Dance Till You Die

  “Protect you from what?” Nancy pressed.

  “Charity knows I’ve been having problems with immigration, and she doesn’t want me to be deported back to Angola,” Gaetan said. “Etienne and I both put some money into a plan to open a club, and I went to the Edge last night to see if I could get some of it back. We had words, then I left.”

  Charity appeared at Gaetan’s elbow. “Gaetan? What’s going on?” she asked, looking from Gaetan to Nancy.

  “Etienne is dead,” Gaetan said softly. “Murdered.” Charity squeezed her eyes shut. Gaetan held out his arms and she went to him, letting herself be enveloped in his embrace. They held each other for a long moment. Nancy could see that they were very much in love.

  “How could anyone kill Etienne? Who did it?” Charity’s voice was muffled against Gaetan’s shoulder.

  “Gaetan,” Nancy asked. “Do you have any idea who could have murdered Etienne? Did he have any problems or enemies?”

  Gaetan shook his head. “I only recall that he had worries about this job. I think the Razor’s Edge was having financial problems. But then, Etienne’s life was filled with money problems,” Gaetan said.

  “What kind of problems was the club having?” Nancy asked.

  Gaetan shrugged. “I think I remember him saying the club could go out of business if things didn’t turn around.”

  “I believe you, Gaetan, when you say that you didn’t kill Etienne,” Nancy said. “But the police might see things differently. It would probably be best if you turned yourself in.”

  Gaetan shook his head desperately. “I can’t do that. At the very least they’ll deport me, and then I’ll never see Charity again.”

  Nancy glanced over at Charity. “We saw your father tonight, Charity,” she said.

  “My—my father?” Charity stammered. “How was he?”

  “Worried,” Nancy said flatly. “He said he wants you to come home.”

  Charity buried her face in Gaetan’s shoulder. “I can never go back without Gaetan,” she said.

  Nancy decided not to argue with her. She pulled a piece of paper and a pencil from her bag and wrote something on it. “Here’s my father’s name and office number,” she said, handing the paper to Gaetan. “He’s a very good lawyer. I think you’re going to need one.”

  “Thanks, Nancy,” Gaetan replied.

  Suddenly there was a commotion at the front door of the loft. A handful of heavily armed officers, led by Detective B. D. Hawkins, entered the room. Someone cut off the music, and a hush fell over the crowd.

  B.D. spotted Nancy and Gaetan right away. It was so quiet that they could hear his leather cowboy boots squeak as he strode across the room.

  “You’re under arrest, Gaetan,” he said softly. “Let’s go quietly, shall we?”

  Gaetan’s shoulders slumped forward. B.D. pulled a pair of handcuffs from his leather belt and snapped them around Gaetan’s wrists.

  “Gaetan, no!” Charity cried. Nancy watched the tears stream down her face.

  Nancy felt conflicted. She had been the one who had tracked down Gaetan and called the police, but now she thought he might be innocent of Etienne’s murder. But it was too late—Gaetan was being arrested!

  Chapter

  Eleven

  THANKS, NANCY,” B.D. said as the police led Gaetan away. “You really helped us land this suspect.”

  “Thanks, but I’m beginning to wonder if we got the right guy,” Nancy said. “I spoke with Gaetan, and I think he might be innocent.”

  “We’ll figure it out now that we have him in custody,” B.D. said. He studied Nancy’s stricken expression. “Don’t worry. You did the right thing in calling us. He was wanted by the police.” B.D. turned to leave. “I forgot to tell you, Nancy. The coroner’s report came in—Etienne had traces of ether in his system. So you were right about the kidnapping and the murder being connected.” He left after promising to call her the next day to report the results of Gaetan’s interrogation.

  George appeared at the front door. “I saw them take Gaetan away,” she said. “Charity was following them. So I guess that settles the case, huh?”

  The arrival of the police had broken up the party. There were a few people still standing around, but most were hurrying out the door. Nancy turned to leave. “I’m not so sure, George. Gaetan is the obvious suspect, but I can’t see him as a murderer—or as a kidnapper.”

