Not Famous in Hollywood (Not in Hollywood Book 1)

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I hadn't even made it through my front door when my cell started ringing. It was Eleanor's management again, demanding to know where I was. Once again I had to explain that due to the actions of their client, I had spent most of the day as a guest of LA's finest.

"Never mind that," he interrupted. "We need you to go back to Bliss and find out what was in the products they used for Eleanor today."

"Why do we need to know that?" I asked.

"Eleanor's had a slight reaction to something that was used today. She's still at the hospital but they don't know what it is."

"What kind of reaction?" I asked, hoping my voice showed an appropriate level of interest and concern.

"At this stage it just looks like a mild skin irritation, but if she's allergic to something we need to know what it is. We can't risk her having reactions when she's working."

"It's too late to go tonight," I said, knowing that he expected me to go back to the spa after hours to demand answers from an empty building. "I'll go first thing in the morning."

Dropping my bag on my couch I walked straight into the shower to wash away what had turned out to be a completely lousy day.

The next morning I found myself standing in the reception area of Bliss being eyed off by perky little Cindi, as her badge proudly proclaimed. I could now see why Jorge had not been able to get through to help me yesterday. That door which led to the inner sanctum had an electronic lock. You either needed a security code or access to the little button which was obviously underneath Cindi's desk. Obviously Cindi had been here yesterday and had seen that I had been led out of here in handcuffs, because she did not seem keen to let me in.

"Hi, look I know things got out of hand yesterday but I am here on behalf of Eleanor Channing. She seems to have had a reaction to some part of the products she had yesterday. I'm just trying to track down what it could have been," I said brightly in a soft non-threatening way, as opposed to a 'we are going to sue this place for all that it is worth' way.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you with that," said Cindi.

I waited but she just looked at me, still with the perky grin. Okay this was obviously going to be a lead the horse to water scenario. Cindi seemed to be incapable of grasping what my problem was.

"Can I please speak to someone who can help me with the situation?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid there is no one else here who can help you," Cindi said brightly, her big smile and excessively white teeth exacerbating the tension headache which was beginning to form behind my right eye.

Either that or Detective Griffin had managed to find a voodoo doll and decided that I needed to feel a bit of his pain.

"Okay Cindi," I said, deciding that bright and friendly was not the way that I was going to play it today. "I need you to get somebody here so I can talk about the reason why Eleanor Channing is still in hospital. A fact that can be related back to this place. If I don't get somebody here right now, who can give me the answers that I want, then I am going to leave. The next time you hear about this situation is going to be from Eleanor Channing's very highly priced legal firm and I will be sure that they include your name in the paperwork. That is Cindi with an 'i' isn't it?"

Cindi looked at me for a second. "If you could please sit down for a minute I will get someone to talk to you," she said.

To her credit that smile did not waver. I was onto her though. Behind that perfectly pleasant face I could tell that she was wishing me at the bottom of a very deep hole. You know what, I could live with that. Being nice and sweet to everybody had got me a job where my life was not my own, at the beck and call of a nutcase with impulse control issues and with a felony charge hanging over my head.