by Norma Lehr
While all the veteran dancers had the means and opportunity to commit these murders, she couldn’t see any of them killing. But who else would choose this reunion as an opportunity to get even for some slight, imagined or real? She knew she was out of her league. Since when had she started thinking she had the investigative chops to outdo the police?
While Abby sat sorting out her thoughts, she saw Blythe cutting by the front desk and heading for the tower elevators. Blythe was the quiet one. Blythe and Melanie had been roommates in New York for a time. Blythe had always deferred to Melanie, and she had defended her when Gail hassled Melanie for the money she was owed.
Abby had always assumed Melanie liked Blythe, yet here Melanie had studiously ignored her. Blythe hadn’t seemed to mind; she might even have been grateful. If for some reason she had needed Melanie in the past, she certainly didn’t need her now. The years living in California had given her the air of self-confidence she lacked when she was young. Abby recalled the picture of Blythe’s beautiful daughter, LaToma, next to the bed in her hotel room. Yes, Blythe had done well.
Abby settled back in her seat and crossed her legs. Yet, when she thought back on their little talk yesterday, Abby had detected a certain bitterness. Blythe had referred to Melanie as ‘smug.’ Said she’d made enemies by her actions. Called her totally self-absorbed. What was that all about?
Renee raced up, out of breath. “There you are,” she gasped. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” She showed Abby her cell phone. “I just spoke with my mom. She had something important to say about Melanie.”
Chapter 16
“I told you my mother was into the lottery.” Renee turned off her cell phone and tapped it thoughtfully. “You can’t believe all the clippings she keeps in a big plastic container under her bed.
“She came up with a tabloid interview where Melanie talked about her back problems and described in detail what she used to relieve her pain. It sounded almost like a commercial.”
Abby jumped in, “Fromer should be delighted with that bit of news. That means that whoever read that interview would know about the roll-on DMSO. It certainly increases the number of possible suspects.”
Abby checked her wrist, only to find out she had forgotten to wear her watch. “What time is it? We need to rest before tonight’s performance. I’ve got a hundred things to do before we open. How’s your foot?”
Renee made a face. “Sore. But I’ll make it.”
A life-size cardboard cutout of the Toppettes, fashioned from their recent photo shoot, was prominently displayed at the lobby entrance. The music piped in from the casino area ceased abruptly in the middle of Frank’s “I Did It My Way” to announce the opening performance of the Toppettes tonight in the Celebrity Room. Abby shot Renee a frantic look. They scurried out the Circle Bar door, down the metal steps, and on past the pool area to their chalet.
Even though they were down to only four dancers, the dressing room backstage was crowded, with sections of costumes dangling from every available hook and hanger. “Why Jan needs her own private dressing room, I’ll never know.” Gail spread her makeup out before the mirror. “She’s not performing, and we’re packed in here like sardines.”
“She’s nervous and needs her space,” said Blythe. “I gave her a packet of my Quiet Now tea. Hopefully she’ll sip it while she frets.”
“Frets?” Renee said. “What about?”
Blythe unwound a plastic curler the size of a beer can from the top of her head. “She’s the one responsible if this show doesn’t go. Remember, she needs to pay for the costumes, and who knows who she’s accountable to.”
Gail waved her hand. “Why do you always defend her? Take a peek out front. The room is sold out. What more does she need? I don’t agree about her nerves. She’s one cool chick. She just chooses not to be in here with us for some obscure reason.”
“Maybe because we’re all a little testy over the killings,” Abby said. “You think? Or that note. Even the coolest customer would be worried about that.”
“How about grouchy,” Renee added.
“Speak for yourself.” Gail gave Blythe a pointed look. “I’m never moody, like some dancers I know.”
Blythe offered her a small smile. “I’ve never fought to be center stage like some divas. Not mentioning any names.”
“Then again,” Abby buckled her silver shoe, “did it ever dawn on any of you that she might think one of us is the killer and wants to stay clear?”