  Nancy’s thoughts were racing as she and George returned to the car. If, as she suspected, Gaetan wasn’t responsible for the kidnapping or Etienne’s murder, she was back to square one.

  “I want to check over all the evidence from a fresh perspective,” Nancy said. “I think we’re dealing with a very clever criminal—someone who’s able to cover his tracks very well.”

  “What do you have in mind?” George asked.

  “I want to investigate Tom Kragen again. I can’t forget the fact that he has been following Bess around, pestering her for dates and taking pictures. And he has access to chemicals such as ether, which was used in both the kidnapping and the murder.”

  They drove on for about fifteen minutes. As they neared the residential section of River Heights, Nancy kept glancing into the rearview mirror. “What are you looking at, Nancy?” George asked curiously.

  “That car with the broken headlight has been behind us ever since we left the warehouse,” Nancy said. “I’m going to try something. Hold on, George.”

  Making sure the two-lane highway was clear in both directions, Nancy suddenly twisted the Mustang’s steering wheel with a violent motion. The car barely slowed as it performed a nimble U-turn in the middle of the road.

  The car that had been behind Nancy and George came to a confused halt as the Mustang spun around and passed it going the other way. Nancy caught a glimpse of the startled driver. She recognized the bearded, hulking man at once.

  “That’s Lucas, the doorman at the Razor’s Edge,” Nancy exclaimed. She was extremely surprised. “I think he’s been following us!”

  Nancy peeled away, leaving the other car far behind.

  George peered out the rear window as they pulled away. “I wonder why the doorman would follow us?” she asked in a bewildered tone.

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Nancy replied, really puzzled. “I’m trying to figure out what possible connection he could have to Etienne, or Bess’s kidnapping.”

  “Well, he and Etienne worked together,” George began.

  “Yes, and . . .” Nancy paused, then snapped her fingers. “Now I remember that one of the dancers said she might have seen a doorman around Bess right before the abduction.” Nancy’s voice was growing increasingly excited. “And Lucas wasn’t there when the police first came to investigate the abduction. Remember? There was another doorman on duty. I didn’t put the two things together at the time.” She glanced at her watch. It was very late. “It’s too late to do anything else tonight, but I want to pay him a visit tomorrow, and maybe ask Lonnie a few questions about him, too.”

  “He’s so creepy.” George shuddered. “I wouldn’t want to tangle with him.”

  Nancy took a different route back to George’s house. They made plans to meet in the morning to continue the investigation.

  Walking up the steps to her front door, Nancy realized that she was extremely tired. She and George had been pursuing the investigation practically nonstop since the day before.

  As Nancy entered the foyer of her home, she spotted light coming from under the door of her father’s study. That meant he must still be up. She tapped lightly on the door.

  “Nancy?” She heard her father’s deep, reassuring voice. “Come on in.”

  Nancy stepped into the study. Carson Drew was sitting in a leather wing chair, reading a book. His wavy dark hair was flecked with silver at the temples, and he was wearing his favorite ivory-colored cardigan. Carson set the book aside and smiled at his daughter.

  “Were you waiting up for me, Dad?” Nancy greeted her father with an
affectionate hug.

  Carson shrugged sheepishly. “I wanted to hear how your investigation is going.”

  Nancy filled her father in on the recent developments, including Etienne’s murder. When she described her meeting with Gaetan, Carson’s expression grew concerned. “This Gaetan could be a murderer, Nancy,” he pointed out. “I hate to see you taking those kinds of risks.”

  “I think he’s innocent, Dad,” Nancy insisted. “I gave him your name and number to contact as a lawyer.”

  Carson sighed. “Of course I’ll talk to him, and help in any way I can,” he said. “Just promise me you won’t take any unnecessary risks from now on.

  “Of course.” Nancy gave her father a swift kiss on the cheek and said good night. She went upstairs and fell onto her bed without bothering to change into her nightclothes. She quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  • • •

  The next day was bright and cold. Traces of frost etched delicate, lacy patterns across the Drews’ kitchen windows.

