Murder on a Silver Platter (A Red Carpet Catering Mystery Book 1) (16 page)

Chapter 28

When Penelope turned onto her street she saw three police cars and an ambulance in her driveway. Randall sat on the back bumper of the ambulance holding a cold pack against his head, an EMT studying his face.

Penelope emerged from her car and hurried up the driveway. “Mr. Madison, are you okay?”

Randall looked up. “Hey, Pen. Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Just a bump,” he said, pointing to the crown of his head. The EMT dabbed a wad of gauze that had antiseptic on it to a cut on his eyebrow.

An officer stood on the wide brick porch at the front door, his hands resting on his thick utility belt. He noticed Penelope approaching the house and spoke into the radio clipped to his shoulder.

“What happened?” Penelope asked Randall, getting a closer look at his injuries. His right eye was swollen and his eyebrow cut, the blood already dark and clotted. A bruise darkened his left cheek. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks, Pen,” Randall said, chuckling. He pulled a cigarette pack out of his jacket pocket but put it back after the EMT shook her head no. “Stupid jerk jumped me from behind. I was asleep upstairs, I was out late last night, and I hear your little dog barking his ass off and the damn alarm blaring. I come downstairs, the front door’s closed and I’m half asleep, I head to the kitchen to turn the damn thing off. Next thing I know I’m face down in the hallway.”

“The front door was closed? They said on the phone that’s where the break-in was,” Penelope said, glancing at the officer in front of her house.

“I don’t know, Pen. He must have closed the door behind him,” Randall said, wincing as the EMT applied a gooey ointment to his eyebrow.

“I’m going to go see what’s going on,” Penelope said. “I’ll be back.” She walked farther up the driveway and climbed the porch steps. “Hi, I’m Penelope Sutherland. I live here.”

The uniformed officer held out his hand to stop her from entering the house. “Can’t let you in right now, ma’am. This is an active scene.”

Penelope glanced under his arm and into the front hallway. One of the policemen was crouched down, examining the hallway carpet. Penelope guessed that’s where they’d found Randall. She heard heavy footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Officer Jenkins descending, a frown on her tanned face.

“Perfect,” Penelope muttered, taking a step back from the door. She wasn’t particularly interested in another run-in with Officer Jenkins.

“Who’s in charge here?” Penelope asked the officer, who gazed out over the yard at the golf course across the street.

“Officer Nancy Jenkins is senior officer on the scene,” he said, glancing down at her.

Penelope thanked him, barely containing the urge to grind her teeth. She turned and headed back down the porch steps towards the ambulance. A dark sedan pulled up behind her Range Rover and Joey stepped out, quickly slamming the door and hurrying up the lawn towards her.

“Penny, you all right?” he asked. He squeezed her upper arm tightly when he reached the ambulance.

“I’m fine. I wasn’t here when it happened. Randall on the other hand…” She glanced at Randall, who had his head tilted towards the EMT as she placed a bandage over his eyebrow.

“Mr. Madison, did you get a look at your attacker?” Joey asked.

“No, he was wearing a ski mask, I think. But I saw something…a tattoo on his arm. He was wearing gloves but I saw a skull on his wrist right above it. Then he hit me again here,” Randall pointed to his eyebrow, “and I blacked out for a minute.”

Joey scratched notes in his leather flip pad. “Can you maybe sketch for me what you saw?” He handed Randall the pad and pen. “It would be good to get it from you now while you still have a fresh memory of it.”

“I’m no artist, but I’ll try,” Randall said, studying the blank piece of paper. The EMT finished with him and went inside her ambulance to retrieve more supplies.

“Detective,” Officer Jenkins waved him over from the front porch. “A word?”

Joey’s jaw twitched and he said, “Excuse me a moment, will ya?”

She watched Joey make his way onto the porch and over to Officer Jenkins. Officer Jenkins stood easily, her hands tucked on her utility belt, a faint smile on her lips. Joey had his back to Penelope but she saw his broad shoulders were tense through his suit jacket. He pointed at the house as he spoke to Officer Jenkins, then folded his arms over his chest.

