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

Doc Marten boots squished against the linoleum floor as she made her way through the quiet hallway towards room 608. She had Arlena’s large Marc Jacobs tote bag slung over one shoulder and her long black coat draped over her arm. She’d grabbed them both from Arlena’s trailer before she’d left for the hospital.
    “Ouch!” Arlena said once again. Penelope poked her head into the room and saw a short Indian man in a white coat pressing gently on Arlena’s scalp in different places. A plastic badge that read Dr. Amit Singh was clipped to his jacket pocket. Arlena’s shiny black hair was fanned out on the pillow and she had dark red lipstick on. If Penelope hadn’t known about the accident she might think Arlena was filming a scene for a medical drama on Lifetime.
    “Miss Madison, you’re going to be fine,” Dr. Singh said. “I’m releasing you back to work tomorrow. I’d like you to go home now and rest until then.” His voice was soft and had a soothing lyrical quality to it.
    “But we’re filming until eight tonight and it’s—”
    “Tomorrow, Miss Madison. I don’t want you to run the risk of falling if you become dizzy and faint. You could reinjure yourself. Rest now and you’ll get better sooner.” He gave Arlena a stern look. His phone began to buzz in his pocket and he pulled it out to glance at the screen.
    “I can take you home,” Penelope said from the doorway.
    Doctor Singh glanced up at Penelope. “Good. You will take her home and make sure she rests. No disco clubs tonight.”
    Penelope laughed. “Only tonight, we’ll stay out of the disco clubs.”
    “Thank goodness you’re here,” Arlena said, sighing gratefully.
    “Arlena.” Sam Cavanaugh, her onscreen husband, came rushing through the door, bumping Penelope into the door frame in the process.
    “Sam. What are you doing here?” Arlena’s hands instinctively went to her hair and face, checking to make sure she was brushed and made up. She glanced at Penelope, silently pleading with her to confirm she was presentable. Not just normal presentable, but a-handsome-man-is-near presentable. Penelope gave her a subtle thumbs up from the doorway, and Arlena’s shoulders relaxed back onto the bed.
    “I was so worried. Also, they wrapped for the day. They need both of us to do our scenes together,” he said. He took Arlena’s hand and tucked her hair behind her ear in one fluid motion, practiced and natural. “You’re here and I was there, so I came here. I can’t stop seeing the image of you flying through the air, landing on your head. That was crazy.”
    Maybe Sam was still in shock from witnessing the accident. She glanced at Arlena, but she was smiling at him, apparently unaware of his rambling. Doctor Singh stared at Sam, his mouth frozen in a silent O.
    “Dr. Reynolds,” Dr. Singh exclaimed.
    Sam had gotten his big break a few years ago playing Dr. Jonathan Reynolds on Emergency , a must-see hospital drama on TV. Penelope wondered if the doctors and nurses at South Point Medical Center were walking around half naked and having sex in the supply closets downstairs. Probably not. She hadn’t seen anyone as good looking as Sam Cavanaugh or any of his costars down there. Not by a long shot.
    “Yep, that’s me,” Sam said.
    “Can I get a picture? I’m a big fan,” Dr. Singh said.
    “Sure, anything for Arlena’s doctor.” He moved around to Dr. Singh’s side of the bed.
    The doctor held his phone up in the air and tried to throw his arm around Sam’s shoulders. Sam was at least a foot taller than the doctor, and the shorter man’s arm didn’t quite reach. He settled for looping an arm around Sam’s waist. He snapped the picture from his upraised hand as they both smiled at the phone.
    “That was my favorite show during my residency. I never missed an episode. When you died of cancer, I couldn’t believe it. The show wasn’t ever the same after that,” Dr. Singh said, shaking his head.
    Penelope remembered