  As soon as she was out of bed, Nancy downed a mug of steaming hot chocolate and some granola. She hurried through breakfast, eager to continue her investigation into Bess’s abduction and Etienne’s murder.

  Because the Razor’s Edge wouldn’t be open at this hour, Nancy decided to visit Tom Kragen. She put in a call to the Kragen quarry and asked for Tom.

  “I’m sorry, Tom isn’t in,” the woman replied.

  Nancy thought fast. She had to find out where he was. “Oh, that’s too bad, because he wanted me to deliver these papers—he said they were extremely urgent,” she lied.

  “I don’t think he was planning to come in today,” the receptionist said, hesitating. “Maybe you could take them to him at the DoubleTree riding stable—he’s taking his lesson there.”

  Nancy thanked the woman and hung up. She felt a surge of excitement. It had been a snap finding out where he was! Now she’d have a chance to confront him with a few questions.

  She could feel the leaves crunch under her feet as she walked outside, heading for her car. Nancy knew where the stables were, and she drove directly there. Finally pulling into a driveway along a winding country lane, Nancy spotted Tom right away. He was doing a cool-down walk on a spotted bay horse in the center ring. He was alone.

  Nancy parked her car and approached the ring where Tom was riding. She leaned against the corral fence and waited to catch Tom’s attention.

  It didn’t take long. Tom’s head swiveled around as he spotted Nancy. He turned the horse’s head and trotted over to where she was standing.

  “You again.” Tom’s voice was uncharacteristically curt. “What do you want? Didn’t you get your fill of trouble at the quarry yesterday?”

  Nancy became suspicious at his rude tone. “I just wanted to thank you for giving me those pictures of the party at the Razor’s Edge,” she said. “The police are using one of them in their investigation.”

  “Yeah, it was a tough break, that DJ getting killed,” Tom said.

  Nancy locked her gaze on his. “How did you know I was talking about the murder and not Bess’s kidnapping? The murder hasn’t been publicized yet.”

  Tom was taken aback. He fumbled with the horse’s reins. “I—I heard about it this morning, from a friend,” he stammered unconvincingly. Then his scowl returned. “I don’t owe you any explanations. Stop following me around, before you have another accident.”

  “You mean, stop following you like you’ve been following Bess?” Nancy pressed. Tom jerked his horse’s head around and took off across the ring.

  Nancy backed away and returned to her car. She’d shaken Tom up, at least. It even sounded as if he’d given her a veiled threat when he talked about her having another “accident.” If he was hiding anything about the kidnapping or Etienne’s murder, maybe this confrontation would provoke him into tipping his hand.

  After stopping to pick up George, Nancy drove directly to Bess’s house. She immediately noticed that the police patrol car was missing from the Marvins’ driveway. “I wonder why the police left,” Nancy said to George.

  Inside the house Bess was busy at work sewing a costume for that night’s Halloween party at the Razor’s Edge. “Hi, you guys,” she greeted them. “How do you like this fifties carhop idea for a Halloween costume? It’ll be such a hoot to zoom around on roller skates all night.”

  “That looks great, Bess,” Nancy said distractedly. “What happened to your police protection? Why isn’t the officer outside anymore?”

  “With that guy, Gaetan, in jail, I guess the police think the crisis is over.” Bess snapped off some thread with her teeth. “They still haven’t figured out why Etienne was in on the kidnapping, though.”

  So the police really honed in on Gaetan as a suspect, Nancy realized with a sinking sensation. She’d have to put in a call to her father’s office to find out whether Gaetan had contacted him.

  “I need to use your phone, Bess,” Nancy said.

  Carson Drew’s secretary put her call through right away. “Gaetan called me from jail about fifteen minutes ago,” he told Nancy. “I’m on my way to the station to interview him.”

  Nancy hung up the phone, feeling that she’d done as much as she could for Gaetan at the moment. She turned around to talk with George and Bess, describing to Bess how the doorman had followed them the night before.

  “Lucas followed you home last night?” Bess asked in disbelief.

  Nancy nodded. She told Bess how they’d lost him by pulling the daring U-turn. “Do you know Lucas at all?” she asked her friend. “Tell me what he’s like.”

