MURDER ON THE SECOND TAKE

During the live-radio rehearsal for the reopening of Northbridge's historic Arcadia Theatre, celebrated playwright Daphne Roe is killed when a stage lift suddenly activates a second time.Audio producer Tess Merrick knows the deadly movement was no accident. Signal House's isolated recordings capture a second stage cue that was never part of the rehearsal, and someone with access to the theatre's control system deliberately triggered it.The suspect list is crowded with secrets. A replaced actress wanted revenge. A technical director concealed an earlier equipment problem. Daphne's nephew expected to inherit valuable theatrical rights. And the daughter of a forgotten collaborator claims Daphne built her most famous play on work that was never properly credited.When evidence confirms that Daphne's celebrated career hides a serious authorship scandal, the investigation seems to have found its motive.But Tess discovers Daphne was preparing to correct the past, restore proper credit, and audit years of missing royalties.Someone had far more to lose from that audit than from the authorship dispute.As Tess follows cue sheets, audio tracks, contracts, and hidden payments, another discovery hits much closer to home: the farewell recording left by her missing sister Iris may never have been a real farewell at all.