Murder She Wrote: A Question of Murder
Donald Bain, Jessica Fletcher

Excerpt

“Who’s this?” the actor playing Detective Carboroni asked the character Whittaker.

“My daughter’s former suitor,” Whittaker replied, sounding pleased.

“That you?” the detective said to Cynthia.

She responded by letting out a blood-curdling wail and running from the stage. Her mother, Victoria, had collapsed on the couch where she fanned herself with a magazine.

Carboroni nudged his toe into Paul’s side. There was no response from the fallen actor.

It all sounded like scripted banter. But I sensed something was wrong. From my vantage point, Paul hadn’t moved a muscle since stumbling into the scene and falling at Cynthia’s feet. The pool of fake blood had been widening. I saw a stricken look come over Larry Savoy’s face. He motioned to Melinda in the wings, and the curtain began to close...