  Bess shrugged. “Lucas is such a weird dude,” she said. “He never really talks to anyone but Lonnie. I barely saw him except for that time when I stumbled into the room where they were fixing the water tank. He looked kind of scary.” Bess continued working on her costume. “What are you going to wear to the Halloween party tonight, Nan?” she asked.

  Nancy considered the possibilities. “I guess I could wear my ninja outfit from a couple of years ago.”

  “Oh, that was a great costume,” Bess said enthusiastically. “I remember you looked really cool in that.”

  “And with that black mask, no one was able to tell it was you!” George chimed in.

  Nancy paused thoughtfully. “I hate to ask you this after all the work you’ve done, Bess, but would you mind skipping the Halloween party tonight?”

  Bess acted shocked. “Why? Do you think I’m still in danger?” she asked.

  “I’m not convinced that Gaetan was the person behind your kidnapping or Etienne’s murder,” Nancy explained. “Until we’re positive, I think it would be best for you to remain in hiding.”

  “No way!” Bess’s blond curls bobbed as she shook her head. “I’m going stir crazy, cooped up in this house.”

  Nancy sighed. “At least play it safe by wearing a costume that conceals your identity. You can trade costumes with me.”

  Bess looked down at her handiwork. “All right,” she said reluctantly. “I was hoping to wow them with my skating moves, though.”

  “My mom made me a really cool Western costume,” George said. “Complete with blue jeans and a lasso.”

  “A lasso could definitely come in handy if we spot any cute guys,” Bess said mischievously.

  Nancy glanced at her watch. “Let’s head for the club, George,” she said. “I want to be there as soon as Lonnie and Lucas arrive.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Bess said, starting to rise.

  Nancy shook her head no. “Please indulge me by laying low for the rest of the day,” she urged.

  “Okay, Nan.” Bess grinned. “But all of a sudden I feel like I’ve got two mother hens watching over me!”

  • • •

  After leaving Bess’s house, Nancy and George headed to the Razor’s Edge. They found Lonnie Cavello working at the sound booth. He greeted Nancy and George with a somber expression. “The police told me about Etienne’s death. Such a trag
edy—he was a gifted sound man.” He shook his head. “And to think it was a murder. At least they have a suspect in custody. That Gaetan Orakuma and his wild girlfriend are two of a kind.”

  Nancy decided to get right to the point. “Do you know where your doorman Lucas is? I need to talk with him.”

  Lonnie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Lucas? He’s got the day off. Why?”

  “He was following me and my friend George last night.”

  “Maybe it was just a coincidence.” Lonnie’s brow knitted together in a frown. “Or maybe he was on some misguided mission to help sort out what’s happened over the past few days.” The club owner threw up his hands. “In any case, I’ll have a talk with him.”

  “Did you have an electrician check the wiring, yet, Lonnie?” Nancy asked him. “We still don’t know what caused the power to go out when Bess was abducted.”

  “I’ve been so busy, I forgot,” Lonnie said, abashed. “I’ll call someone today, if there’s time.”

  Nancy decided to follow up on Gaetan’s comments about Etienne’s financial worries. “Gaetan said that Etienne was worried about his job here—that the club was in financial trouble,” she said. “Is that true?”

  “Not at all,” Lonnie scoffed. “Those underground parties are giving us some competition, and we’ve had some unusual expenses because of plumbing and wiring problems, but the business is rock solid.”

  “I recall Bess saying you had a problem with a water tank right before she was abducted.”

  “There was a problem with the valve,” Lonnie explained. “But it’s all fixed now.”

  “We’ll be on our way and let you get back to work, Lonnie,” Nancy said.

  “You girls coming to the Halloween bash tonight?” he asked. They nodded. “Bess isn’t coming back to work yet, I understand.”

  George started to reply, but Nancy cut her off. “She’s been feeling a little under the weather since her ordeal, so she’s not coming,” she fibbed.

  “That’s too bad,” Lonnie said. “See you two later, anyway.”

  • • •

  “Why did you lie about Bess’s not coming tonight?” George asked as they headed back to the car, which was parked along the street.