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  Dayne motioned in her direction. “Take your time. We’ll give you a couple minutes.”

  She nodded and focused on the script again. As she did, she realized the enormous odds. Other girls would have agents and resumes, years of experience, sometimes dating back to when they were babies. What experience did Bailey have? A number of stage productions? She didn’t even belong here. She’d probably only been given the chance because she was Andi’s friend, or because she’d had a small one-line part in The Last Letter.

  Still, a peace came over her as she began to read the monologue.

  How she’d gotten here and why they were screen-testing her was irrelevant. God had placed her here, and she would do her best with the audition. At least then she’d have no regrets, even if she wasn’t anywhere near ready for a part this size.

  The monologue was touching, and Bailey resonated with it immediately. Again, because she’d read the book and loved it, she knew which part of the story Ella’s monologue came from. Ella was a high school senior making a passionate plea to her drama instructor to let Holden try out for the school musical. It was a section of the novel where Ella explained how the private prison of autism might actually become unlocked through the power of song.

  In the few minutes she had to read through the part, Bailey forgot everyone else in the room. When she looked up, Dayne stood and came to her. “You ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Dayne smiled and gave her a private wink, as if to say the sir was a little formal for the two of them. Still, with Eleanor Ainsworth here, this was definitely a moment to be as professional as possible. Dayne moved toward the camera. “I’ll sit here, off to the side a little with my back to the camera.” He took his spot on a barstool, off-center. Like he’d said earlier, his presence here was only meant to give her a point of focus, somewhere to direct her passion. “Roll the cameras.”

  Ms. Ainsworth stood, went to the camera, and pressed a button. “Rolling.”

  Dayne looked at Bailey, his eyes offering her a kind of warmth she needed. He made her feel like she was reading for family, which was practically the case anyway. “Okay, say your name and age and the part you’re reading for.”

  Bailey nodded. Then she set the script down on the floor near Dayne and returned to her place in front of the camera. A taped X on the floor made it obvious where she was supposed to stand. She looked straight into the camera—the only time it would be appropriate to do so—and she did as she was asked. When she finished, Ms. Ainsworth pointed with her finger, clearly cuing Bailey to begin.

  For a quick moment, Bailey couldn’t remember anything she’d just read or what character she was supposed to play or even why she was here. But the flash of terror disappeared as quickly as it hit, and suddenly she was no longer in a small boxy room auditioning before a cold camera, her best friend’s father, and two of Hollywood’s most powerful people. Instead, everything Katy Hart Matthews had ever taught her about acting came rushing back. And in the time it took to inhale, she was no longer Bailey Flanigan. She was a high school girl, passionate that if the teacher in front of her would only see it her way, Holden might find a way free of his autism.

  Bailey paced a few steps away and then back again, allowing her frustration, her passion to become palpable. “Maybe you don’t really understand the power of music, Mr. Hawkins.” She stopped and made a frustrated sound. “Music like that isn’t something out here, something people are merely entertained by.” She pressed her fingers to her chest, her eyes locked on Dayne’s. “It’s in here, where love lives and life begins. Music is to the soul like…like air to the lungs. Holden feels it, I know he does.”

  Bailey turned, as if she could see Holden standing beside her, rocking slightly, locked in his own world. “I’ve seen him respond, no matter what his therapists say. He feels it, and now you have to give him a chance. I believe…I really believe that music can reach him where nothing else has. No one else. Not since he was three years old.”

  The monologue continued, but Bailey couldn’t feel anything but the character. The passing of time, the looks from Dayne and Mr. Ellison and the casting director, every possible distraction faded in the fervor of her plea, the realness of her argument. It actually startled her when Ms. Ainsworth finally lifted her hand.

  “That’s all, Bailey. Thank you.”

  Bailey exhaled and looked around, suddenly self-conscious. The casting director and Mr. Ellison had their heads together, penciling notes and talking in whispered tones.

  Dayne stood and walked to her. “Wow.” His eyes told her he was sincerely moved. “Where’d that come from?”