A shocked silence fell over the dressing room before everyone began objecting at once to Abby’s theory. The protests changed to nervous laughter as each dancer leaned into her lighted mirror and concentrated on putting finishing touches to her heavy blue eye makeup.
A rap on the door and Tom, aka T.J. Barry the emcee, peeked in. “Everyone decent?” Wearing an expensive tux, he adjusted his black tie while he eyed the four sets of long legs seated at the dressing tables.
Renee jumped up, adjusting the points on her black sequined tails. “Out! Now! She tried to close the door in his face, but he kept his foot firmly planted against the doorjamb. She opened the door and slammed it.
“Ow!” he hollered. “Cool it, babe. I was sent here to remind you that you’ve got five minutes till show time.”
“Yeah, well you did. So ‘hasta la vista, baby’.”
Tom pushed open the door and scowled. “You’ll regret this someday, babe. You’ll wish you’d been nicer to me.”
Abby joined her friend. “That sounded like a threat. Did that sound like a threat to you, Renee?”
He looked from one to the other, made a sour face, grunted, and left.
“Well, that was a bit off the wall,” said Gail. “What’s your problem, Renee?”
Renee went back to her mirror, picked up an eyebrow liner, and pointed it at Gail. “Don’t pretend you don’t know who Barry is. Or maybe you can tell us, Blythe. One of you made a little visit to his hotel room at Harveys and left his flyer with a personal note in my glove box.”
Gail turned on Blythe. “So that’s where you went off to when you left me stranded for an hour.”
Blythe’s eyes widened. “You mean you left me. You’re the addicted gambler here. I searched through four casinos trying to find you before I went back to the car and waited. Now it appears you weren’t gambling at all.” She gave a huff and powdered her nose.
The door swung open, and Jan walked in. “Okay, gang, let’s line up.” She gave them a onceover and held up her hands. “Perfect! You all look fantastic. These black and silver costumes really do it. Get out there, dazzle them, and keep those kicks sharp!”
From the wings, Abby peeked through a crack in the burgundy velvet curtains at the packed room filled with couples drinking and laughing at the emcee’s jokes. She had to give old Tom credit. He knew how to please a crowd. A real pro act, especially after the announcement he had to make that there would be only four former Toppettes performing on this stage. He omitted the gory details, but everyone seated in the audience obviously knew of the evil doings at the Cal Neva.
She scanned the darkened room searching for Blade. Her stomach clutched. Nerves, hunger, or disappointment that he hadn’t made it? Could be all three. She drew a deep breath, shook out her hands, and did leg and foot-flexes to warm up.
Tom, animated and flashing his stage smile, made a sweeping gesture toward the wings where the dancers waited to go on. He introduced each of them by name as the music from “Cabaret” started up for their first number. The audience clapped enthusiastically, and a few males whistled in anticipation. Tom strutted offstage and rudely pushed through the dancers, the phony smile wiped from his face. “Break a leg,” he growled at Renee.
The music swelled, and the four dancers tapped lightly toward center stage, smiling as they formed a line behind the footlights. In spite of their differences and squabbles from the past, Abby could feel the energy of the sisterhood rise again as they began their complicated tap routine, creating the
ir own style of magic. The music segued smoothly from “Cabaret” into “All That Jazz,” and Abby, following Blythe in a wide circle, flawlessly tapped along with the others, using the same precision they learned years ago. Even Renee, with her sore foot, never faltered or missed a step. The audience clapped in appreciation.
Even though we are only four, they still consider us treasures of the dance world!
Jan stood in the wings and cheered them on. The music stopped, and the dancers whipped past her for a costume change. She followed them into the dressing room and helped with Velcro closures and zippers. Abby’s face glistened with perspiration as she sucked on ice chips and helped Renee slip her arms into black and red sequined tails for the next round of “Top Hat” and “Puttin’ On The Ritz.” On the way back to the wings, they swept past Jan, handing out black canes and matching red hats.
