Catching Up with Cleo,” Molly said.

  “I wouldn’t say ‘star,’ ” Hallie said. “But it doesn’t matter. I need to beat Cleo.”

  “You and Cleo are the only ones playing this game?” Finn asked.

  “No, there are other teams, too,” Hallie said. “But I’m really not worried. They’re total amateurs.”

  “That means beginners,” Molly told her brother.

  “I knew that,” Finn muttered.

  “I’m too busy to wander all over New York City,” Hallie Hampton went on. “Tonight is the opening night of my very first Broadway show. The curtain goes up at eight o’clock, and there’s a lot to do before then. The show must go on, you know.”

  “Oh, I know,” Molly said.

  “I really should be going over my lines right now so I don’t forget any.” Hallie
lowered her voice dramatically. “You remind me of what is good and possible in this world.”

  “We do?” Finn asked.

  “No,” Hallie said. “That’s the first line of the whole show. Which just proves how important this part is. Without me, the show can’t even begin.”

  “Whoa,” Molly said.

  “If you do this hunt for me—and if you win—I’ll give you that autograph, plus two tickets for tonight’s show.”

  “I’m sorry, but—” Finn started.

  “YES!” Molly said loudly. “Tell us where to start.”

  “Looks like you’re starting at the Statue of Liberty,” Hallie said. “After that, Lou will take you wherever you need to go. The magazine’s rules say you can pick one adult to help you with transportation. Bring this form with you so you can get it stamped at every location.”

  Molly reached for the form. “Hang on,” Hallie said. She pulled out a pen and filled in the lines on the bottom. Under the words “Team Captain,” Hallie wrote: Hallie Hampton. Under “Additional Teammates,” she added: Molly Parker and Finn Parker.

  They pulled up in front of a big gray building with white columns out front and a row of gold-colored doors. A poster read: “Hallie Hampton in Happy Trails.” Hallie handed over the scavenger hunt form and scooted out. “Good luck,” she called over her shoulder. “Don’t let me down.”

  “Take us to the Statue of Liberty, Lou,” Molly said. “And quickly, please!”

  “Hold on,” Finn said. He turned to his sister. “We can’t do this crazy scavenge thing. We need to do our work!”

  “I think this is our work,” Molly said. “Hallie kept saying the word ‘work.’ Didn’t you hear her?”

  “You just want it to be because she’s your favorite star,” Finn said.

  “Please, Finn,” Molly said. “Pretty please with a baseball on top? It’s not like any other work has appeared so far—and don’t say pizza delivery, because we don’t have bicycles.”

  Finn seemed to be thinking about things.

  HONK! went the car behind them.

  “Okay, fine,” Finn agreed. “Take us to the Statue of Liberty, please.”

  “Yes, sir,” Lou replied.

  The limo sped down block after block of shiny marble and glass office buildings. They passed clothing boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants.

  “Whoa,” Finn said. “If you took all the streets in Harvey Falls and smooshed them together, there still wouldn’t be as much as there is in one New York City block.”

  “I know,” Molly said. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  But it was a lot of driving, and Molly started to feel queasy.

  “Hey, they have protein bars in every flavor,” Finn said. “Want one?”

  “Maybe later,” Molly said.

  Finally, Lou pulled up to the curb and stopped the car. “Here we are,” he said. “In record time.”

  Molly’s face had turned a pale shade of green. She jumped out of the limo, and Finn followed behind. They were parked directly in front of a large white-and-red-painted sign that read “Ferry to Liberty Island. Enter here.”

  “A boat!” Finn cheered.

  “A boat,” Molly groaned.

  Finn and Molly followed the sign to the ticket booth and got in line. When it was their turn, they stepped up to the ticket window.

  “Two for Liberty Island, please,” Finn said to the girl sitting in the booth.

  “You guys under twelve?” she asked. Finn nodded. “That’ll be nine bucks each. Eighteen total.”

  “Is it free for people on a scavenger hunt?” Molly asked.

  “It doesn’t matter what game you’re playing,” the girl said. “It costs what it costs.”

  “Maybe this scavenger hunt isn’t our work,” Finn said. “We didn’t need any money in Colorado.”

  Reluctantly, Molly and Finn stepped aside so the man in line behind them could approach the ticket window. “Excuse me,” he said to the girl. “My wife bought ferry tickets, but I’d already purchased them online. May I return these?”

  “Sorry, no returns,” the girl said.

  “All right, then,” the man said. He turned back around. “Hey, anyone need a pair of free tickets?”

  “We do!” Molly cried.

  “They’re all yours,” the man said.

  “Wow, thanks,” Finn said. It seemed too good to be true. The man had just handed over free tickets…like magic!