  Again she felt slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t once stopped to consider how she looked or sounded. Rather she only allowed herself to become the part. “I don’t know.” She moved her toe in small circles on the floor, adrenaline still racing through her. “I love the book. It’s one of the best I’ve ever read.”

  “You can tell.” He took the script from the floor and walked slowly with her to the table. Once there, the three of them thanked her and told her they’d be in touch. Bailey’s mom waited until they were outside the building before she let out a high-pitched muted scream. “Bailey! I couldn’t believe that was really you!”

  “Seriously?” The thrill coursing through her was so great she thought she could run all the way home and still have the energy to run back again. “I don’t know if it was that good. I don’t have experience for a part like this.” She looped her arm around her mom’s waist as they walked to the car. “So I let my heart convey the character. I tried not to get in the way. That’s how Katy’s taught me.”

  The whole way home her mom marveled at how genuine she’d come across, how sincere and how natural she looked on camera. “You’re perfect for Ella. Who would’ve ever thought?”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Bailey laughed, not letting her hopes get too high. “Too bad you’re not making the decision.”

  Her mom’s enthusiasm settled down a little, and as they stepped into the house she took hold of both Bailey’s hands. “Honey, what I saw in there…you have such a gift. I mean, I’ve seen it before with CKT, and of course you’ve been training with Katy. But still…that was amazing, sweetheart.”

  The compliment stayed with her long into the afternoon and, deep inside her, Bailey realized something she hadn’t known before the screening. Even as badly as she’d wanted the Broadway part, she had underestimated her passion for performing, for bringing a character to life—whether on stage or in front of a camera. Now she knew better. Whether it took a hundred tries or a thousand…whether she auditioned in New York or Los Angeles or right here in Bloomington. She would keep trying, keep auditioning. And as her resolve grew, she felt God assuring her in a way that made her soul sing.

  Because maybe her dreams of performing were about to come true.

  Six

  KEITH ELLISON BARELY WAITED UNTIL BAILEY was out the door before he let out a victory whoop and grinned at the rest of his team. “Did you see that?”

  “I couldn’t catch my breath.” Dayne wiped his hand across his damp forehead. “The girl has the most natural talent I’ve seen in years. Maybe ever.” He grabbed her paperwork from the desk and glanced over it. “I mean, my wife’s been working with her, but I had no idea. She’s had one speaking part in one film and she can bring that? On a cold screen test?”

  Eleanor was an understated woman. After working with her for the past few weeks, Keith knew she wasn’t often effusive about her opinions of actors. She’d rather assess quietly from the back of the room and wait until she’d seen all possible talent before carefully weighing her options and making a decision. But here, for the first time, Eleanor looked visibly rocked. She took off her glasses, set them on the table, and chuckled with a shake of her head. “How much experience did you say she had?”

  “Virtually none.” Keith stared at Bailey’s paperwork. “She doesn’t even have a formal resume. Told me earlier she could
put one together if I need it.”

  “If it weren’t for Katy, I’m not sure I would’ve taken a look at her.” Dayne went to the camera and hit the rewind button. Attached by a cable was a full-sized monitor; and as he reached the end of Bailey’s section, he hit play.

  Keith moved closer, anxious to see if the screen would reveal the same level of purity they’d seen in person with Bailey. Her scene began and, sure enough, from the opening few seconds she grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. After a minute, Keith was pretty sure everyone must’ve felt the way he did—like they’d just found the perfect Ella.

  The reel ended and Dayne hit the power switch on the camera. “Well?” His expression asked Keith and Eleanor what they thought.

  “I’ve never seen anyone like her.” Eleanor leaned forward, her hands folded on the table in front of her. “She’s as authentic as the farmlands in Bloomington…as charming as a school girl. And there’s an innocence about her…” Eleanor let her voice die off. “You don’t see that anymore.”

  Keith thought about Andi, sitting home with her ultrasound pictures. Eleanor was right. Real innocence was beautiful and refreshing and impossible to imitate. But still the comment stung because of Andi. His little girl would never again be innocent the way Bailey was. He pushed the pain aside and nodded slowly. “Ella needs to be innocent. Her passion needs to be almost child-like.”