Waiting with the others for their cue to go on, Abby had to give Tom kudos as she listened to his flawless timing; he certainly knew how to keep the audience in stitches. No wonder he’d received the glowing review at Harveys. When he burst into his rendition of “Dream Lover,” Abby cringed. His singing was flat and off key. He might have smooth styling, but he was no Bobby Darin.
On stage again, she couldn’t be certain, but she thought she spotted Fromer cut across the back of the room and stand behind two couples in a booth. Relieved to see him on the job, she scanned the other booths and tables. She still hadn’t spotted Blade.
The next number was a rousing success, and the dancers exchanged smiles as they moved off stage. After another quick change into gold hats, sleeveless gold vests, and black bow ties, Abby and Renee hurriedly followed Blythe and Gail to wait behind the backstage curtain for the finale. Blythe took off her hat, frowned, and brushed it off. She looked up to the ceiling at the dangling ropes and dark metal girders. “Where’s all this dust coming from? Check out these black curtains. They’re covered with gray particles.”
Renee agreed. “Yeah. I had to brush hard to get that gunk off my shoulders.”
“Shush,” Gail said in a hoarse whisper. “Forget it! We’re on in a minute.”
“One,” from the musical, A Chorus Line, began slowly, then changed to up-tempo as the back curtains parted wide enough for Tom to step out in his tux, wearing a black top hat. He tipped his hat to the audience, crooked his arms, and waited for Blythe and Gail to latch on. He gave a welcoming smile to each woman in turn before strutting out on stage and parading them back and forth.
The audience seemed dazzled by their gold costumes and smooth moves. Without missing a beat, Tom ushered both dancers to center stage. Blythe and Gail placed one hand on a jutted hip, raised the other, and with fingertips barely touching the rim of their gold hats, angled a leg and pointed a toe, holding the Bob Fosse statuesque pose while Tom returned for Abby and Renee.
Renee gently poked Abby in the arm and smothered a laugh at the sight of Tom’s dramatic knee-high strut. Abby frowned and put a silencing finger to her lips. She counted to three, signaled to Renee, and they both stepped out from behind the curtain. Greeted by another round of applause, they latched onto Tom. After one more stroll around the stage, Tom escorted them to their designated spots, one at each end of the line. He removed his top hat and, bowing low to the audience, backed off the stage to the left.
Abby felt a rush of exhilaration as she tapped through the piece from A Chorus Line with all the enthusiasm of years gone past. Neither she nor the other dancers missed a step; they and the audience seemed equally energized by the music. When the dancers reached the finale, Abby lined up once more with the others, and the audience clapped and roared. The spotlight picked up the flash and sparkle from their costumes as they stretched and locked arms from behind. Dum dum dum dum. Four beats and they began their head-high kicks, moving their line forward to the edge of the stage, creating the illusion of being one. The crowd went wild. From the corner of her eye, Renee glanced at Abby, and their stage smiles turned into the real thing. Nothing had really changed over the years. They were still hot stuff!
The stage lights lowered, and the heavy velvet curtains drew slowly together. The audience cheered for more. Jan had just moved toward the back and motioned to a stagehand to reopen the curtains for the dancers to take another bow when a crash, followed by a scream, shook the stage.
“Don’t open those curtains,” Fromer’s voice boomed from the wings as footsteps thumped around the dancers. Within seconds, security guards rushed them off.
Abby held onto a shivering Renee and clutched her hand. “Good lord, what happened?”
Hands still clasped, they were ushered into the dressing room. Deputy Eckles shoved the guards aside and commanded the women to stay put. Seconds before he slammed the door behind them, Abby turned to see Detective Fromer and Eckles’ tall partner shielding Jan, who was slumped against the wall.
Voices buzzed as the dancers quickly shed their costumes. Had anyone seen anything? Was Jan hurt? What was going on? A grim silence fell over the room while they waited.
Renee paced while the others sat. “I can’t say I’m surprised, after that note Jan got.”
“What note?” Blythe and Gail said in unison.
“Tell them, Abby,” Renee said. “I’m too shaken to make any sense.”