Penelope couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she saw Officer Jenkins expression evolve from slightly happy, to vaguely concerned, to tightly angry in a matter of moments. Joey turned around and glanced at Penelope and Randall and then turned back to her motioning to them as he made another point.

Officer Jenkins uncrossed her arms and straightened her jacket, stepping around Joey without saying a word. She called back over her shoulder to the officer guarding the door and together they walked down the steps away from the porch. As they passed Penelope and Randall at the back of the ambulance she said, “Your hero is in charge now. Have a nice day.”

The two of them got in one of the parked patrol cars and backed out of the driveway, Officer Jenkins staring at the house and Joey from the passenger seat.

“Penny, can you come up here please?” Joey called down to her from the porch.

She walked back up the steps and joined him. “What was that all about?” she asked, motioning in the direction of the driveway.

Joey sighed, unable to hide his frustration. “It’s…here’s the thing,” he said. “I didn’t report her for what she pulled the other morning…that thing with you. That stupid ticket.” Joey shifted his weight and put his hands in his pockets under his opened suit jacket. “I just paid it. But I pulled her aside and told her to keep her distance. Next thing I know, she’s at your house.” He shook his head in disbelief.

Penelope had no idea how to respond. Instead she asked, “Can I get inside? See what kind of damage there is?”

“Yes,” Joey said. “Come on, let’s take a look.” He ushered her in the front door. Joey called one of the uniformed officers over and asked him to bring him up to speed.

“We have point of entry here,” the young officer said, pointing to the front door. “The door isn’t damaged. It was either unlocked or the intruder had a key. Then the victim was attacked here.” He took a few steps into the hallway and indicated a place on the floor. “We haven’t determined if anything is missing and we see no other damage to the home. Maybe Miss…”

“Sutherland,” Joey said quickly.

“Sutherland could take a look around and inform us of any missing property,” he finished.

“Sure. Let’s go,” Joey said, motioning to the stairs.

Penelope and Joey made their way through all of the rooms upstairs. Penelope didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Her jewelry box, which held a few sentimental pieces, was undisturbed and Penelope guessed that maybe the intruder hadn’t come upstairs at all. Heading back downstairs, they checked the dining room and the library and then Arlena’s suite of rooms, finding nothing missing or damaged in there either. Arlena did have a small safe in her closet for her more expensive jewelry, but the closet was undisturbed and the safe intact.

Penelope turned to follow Joey out of Arlena’s bedroom, but at the last minute she froze in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder at the empty dog bed in the corner of the room.

“Oh crap,” Penelope said.

“What?” Joey asked.

“Zazoo. He’s gone.”

Randall stood up from the back of the ambulance and watched the EMT close the doors. She handed him a packet of gauze and ointment and encouraged him to follow up with his doctor about the bump on his head.

“Trust me, this hard head has been knocked around worse than this,” he said, pointing to his head and winking at her.

The EMT shook her head at him and departed, backing the ambulance back down the steep driveway.

Penelope called to him from the porch. “Where is Zazoo?”

“What? I don’t know.” Randall walked towards the house and joined them up on the porch, bouncing Joey’s notepad off of his thigh. “He was here before. It was his barking that woke me up in the first place.”

“He’s not here,” Penelope said. “He probably ran out in all of the commotion. The front door was wide open when I got here. Usually the electric fence keeps him in the yard but if he’s really scared, he’ll run through it.”

“You heard the dog barking before you heard the alarm?” Joey asked.

“That’s how it was,” Randall said.

“And you didn’t see or hear anything after you were assaulted? Nothing you can tell us about a vehicle or anything else?”

“No. Well, I saw this, like I told you,” Randall said, handing Joey’s pad back to him.

Joey glanced down at it then tilted it towards Penelope to show her.

Penelope took the pad from him and held it closer, studying the drawing. “I know this,” she said quietly. “I know it.”

“You recognize this tattoo?” Joey asked.

“Yeah, it’s—” Penelope’s phone buzzed in her back pocket and she absently pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Seeing Arlena’s name there, her heart skipped as she realized Arlena had no idea what was going on at the house or that Zazoo had run off again.