  Keith remembered how they’d seen this with Bailey when she had the featured extra part in The Last Letter. “What Bailey has is very special.” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms in front of him. “It can’t be faked.”

  “We’ve seen girls try the whole last week.” Eleanor looked from Keith to Dayne. “We can still see the other actresses scheduled for today and tomorrow. And of course we’ll need to test Bailey with Brandon Paul.” She nodded at Dayne. “Let’s check his availability to fly out and have a screen test with her.” She looked at her notepad and then at the guys again. “I can’t imagine someone more likeable, more genuine walking through those doors. The girl is amazing.”

  Eleanor stepped out for a lunch run, which gave Keith and Dayne a chance to talk about the next most pressing matter: Brandon Paul’s recent spike in tabloid mentions.

  Dayne cleared the resumes and headshots for a moment and spread a dozen Hollywood gossip rags across the table. “Look at those headlines.”

  Keith gripped the edge of the table and studied the pictures and headlines. On one, Brandon was stepping into a black Escalade, his eyes barely opened. He seemed to struggle to keep his balance. The headline read: ‘Brandon Takes a Tumble—Star Caught Partying at All Hours.’ Another one had Brandon sitting on a sofa between two voluptuous blondes, both of whom were kissing his cheeks. The picture seemed to imply Brandon was about to have a night that went beyond wild. Over that picture, the headline said: ‘Brandon Doubles His Pleasure—Spends the Night with Two Girls Gone Wild.’

  “Great,” Keith muttered, sifting through the magazines. Another one of them simply asked: ‘Brandon Paul Caught with Cocaine?’ And still another: ‘When Will the Partying End?’

  Anger rose in Keith and he straightened, his eyes blazing. “This has to stop.”

  “I’ve been telling you.” Dayne leaned against the wall, his expression as disgusted as Keith’s. “I see the tabs more than you do. I guess with my background, you never stop looking, feeling sorry for the next guy they set their mark on.”

  “But Brandon isn’t a victim. This is his doing.”

  “That’s certainly how it looks.” Dayne sifted through the magazines, turning a few of the pages and looking at the photos of Brandon caught in one compromising situation after another. “We used to say back in my acting days, this much smoke and there’s bound to be a fire somewhere.”

  “Or a whole series of them.” Keith was still grasping the gravity of the situation. They were a month away from filming, and Brandon was being this crazy in his free time? “Doesn’t he get it? Unlocked is a Christian film.”

  “Not in his mind.” Dayne frowned. “I talked to his agent yesterday. They both acknowledge that Unlocked was a Christian novel, but the guy told me Brandon’s taking the job because the novel was a New York Times runaway bestseller, because of the strength of the story. He wanted to be very clear Brandon wouldn’t do interviews endorsing the faith views of the author or Jeremiah Productions. He was only taking the part because it stretched him as an actor and because he believed in the book.”

  Keith remembered back to a feeling he had during the summer when Brandon came out to discuss taking the role. He’d had his doubts about Brandon back then, but he hadn’t spoken up. Every time the issue arose, he told himself he was being too critical of the kid. And, while the movie would certainly benefit from a name like Brandon Paul’s, certainly Brandon Paul would also benefit from the movie. Brandon could change his ways. If a miracle happened, the young star could even find a genuine faith in God, being surrounded by people with such strong faith. But there was a line between believing they could help Brandon and the very real possibility that his participation could hurt the film’s message. With the latest tabloid stories, they were headed to a place where Brandon would make it impossible for Keith—with a clear conscience—to cast him. The way it stood now, people would have to wonder if the Christian producers at Jeremiah Productions had sold out by giving the lead to Brandon.

  Keith and Dayne talked about what had gone wrong, how the star’s image had changed. They both agreed, today Brandon was perceived far differently from the way people saw him just a year ago—when his role as a teen star for NTM Studios had made him the guy with the fresh face and the squeaky clean image. NTM had made him into a mega-star, no question. He was the heartthrob for every young teenage girl in America, and now he wanted to take on more serious roles. Keith looked at the magazines again. “What did his agent say about all this? The partying and girls?”