Abby explained about the paper pinned to Jan’s dressing room wall, warning her that she could be aced.
Gail jumped up. “Aced! You know what that means. Someone tried to kill her out there.”
Blythe wrung her hands. “That crash. What caused it? Where did it come from?”
Abby mused out loud. “Something heavy must have fallen from the ceiling.”
Gail snickered. “Or was sent crashing down on purpose. Why didn’t Jan just cancel this show? Is she crazy? Who really knows who the target was.” She glanced about, fear in her eyes. “Could have been any one of us.”
Abby nodded. “You’re right, but it was Jan who got the warning.”
Silence again as the dancers began gathering up their things. Renee kept pacing.
“Will you please sit?” Gail gulped down ice water. “You’re making me nuts.”
A rap at the door, and heads turned. Visibly shaken, Jan entered with Fromer. “Everything’s cool now.” There was a slight quiver in her voice. “A sound boom fell from the ceiling. It missed me, but it was a close call.” She brushed away a shimmery gold costume and sank down on a stool.
All eyes were on Fromer. “Too close,” he said. “We’re checking it out. I assume none of you saw anything suspicious?” Four heads bobbed in unison. “Okay. You can leave now, but like I’ve told you before, take care and try not to find yourselves alone.” He turned and left the door open.
One by one, the women gathered up their things and peered cautiously out the door before exiting. Abby and Renee were the last to leave. Gail stuck her head back through the open door. “Are you still planning to go to Vince’s condo, Abby? Will we see you there?”
Abby nodded and tried to sound like her usual self. Difficult, but she managed. “I’ll be there.”
Renee’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to Incline after what’s happened here?”
“I told you why. I might hear some important piece of gossip, especially now that Gail and Blythe both know we found Tom’s flyer with his invitation. Both of them claimed not to have visited him that afternoon. They were pretty convincing, but I still wonder. Who else could have stuffed that flyer in your glove box?” If it was the one I’m betting on, I’ve got a pretty good idea why.”
“So tell me which one. Don’t always keep me in the dark.”
“I would, but I might be a hundred and eighty degrees off. I’ll tell you if I’m right when I get back.” Abby hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. “Okay if I borrow your car? If I drive over alone, I can leave early. If Blade calls the chalet, tell him where I’ve gone.”
“You want him to meet you there? Are you sure you should be going on your—”
Abby cut he
r off. “No, I’m not sure. But this is too good an opportunity to miss. And yeah, tell Blade meet me, if you run into him. I don’t think he was in the audience. Did you see him?”
“Nope. But I wasn’t really looking.”
“Be sure to tell him that Tom and the other dancers will be there.”
“Okay,” Renee said. She joined Abby at the door. “There are still a lot of guys poking around on stage. Let’s hurry and leave before they do.”
They quickly made their way out the side exit, across the front parking area, and down the side path to their chalet. After what had happened on stage, Abby had no desire to cut through the casino. By now, most of the crowd from the Celebrity Room had dispersed, some to the gaming tables. Abby’s adrenaline was wearing off, and she didn’t want to be hounded with questions she couldn’t answer. Getting to Vince’s condo and returning home as soon as possible was looking better and better. However, even if just one person dropped one little bit of useful information, it would be worth it.
Chapter 17
After calling the number on Vince’s card and getting directions to his condo, Abby dressed in her yellow silk pants with matching short-sleeved blouse and picked up a soft cashmere sweater in case the weather turned cool. She left Renee lying on her bed, cradling the phone as she shared their success and the near-miss with her son Josh.
The keys to Renee’s car in hand, Abby walked quickly along the path and through the darkened parking lot. As she unlocked the door, she looked over her shoulder. She felt better with her seat belt on, the doors locked, and the car’s motor purring at her. This vehicle had great pickup—the power of Blade’s classic, but much more punch.
She rolled down the window and fluffed her hair. If her business continued to do well, she could afford something like this car after the twins finished college. A hot ride would be a nice way to reward herself, once she got to the point where she could meet the monthly lease payments.