Part 5

Taking off her sun hat, she rushed over to his bed and looked at her older brother. She took opened the blinds a bit and ran over to him; thinking he was lying down because he was suffering heat stroke with his hat on?  Slowly; she unbuttoned his suit jacket. He must be hot! and took his fedora off and nearly screamed, " Tip!" She shook him. She saw his hair was slicked in one spot, bloody on his forehead  What had happened?

Running to the bathroom; she found a cloth and wetting it, she wrung it out and walked over to his bed. He had stirred and was groaning, kinda blinded from the sun.
" Dot- what-" He stopped as she hushed him sitting down at the edge of the bed.
" Hush Tip, easy now," She said in her soothing voice.
under her voice her heart was thumping. What had happened? had he tripped when he walked in the room? she sat him down against the pillows she propped him up in a sitting up position, applying the cloth carefully. Did she have any iodine too? and how about bandadges?

" Easy sis," He said, breathing in sharply, his arm instinctively stopped hers, she drew her hand back. He groaned again.
" Whats happened? Tip, you look terrible," Dot said.
He felt his head and winced, seeing his hand.
" I have a terrible stomach ache- ate too much back at the cafe,  and I got knocked unconscious by a man, he looked the amiable type at first; said he thought this was his room; I said I was Tip and I owned his room,  he knocked me down and thats I'll remember," He said.

Dot's eyes went big and she stood up about to get Herbert but stopped at the door.
" Was this after Herbert walked in?" She asked.
" Yeah, shortly after; I wasn't feeling so good and to add to that," He kinda groaned.
Dot went into the bathroom and rummaged in the sink drewars to see if their was some bandages, she found some and some iodine, and soon fixed him up.  " Why do you think he did this?" She asked. Tip shrugged.
" I know this sounds crazy Tip, but do you think it would be in connection with Aunt Sharon? she being an actor, Herbert said her manager wanted to talk to her- That's crazy, why would it be connected?" She asked.
Tip reached for the phone on the bedside table. Dot was still looking out the window when she heard Tip's voice.
" Operator- give me the police,"
She turned suddenly around; The police? He nodded to her and motioned it was alright. She hurried out to tell Herbert.

The Red Carpet, Part 4

The Red Carpet, Part 4, by Kathryn

"Is anything wrong, dear?" Dot asked, as they strolled along the stone path.

The California sun shined bright that afternoon on the couple, who were wondering around The Beverly Palms Hotel garden. Beautiful plants and flowers were everywhere, along with a fountain and few benches for seating.

Herbert seemed lost in thought, taking a few deep breaths occasionally then letting them out slowly.

"Herb?" She asked again.

"Oh! Sorry. No, I was just thinking. Tip was kinda acting strange earlier... When I came back from seeing Aunt Sharon, I stopped in his room to see how he was settling in."

"And?"

"He hadn't unpacked a single thing, and the room was dark. He looked kinda down, too. You don't think he's thinking twice about this trip, do you?"

Dot stopped walking. Tip? Think twice about coming to sunny Los Angeles, where there was nothing but fun, food, and pretty girls?

"Surely not..." she said, half laughing, half being serious. "But maybe I should go see if he's okay."

She turned around and hurried back towards the hotel lobby entrance, as Herbert yelled,

"Don't forget our dinner date with Aunt Sharon! I know how long it takes for you to get ready!" And with that he sat himself on a bench, pulled his fedora over his eyes and began to take a nap.

                                                         ***

Dot knocked softly on Room 312.

"Tip?"

She turned the handle and stuck her head through the crack and into the dark room. The shades were drawn, blocking all the bright sunlight outside, and just as Herbert had said, Tip's suitcases lay on the bed, unopened.

She took a step in, and was surprised to see Tip laying on the bed, still in his brown suit and hat.

"Tip!" she cried, rushing forward, her heart thumping wildly.

To be continued!