“Arlena, hey. Wait…what? What do you mean? Okay text it to me,” Penelope said, hanging up the phone and watching the screen.

“Pen, what is it?” Joey and Randall stared at her, concern on both of their faces.

“It’s Arlena. She’s very upset…she just got this message,” Penelope said turning the phone around for them to read the forwarded text. GOT YOUR DOG, BITCH. SEE HIM ALIVE AGAIN UR CHOICE. QUIT OR HE’S DEAD.

“Let me see that,” Joey said, taking her phone and scrolling the message up and down on the screen. “The number has been blocked. Probably a disposable phone.”

Randall’s face darkened. “Dammit. I can’t believe he got over on me. I should have stopped him.”

“Wait,” Penelope said, grabbing the pad in Joey’s hand. “This tattoo. I know who it is. He works with us.”

Chapter 29

Penelope sped back to the set with Randall in her passenger seat, Joey following her in his car. They pulled into the lot and parked, Penelope jumping from her car and running towards Arlena’s trailer, Randall and Joey close behind. When they got there, she knocked on the door and waited impatiently on the steps for the door to open.

Getting no answer, she hurried over to Sam’s trailer and knocked on his door. When it opened, Sal was on the other side of the door, an irritated look on his face.

“What is it?” he snapped.

“Is Arlena here?” Penelope asked hurriedly, looking around Sal and into the trailer.

“She’s crying in her trailer. I told her to go home. She’s a mess, can’t work. Something about a dog,” Sal said, stepping aside so Penelope could see inside. Sam sat on his couch, looking stunned, his head in his hands. “In fact, this whole thing is shot. I’m calling it off. Production is shutting down. Tell your crew.”

Randall stepped up behind Penelope. “Sal, now wait a minute.”

“I don’t have a minute, Randall. That’s the whole point,” Sal snapped at him. “This thing has been one disaster after another. I’m done.”

“That’s crazy, Sal. A few days left and you bail? Come on, that’s not the Salvatore I know. What about all the money you’ve invested? You want to walk away from that?” Randall said.

“I know. It’s such a mess,” Sal muttered. “What the hell happened to you, Randall?”

“Got jumped by some punk who works for you,” Randall said.

“What? Who?” Sal asked.

“Freddie broke into our house and kidnapped our dog, Sal,” Penelope said.

“Have you seen your intern today, Mr. Marco?” Joey asked.

“He’s right over there,” Sal pointed towards the makeup trailer to a retreating figure in an oversized hooded sweatshirt, talking on a cell phone. “I asked him to go find you and let you know we’re done. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Penelope turned on the stairs and looked where Sal was pointing. Joey took off running with Randall right on his heels. Penelope stood with Sal and watched Joey approach Freddie, grab his arm and spin him around. Then they watched Freddie shove him and take off running. Penelope jumped down from the stairs and ran after them.

Freddie darted towards the catering area and the dining tent, his puffy sweatshirt billowing around his bony frame, his phone still clutched in his hand. Penelope ran as fast as she could towards the tent right behind Joey, passing Randall as he stopped to clutch his stomach, bending over with a cramp. He waved her forward as she slowed to see if he was okay and then sped up again.

Freddie ran around the big tent and towards the end of the lot, heading out into the residential area of South Point. He slowed as he reached a corner, jogging in place but hesitating as speeding cars crossed in front of him. As he prepared to run again, Joey tackled him, knocking him to the ground. His phone skidded across the sidewalk and Penelope snatched it up after she pulled up next to them. She watched Joey pull Freddie’s arms behind his back and put handcuffs on his wrists right over the dull green skull tattoo that matched the sketch in Joey’s notebook.

Joey pushed Freddie down onto one of the folding chairs in the dining tent, his hands still cuffed behind his back. Several of the cast and crew members gathered close by in an attempt to see what the commotion was about. Joey went through Freddie’s pockets, confiscating his wallet and keys.

“Why’d you run, Freddie? Something you want to tell me?” Joey asked as Freddie snarled up at him.

“I don’t have to tell you nothin’,” Freddie said, his black bangs flopping into his eyes.

