The Cutting Room Floor, by Eric Beetner

"The Cutting Room Floor," by Eric Beetner, in Hollywood Kills, edited by Adam Meyer and Alan Orloff, Level Short, 2005.

This is the third appearance in my blog by Eric Beetner. There are lots of crime stories about Hollywood but this book has a clever gimmick: each story is written by someone who has done the same work in The Industry as their protagonist. For example, Beetner has been nominated eight times for Emmys for editing.

Scott is editing episodes of a reality show.  Its success has been based on one of the contestants: Violet.

She was blunt, rude, short-tempered. She "didn't come here to make friends." She was "a bad bitch and I know it, honey." She was ratings gold. 

But all bad things come to an end and she was getting kicked off the show. Who would have guessed that she wouldn't take the news well? 

Violet finds Scott in his editing room and demands to know why he is making let look like a bitch.  The obvious answer is not going to make her happy. Did I mention that she has a razor and she's not afraid to use it? And that they are locked in the little room together?

Nice use of suspense and a real Hollywood feel, speaking of reality shows.