Not Talented in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 3 Read Free

it” I
said sympathetically.
    “I notice you didn’t say that I was getting better
regardless of what I think.”
    I winced. Edwin put his hand on mine.
    “No Trudie, don’t feel bad. I value your honesty.”
    I leaned into him and put my head on his shoulder.
    “I think you’re amazing for going after it the way you have.
I would never tell you to stop or that you weren’t good enough.”
    “I know Trudie, but I think I need to get a dose of
reality.”
    I straightened up. “Maybe you need to look at what you
really want, what are you passionate about?”
    I followed Edwin’s eyes as they turned towards Crystal, the
longing in them almost painful to watch. I nudged him in the side.
    “Ask her out, tell her how you feel” I urged.
    “I can’t” he said. “Not until I’ve sorted myself out.” He
took another drink from his bottle. “What I can do first is to realize I am
never going to make it as an actor.”
    He stood up suddenly.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “I’m going to tell Catarina that she’s right. I’m never
going to make it so I’m quitting.”
    Putting down his bottle he strode purposefully out of the
room. I saw Crystal watch him as he left. Taking another mouthful of my drink
my attention was quickly taken by one of the other actors, who finding that he
couldn’t get close to Crystal had decided her friend was an acceptable second
choice. Tiring quickly of my monosyllabic answers to his questions about
Crystal, he wandered off and Crystal left her adoring court to sit with me. I
eyed her over my drink.
    “So exactly how privileged am I that you’ve decided to grace
me with your presence?”
    Crystal elbowed me in the side.
    “Ouch” I groaned, “what was that for?”
    “For being an idiot” she said. “Where did Edwin go?”
    “To tell Catarina that he was quitting, as he wasn’t a good
enough actor and he never would be.”
    Crystal gaped at me. “What are we doing sitting here then?”
she said grabbing my hand.
    “We’re letting him be an adult and make his own way in life”
I said.
    “Of all the stupid ideas. He’s making a massive life change.
He needs us with him.”
    Not having any choice in the matter I let myself get dragged
off in search of Edwin. Crystal, having virtually lived in these kinds of
theaters all her life, unerringly found the director’s office. The door was
closed. She went to grab the door handle and I grabbed hold of her wrist.
    “We can’t just go in there” I said. “What if they’re still
talking?”
    Crystal pressed her ear to the door. “I don’t hear anything”
she said as she grabbed the door handle again, rolling her eyes as I reached
over and knocked on the door.
    “Catarina” she called out. “We’re just looking for…”
    Crystal stopped and over her head I saw the reason why.
Catarina Badal was slumped over her desk and in the middle of her back was a
knife that looked disturbingly like the prop knife that had earlier in the
night been used to kill Edwin in his painful death scene. Crystal gaped as I
raced over to check the pulse. I would like to say that my abilities in an
emergency carried me through the shocking scene. However this wasn’t the first
body that I had seen, and I think that I had become a little desensitized. That
was a disturbing thought. I couldn’t find a pulse and I pulled out my phone to
call emergency when Crystal found her voice.
    “Stop”.
    I froze.
    “What are you talking about?” I asked.
    “If we walk out right now, nobody needs to know we were in
here” she said. I must have looked at her strangely. “I don’t want you
involved.” she said concern all over her face.
    It may sound callous but in the last six months I had found
a total of two dead bodies. I had also been shot once, threatened several times
and almost killed in a fire. Crystal did not have the greatest family life and
for whatever reason Edwin and I were as close to family for her as her father
was. I knew