Perry - Filmed to Death

Meg Perry

Filmed to Death

A Jamie Brodie Mystery

Filmed to Death

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or individuals - living or dead - is entirely coincidental.

2016 Meg Perry. All rights reserved .

The Jamie Brodie Mysteries

Cited to Death

Hoarded to Death

Burdened to Death

Researched to Death

Encountered to Death

There Goes the Neighborhood (bonus short story included with Encountered to Death)

Psyched to Death

Stacked to Death

High Desert and Low Country (bonus short stories included with Stacked to Death)

Stoned to Death

Talked to Death

Hearts and Best Men (bonus short stories included with Talked to Death)

Avenged to Death

Just Right (short story available at http://megperrybooks.wordpress.com/ )

Staff Sgt. Ammo (short story available at http://megperrybooks.wordpress.com/ )

Filmed to Death

Photographs and Memories (serial story available beginning 6/13/16 at http://megperrybooks.wordpress.com/ )

CRIMES. IN. SPACE!

Cast

Captain Buck Cassidy....Rafe Conroy

Medical Examiner Harriett Wilson....Martie Pepper

Communications Officer Florence Vix.Kitten French

First Officer Stanley Bland....Bryce Colburn

Assistant Medical Examiner Sam Ryan.Jason Pontier

Pilot Vince Wellington.......Grant Rowe

Director......Brad Klein

Executive Producer..Martie Pepper

Executive Producer...Gus Guyton

ScreenwritersGus Guyton & Byron Bull and Trevor Nash & Baez Albright

CRIMES. IN. SPACE!

The Comedian Did It!

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. SPACE

HERO SHOT of our valiant ship, the S.S. TRUTHSEEKER, as it GLIDES past camera at speed.

TIGHT ON a picture of a beautiful woman, mid-30s. A thumb edges into the frame and gently strokes the jawline of the pictured woman.

BUCK (V.O.) Oh babe...

Were in --

INT. TRUTHSEEKER - BUCKS BEDCHAMBER

BUCK CASSIDY -- Jack Armstrong type. American boy. Widower. Broken hearted -- sits on the edge of his bed looking down lovingly at the photo of his dead wife. A tear rolls down his cheek.

BUCK: I cant believe its been five years since you died.

Theres someone else in the room with Buck. The quintessential bimbo in the tight spacesuit. FLORENCE VIX.

FLORENCE: Oh, Buck. You know shes in a better place now. The angels are taking care of her -- just like they are you.

BUCK: I dont believe in angels, Florence.

Florence GASPS.

FLORENCE: But... thats whats happening. A nice soul like hers. Theres no way the devil would take her.

Florence rests a hand high on Bucks thigh. Buck immediately stands and walks to his nightstand -- Florence watches Bucks butt as he walks to the nightstand -- where he gently places the picture of his wife facing down on the bed.

BUCK: What do we have today?

Florence instantly perks up at the attention and grabs her space clipboard and space pen.

FLORENCE: Oh, sir, we have a big list of daily activities.

Florence gets up and moves closer to Buck.

FLORENCE: (CONTD) As you can see. Its going to take a lot of effort to get all of this done in one day.

Buck looks over the list.

BUCK: Seems good.

Buck takes the space pen from Florence.

BUCK: (CONTD) Youll make sure -- wont you, Florence -- that the staff is notified?

FLORENCE: Oh, yes, sir.

Buck tries to hand the space pen and space clipboard back to Florence, but Florence moves her hand toward his and knocks both the space pen and space clipboard to the floor.

FLORENCE: (CONTD) Oh Mercy. Let me get that.

Florence bends down in front of Buck, turning her head back to make sure hes watching. But Bucks attention has turned back to the picture of his dead wife.

Florence SIGHS and heads for the door. Florence turns back and looks longingly at Buck whose attention is completely riveted on the photo of his wife.

Florence exits Bucks bedchamber onto --

INT. TRUTHSEEKER - COMMAND DECK - CONTINUOUS

As the door closes behind her, Florence leans back against the door and sighs deeply to herself.

FLORENCE: I wish hed look at me the way he looks at his wife.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Glendale, California

Abby Glenn filled her travel mug with coffee and snatched the Pop-Tart out of the toaster, swearing and juggling it until she managed to drop it onto the paper towel shed laid out for that purpose. She carried the coffee and pastry to her front door and set the mug down on the small table while she slung her tool belt over her shoulder and picked up her keys.

She averted her eyes from the property tax notice lying under the keys. Shed managed to pay the first installment in November from her savings and a loan from her sister. Shed paid Andie back, but her savings were drained. She had no idea how shed pay this tax bill, and in exactly six days shed be delinquent.

Kevin paid off the mortgage when they split up nearly a year ago. Abby thought at the time that she could survive on her wages without a house payment.

Shed forgotten about the property tax. Kevin always took care of that sort of thing. She never realized how much of the financial burden of their life together he shouldered.

She couldnt believe it had been nearly a year since, like a fucking idiot , she split up with him.

Abby sighed and climbed into her truck. Shed promised Eddie, her crew boss, that shed meet him at Rafe Conroys house by seven. Conroy was planning a blowout wrap party this weekend for the cast and crew on the pilot theyd been shooting, and hed hired the carpenters on set - Eddie, Abby, Clay, and Levi - to extend the deck in his back yard.

The extra money would come in handy.

Conroy lived in Brentwood, a block from the Santa Monica city limits. When Abby got to the house she didnt see Eddies truck. Good - shed beaten him there. She had to stay in Eddies good graces. She needed this job.

She parked in the gravel area to the side of the drive. Eddie had said to meet Conroy on the back deck. There was a path built of paver stones leading around the right side of the house. Abby ducked under a trellis of roses and passed a long row of windows - a library, a dining room, a sun porch. At the back of the house, the path turned to the left, depositing Abby at the foot of two steps leading up to a deck that spanned the entire width of the house. The deck extended out from the house to eventually surround a kidney-shaped pool.

She climbed the steps. No one seemed to be around. She called, Mr. Conroy? She looked through the back door into an enormous kitchen but still didnt see anyone. She called again. Mr. Conroy?

She heard a sound at the side of the house - the clinking of a tool belt. Eddie must be here. She cupped her hands to her face to better see inside the house. She still didnt detect any movement.

Eddie clomped onto the deck. Good morning. Should have known youd beat me here.

Not by much. I havent seen Mr. Conroy.

Did you try the door?

No. Abby wiggled the handle; the door was locked. He was supposed to meet us on the deck, right?

Right. Eddie looked around with a frown. Maybe we should He stopped. Uh oh.

What? Abby turned; Eddie pointed at the pool.

There was something in the pool.

Abby and Eddie both took a few steps toward the edge of the deck.

There was some one in the pool. Face down.

Eddie hissed, Shit , and ran to the side of the pool. Call 911.

Abby dialed as Eddie dragged the person - a man, wearing boxer briefs - out of the pool and checked for a pulse. She couldnt help it. Her first thought was, This better not mean that I dont get paid today .