were thankfully cooler but still Elizabeth found it difficult to sleep. When she did it was to dream of Charlie.
She was getting to know some the cast and crew. Everyone was friendly and good company. Somehow she was always aware of Kendrick even when she wasn’t in attendance for one of his stunts. Often she’d see him walking around the set, joking with the cast and crew or occasionally outside his trailer, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Whenever she walked past him, he seemed to know she was there, even with his hat tipped forward, covering his eyes.
Kendrick wasn’t the only stuntperson on set. There was Imogen, who doubled up for Tara, the female star of the film, and Josh, an older man who helped Kendrick with some of the stunts. Gossip on the set had it that Josh had been a rally driver before getting into stunt work and he took the lead in most of the stunts involving high-speed chases. Elizabeth was sure that there was an element of competition between him and Kendrick. As far as she could see, they were always trying to outdo each other in terms of who could do the most difficult stunt.
Most of the filming took place during the day, although Philip had warned her that some of it took place in the evenings, depending on the light.
One morning, Sunny came to see her before filming began.
‘I haven’t been feeling so good over the last couple of days. I don’t know if it’s the heat, but I feel as if I have a temperature.’
‘Any other symptoms?’ Elizabeth asked, taking in the young woman’s pallor.
Sunny shook her head. ‘Nothing specific. Just as if I’m coming down with flu. And I can’t afford to be ill. We’re already running behind schedule. If we don’t catch up, Philip is going to insist on filming over the weekend and I want to get home to see my kids.’
Grief, Sunny had children? She didn’t look old enough.
‘Why don’t you slip your blouse off while I check you over?’ Elizabeth suggested, picking up her stethoscope. ‘How many children do you have?’
‘Two.’ Sunny smiled wistfully. ‘Sam is eight and Trixie six. I had Sam when I was seventeen, before you ask.’ That made her twenty-five.
‘You must miss them.’
‘I used to bring them with me on a job and that worked fine until they started school. I could have employed a tutor to teach them on set, but I don’t think that’s fair, do you? Children need their friends and a routine, don’t you think? I want them to have a better start in life than I did.’
Elizabeth’s heart tightened as the never-far-away image of Charlie floated in front of her. What she would give to have had her daughter know what having friends felt like. It didn’t stop her sympathising with Sunny, though. It had to be tough for the young mother, working away from her children.
‘Philip has been good to me. He took me on as a gofer, now I’m his personal assistant. I kind of always hoped I’d be discovered one day, but I guess that’s not going to happen now.’
Sunny squinted up at Elizabeth as Elizabeth took her blood pressure. That seemed normal too.
‘Do you have children?’ Sunny asked.
Elizabeth turned away and sucked in a steadying breath.
‘No, it’s just me,’ she replied, picking up a couple of Vacutainers. It was just her—now. ‘I’d like to take some blood before we finish if that’s okay?’ Something seemed a little off, but Elizabeth couldn’t put her finger on it.
Sunny nodded. ‘It would be good if you could take it where no one can see the marks. Just in case …’ She gave a little smile. ‘I still haven’t given up hope they might use me in the film.’
‘I’ll try not to leave any, I promise.’
Elizabeth inserted the needle into the crook of Sunny’s arm and filled three vials to send to the lab. She didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong, but it wouldn’t hurt to be thorough.
‘I’m really looking forward to seeing the kids next weekend,’ Sunny was saying. ‘Hey, by the way, we’re going to be filming in the studio in Hollywood and Jack is having a party for the cast and crew. I know he was planning to invite you. Everyone else will be there. Even my kids.’
Elizabeth smiled. ‘I doubt he wants to invite me, he hardly knows me.’
‘Then it’s a good way for you to get to know him and the rest of us. He has a huge house on Mulholland Drive—you know, where a lot of Hollywood stars live. His parties have quite a reputation. Half of Hollywood would give their eye teeth to be invited.’
‘I’m not really a party animal,’ Elizabeth demurred. ‘I’m more the kind to go to bed with a good book.’
‘In LA?’ Sunny didn’t attempt to keep the incredulity from her voice. ‘You have to be kidding me. Didn’t you just tell me that you’re footloose and fancy-free?’ She nibbled on her bottom lip and studied Elizabeth through violet eyes. She might look innocent, almost naïve, but there was no mistaking the sharp intelligence behind the ditzy exterior. ‘Or have you just recently had your heart broken?’
She narrowed her eyes when Elizabeth took in a sharp intake of breath. ‘I’m right, aren’t I? In that case, you have to come. It’ll cheer you up, and who knows—you might meet someone else.’
That was so not going to happen. Never, ever would she give her heart to someone only to have it broken. The agony simply wasn’t worth it. She was finished with men, finished with love. All she wanted now was to find a measure of peace.
‘We’ll see,’ Elizabeth murmured, placing the blood samples into a specimen bag for one of the drivers to take to hospital. ‘Okay, I should have the results for you in a day or two. In the meantime, if anything changes, let me know straight away.’
As she was escorting Sunny out of her trailer, Kendrick sauntered up to them.
‘Hey, Kendrick, how’re you doing?’ Sunny greeted him warmly. ‘I’ve just been telling Elizabeth about Jack’s party, but she says she’s not coming.’
Kendrick eyed Elizabeth. ‘Maybe I can change her mind.’
Elizabeth shook her head. ‘It’s kind of Jack to think of me, but I’m not really the partying kind. I’m quite happy with my own company.’
‘I’ll leave you two to argue it out, but right now I could do with a lie down. I’m feeling yucky,’ Sunny said
Kendrick took Sunny by the arm and turned her round. He peered into her face. ‘You don’t look too good. What did the doc say?’
‘The doc hasn’t said very much yet. We think it’s a case of flu but just in case, the doc has taken some blood,’ Elizabeth said, irritated.
But Kendrick was no longer smiling. ‘What about your pee? Is it normal?’ he asked Sunny.
Elizabeth was growing more indignant by the moment. Just who did he think he was?
‘Well, now that you ask …’ Sunny looked embarrassed. ‘It’s kind of dark.’
An alarm bell went off in Elizabeth’s head.
‘And when was it that you were in Tanzania for those few days’ filming? Ten days ago, if my memory serves me right,’ Kendrick continued.
‘Yes. About then.’ Sunny turned to Elizabeth. ‘Philip had a couple of scenes he wanted to shoot there. Something about the light. Only Jack and Tara and a few of the supporting crew were needed, apart from me. Anyway, Kendrick, why are you asking?’
‘I think I should have a closer look at you, Sunny,’ Elizabeth said. Damn it, she had been so sure it was flu she hadn’t even asked the obvious questions.
‘Did you take prophylactic anti-malarial medication before you went?’ she asked as a confused-looking Sunny let herself be led back inside.