Joey flashed a threatening smile. “You better believe you’re going to tell me why you broke into Arlena Madison’s house earlier today, assaulted her father and stole her dog.”

A look of fear nipped at the corners of Freddie’s defiant expression.

“That’s right. I got you for breaking and entering and assault. Not to mention theft and extortion, and anything else I can think of.”

Penelope looked down at the phone in her hand and noticed it was still on an active call. The name BRAWL was on the screen. She raised the phone to her ear and said, “Hello? Who is this?”

There was a click on the other end and the line went dead.

“Who’s BRAWL, Freddie?” Penelope asked, showing him the screen of the phone. When he didn’t answer and looked away she went back to the phone and scrolled over to his text messages. Finding the one he’d sent to Arlena earlier, she showed him the screen again. “Where is my dog?”

Sal came through the large crowd that had gathered with Arlena, Sam and Randall right behind him. “What the hell is going on now?” he demanded.

“I’m placing Frederick Fitzgerald,” Joey said, glancing at the flipped open wallet in his hand, “under arrest for assault, breaking and entering and theft.”

“He’s the one who has Zazoo?” Arlena said in alarm. “He sent that message? Why would you do that?” she yelled at him angrily, pushing past Sal and standing next to Penelope. Sam stepped forward and placed a hand on her arm, holding her back slightly.

“You stupid bitch. You’ve got no right to talk to me like that. I did what I had to do,” Freddie sneered.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice straining in anger.

“You don’t belong here but you wouldn’t quit. All you had to do was quit and I’d get everything I’ve been working for,” he said. “Running over you with a golf cart didn’t work and blowing up your face with fish sauce didn’t scare you off. Whatever. Sal’s shutting down this boring piece of crap anyway, so I win.”

“He’s not making any sense,” Arlena said, looking back at Sal.

Penelope glanced back down at the phone and scrolled over to the recent calls, looking up the last call made. After four rings a woman picked up. “Raw Studios, how can I direct your call?”

Penelope hung up and said to Joey, “Raw Studios in California. Brett Ralston’s company. Or as Freddie calls him, BRAWL.”

Arlena gasped. “Brett Ralston put you up to all of this? Because I wouldn’t act in another one of his stupid movies?”

Freddie’s expression crumpled. “He’s going to make my movie. He said he’d read my script and give me a job in California if I could get Arlena to quit Sal’s movie.”

Arlena stared at him in shock while Sam took her hand in his.

“Where is our dog?” Penelope asked, still holding his phone.

“Give it up, kid. Don’t make things worse for yourself,” Joey advised.

“He’s in the trunk of my car,” he said under his breath. “The red Camry parked at the edge of the lot.”

Murmurs went through the crowd as Joey tossed Freddie’s car keys to Penelope. “Go get him. Be careful.”

“I’ll go with you,” Randall said, falling in beside Penelope as she hurried to the lot.

As they approached Freddie’s car, Penelope could hear Zazoo’s whimpers from the trunk. She hurried to open it, fumbling with the keys at the lock. Randall steadied her hand and they turned the key, popping it open. Zazoo stared up at them from inside a small rusty rabbit cage, surrounded by oily rags, a few tools and some muddy tennis shoes.

“Zazoo!” Penelope said, prying open the cage. He scurried out and happily jumped into her arms, nuzzling her neck with his nose.

“Thank God he isn’t hurt,” Randall said. “Come on, let’s get Arlena out of here.”

As they walked back towards the set, they saw Joey leading Freddie towards his police car. He opened the back door and directed Freddie inside, advising him to watch his head on the way in. When he saw Penelope and Randall he waved them over.

“The little guy’s okay, huh?” Joey said, scratching the top of Zazoo’s head. Zazoo looked at Joey suspiciously but accepted the affection.

“He seems fine. I’m going to get him some water and see what’s going on with Arlena,” Penelope said. “I’m so glad you were able to help find him. Thanks, Joey.”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad he’s not hurt. I’m taking Freddie to the station, get him booked. I’ll give you a call later and fill you in.” With one last look at Penelope, Joey slid into his car and sped off.