  “He said it’s under control.” Dayne looked baffled. “Seriously. He told me his star client could party once in a while, otherwise he wouldn’t be seen as a competitive adult actor.”

  “Mission accomplished.” Keith’s heart felt like it had settled around his waist. “We need to get word to him that we’re hesitating, that we’ll cast someone else if the craziness doesn’t stop.”

  “You wanna have that talk with him, or you want me to do it?”

  “He’ll hear it better from you.”

  Dayne agreed. He still had Brandon’s cell number. He pulled his phone from his back jeans pocket and tapped a few times. In seconds he held the phone to his ear and waited. “Hey, Brandon. Yeah, man, it’s Dayne Matthews. Wondered if you had a minute?”

  Keith could only hear Dayne’s side of the conversation, but his new co-producer seemed very adept at getting to the point. They talked about the film and the schedule, and the idea that Brandon needed to make time for a screen test in Bloomington. Then Dayne lowered the boom. “By the way, Keith and I have a dozen magazines spread across the table. Gotta be honest, buddy. We don’t like what we’re seeing.”

  Brandon’s answers didn’t take long, and from the sounds of Dayne’s responses, the young star was contrite. “Okay, so it’s pretty serious. You understand, right?” Dayne was wrapping up the call. “Good. We still have a few weeks. If the tabs keep making you their star player, we might need a different Holden Harris.”

  Dayne paused, pacing the floor a few feet from Keith.

  “Good.” He went on, “This is very serious. Absolutely. This kinda’ film we need you on your game, buddy. Really.”

  After another few minutes the call ended, and Dayne slipped his phone back in his pocket. “He’s worried. I could hear it in his voice.”

  “Should we call his agent, let him know his role’s in jeopardy?”

  “I think so. I’ll let you handle that one.”

  Keith was more than happy to make the call. They answered to God for their actions as producers. If that meant cutting a star as big as
Brandon Paul, they would do it and let God show them who was supposed to play the part instead. Keith immediately called Brandon’s agent and explained the contract had included a character clause.

  “The tabloids, right?” Dayne’s agent didn’t sound surprised.

  “Exactly.” Keith kept his tone even. “The way it is now, if we were filming, Brandon would be breaking that part of the contract. Which means we’d no longer be obligated to keep him in the film. And we wouldn’t be obligated to pay him, either.”

  The agent ranted for a while, explaining Brandon was an angel compared to so many Hollywood stars. But by the end of the conversation, Keith was sure that they had gotten the attention of the agent. He expected the man’s next call would be to Brandon, ordering him to clean up his act immediately.

  “I keep thinking about that verse in the Bible, about what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” Keith sat back down at the table and felt the heaviness of the past hour hit him square on his shoulders. “It applies to all of us.” He smiled, weary from the thought of Brandon’s antics. “I’m glad we made those calls.”

  “Me too.” Dayne took the seat beside him. “I could’ve done movies full of compromise all day long. That’s all that was available when I walked away from Hollywood. But this…what we’ve got with Jeremiah Productions. This is special. We have to be the gatekeepers.”

  Yes, that was it. Keith nodded. Gatekeepers. God had assigned them a small kingdom in the land of moviemaking, and now they needed to guard the gates with every breath, every action they took. “Let’s pray for a minute. I feel like the enemy is pushing in on us. We need the Lord’s Spirit so we can tell when someone’s rushing the gate.”

  Dayne nodded, his face pensive, serious. “Absolutely.” He folded his hands and hung his head.

  Keith did the same, and he prayed as intensely as he had back when they were filming The Last Letter and the union tried to shut them down. This wasn’t as overt, but it was even more a threat to the work they wanted to accomplish for Christ. Keith asked God to give them wisdom and discernment in the decisions that lie ahead. “And most of all, Lord, please give us courage. Make us brave enough to walk away from something the world would never walk away from. Give us ears to hear your voice above the noise of Hollywood, so that Unlocked becomes a film that turns the hearts of the people back to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”