Murder on a Silver Platter (A Red Carpet Catering Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Italian one night? Maybe on Friday, kind of a celebration of our first week finished?”
    “Sure. Let me work out a menu.”
    “I know you can cook. Hopefully you can make a nice marinara for us.” He scooped some baby red potatoes onto his plate next to his second helping of chicken.
    A faint police siren sounded in the distance, which wasn’t unusual in New Jersey on any given day, but after all of the police activity in her life recently, Penelope tilted her ear towards it. The radio hooked onto Penelope’s back pocket and the one clipped to Sal’s belt both came to life at once. One of the production assistants spoke nervously over the crackling walkie-talkie.
    “On set EMT has been called to Main Street location. There’s been an accident. One of the principals is down.”

      
    A crowd ran from the lot towards picturesque Main Street in South Point, New Jersey. Large spotlights up on tall stands and a tent set up for Sal’s team blocked the sidewalk. Traffic had been diverted from the street during a three-hour window that day for the crew. Several members of the crew milled around nervously in the middle of the street, but they were all looking in the same general direction.
    Penelope ran alongside Sal who kept saying “Are you kidding me? Oh shit.” He was squeezing the radio tight in his fist, his knuckles white against his thick red fingers.
    Penelope could see a group of people gathered around someone lying on the ground in the middle of the street. She tried to see who it was through the various arms and legs blocking her view.
    “It’s Arlena,” Sal said hurriedly, picking up his pace.
    Penelope sped up, shoving her way past a few crew members standing by one of the cameras. She vaguely noticed a group of onlookers standing on the curb on the other side of the traffic barricades, gawking at all of the activity. A few of them had their phones out, recording the scene. The movie cameras were in position but it didn’t look like they were rolling.
    “Arlena!” Penelope shouted as she made her way to her friend lying prone in the street, her head propped up on a crumpled tan blazer. Penelope’s heart thudded through her sweater and her legs had turned rubbery. Sam Cavanaugh, the famous actor and Arlena’s co-star, was holding Arlena’s hand. Penelope could tell from his matching pants that it was his suit jacket wadded into a ball under her head. He was on his knees, his face inches from Arlena’s, whispering softly to her as she lay motionless, her legs and arms flat on the pavement. On the other side of Arlena were the movie’s two on-set EMTs. The lead EMT, a tiny woman with blond hair, was holding up Arlena’s eyelid and shining a small flashlight at her pupil.
    “What the hell happened?” Sal shouted.
    Several members of the crew stepped forward and started talking at once.
    “Came out of nowhere…”
    “…mowed her down from behind…”
    “…she didn’t see him coming…her head hit the ground…”
    The lead EMT brushed her bangs out of her eyes with the back of her latex-gloved hand. “Bring me a long board and a cervical collar,” she said to her assistant. He jumped up and hurried to the ambulance, grabbing the items she requested. When he returned, she took the collar from him and carefully placed it around Arlena’s neck. Then the two of them moved her onto the narrow board, being careful not to jostle her. Sam released Arlena’s hand right before they hoisted her up and rolled her into the back of the idling ambulance. Sal and Penelope stood by his side, Sal resting a hand on Sam’s shoulder.
    “We’re taking her to the Medical Center over on Baker Street. Want to rule out a concussion,” the EMT said. “She has a welt here, probably the point of impact.” She indicated a place just above her own hairline. “Could be only a bad fall but when they lose consciousness, we have to check them out to be safe.”
    Sal nodded. Penelope felt sick to her stomach and