  The twins boarded the ferry and found two seats near the railing. Surprisingly, the ride didn’t make Molly feel sick. Maybe it was the cool breeze coming off the water. Or maybe it was thinking about all the people who had come from other countries and seen what she was seeing right now—the Statue of Liberty.

  The ferry arrived at Liberty Island. Molly and Finn disembarked with the crowd. “Where do you think the next clue will be?” Finn asked.

  “I don’t know,” Molly said. Her eyes scanned Lady Liberty, from the top of her crown to her ginormous size 879 feet. “Maybe inside the statue?”

  “Hey, look over there,” Finn said.

  A man in a bright-yellow POP Magazine T-shirt was giving out envelopes to a big group of kids. Molly spotted a dark-haired girl wearing oversized black sunglasses and a red T-shirt with a big black feather on it.

  “One at a time!” the man in the yellow T-shirt yelled.

  “That’s Cleo,” Molly said, feeling starstruck again.

  “C’mon,” Finn said. “Let’s get the next clue.”

  “You two part of the scavenger hunt?” the man asked.

  “That’s right,” Molly said. “I’m Molly Parker, and this is my brother, Finn. We’re here on behalf of Hallie Hampton.”

  Cleo spun around. “Hallie has you two doing the scavenger hunt for her?” she asked. She lowered her sunglasses to get a better look at Finn and Molly.

  “Yep,” Finn said.

  “Well, please let Hallie know that you ran into an old friend of hers,” Cleo said. “And tell her that I’ve already picked out my outfit for the photo shoot, so she can forget about having her picture taken by Billie Fischer.”

  The two kids with Cleo laughed as though Cleo had told the funniest joke. Then they ran off and jumped on the ferry just before the captain pulled up the gangplank. The boat let out a whistle and pulled out of the harbor. Cleo was already in the lead! But this was just the first clue, and Molly was not giving up.

  Finn and Molly got their form stamped, grabbed an envelope, and raced to catch the next ferry. Soon they were inside the limo once again, staring at the second clue.

  Molly read the second clue: “They say lightning never strikes twice, but it strikes me an average of one hundred times a year! That hasn’t stopped a giant ape from climbing up my back.”

  “No one could survive getting struck by lightning a hundred times,” Finn said.

  “A person couldn’t,” Molly agreed.

  “Miss Hampton just texted asking for an update,” Lou said. “Where are we headed?”

  “I’m thinking,” Molly said. “It has to be something really tall, because tall things attract lightning.”

  “Like a giraffe,” Finn said.

  “I don’t think a giraffe could survive that many lightning strikes, either,” Molly said.

  “Maybe a tree,” Finn said.

  “A tree would catch on fire,” Molly said.

  “A skyscraper?” Finn asked.

  “That’s it! A skyscraper!” Molly cried. “The tallest one would get the most lightning strikes. And I happen to know that the tallest skyscraper in New York is One World Trade Center, also called the Freedom Tower. Lou, can you take us—”

  But the limo was moving before she could finish. “Already on my way,” Lou said.

  It didn’t take long to drive to the base of the Freedo
m Tower. The twins got out of the limo. “Whoa,” Finn said. “The tallest skyscraper in New York looks even higher than I thought it would.”

  He and Molly crossed a plaza with two enormous pools of water. They weren’t the swimming kind of pools. They were more like fountains, but the water went down instead of up.

  Finn peeked over the railing. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  “They’re the largest human-made waterfalls in all of North America,” Molly told him. “The original World Trade Center buildings stood exactly in this spot.”

  Finn took off his hat and wiped his brow. “I don’t see any of those POP people here,” he said.

  “I bet they’re at the top of the Freedom Tower,” Molly said. “C’mon.”

  They rushed to the building. But when they saw that it would cost them twenty-eight dollars each to ride the elevator, Molly’s heart sank.

  “This city is weird,” Finn said. “Elevators don’t cost money in Harvey Falls.”

  Molly was already looking around at the crowd of people in the lobby. She didn’t see Cleo Feather’s team anywhere. They were probably already at the top, getting the next clue! “Does anyone have any extra tickets?” Molly called. “Anyone?”

  No one replied.

  “Tickets to go to the top are sold out for today,” a uniformed man announced. “If you haven’t purchased your tickets already, please come back tomorrow.”

  “But we have to get up there today,” Molly told the man.

  “Sorry, Miss. Rules are rules. We’ll reopen tomorrow at eight a.m.”

  Molly felt her eyes well up as the man walked away. There was a hard tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, another man was glaring down at her. He was wearing a navy hat and uniform. A badge on his shirtsleeve said NYPD.

  “Molly Parker?” the officer asked.

  “Yes,” Molly squeaked.

  “And Finn Parker?” the officer asked.

  “That’s me,” Finn admitted.

  “I’m Officer Rodriguez,” the officer said. “You two are going to have to come with me.”