Dying for a Dance Read Online Free

me, this was not an accident.” I pointed to the broken heel in the evidence bag. “Someone crammed that heel into the victim's mouth.”
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    FOUR
    * * * *
    Tom smothered an expletive and glared at me. “Laurel, what have you gotten yourself into now? Back up and tell me everything.”
    “I was planning on it,” I said, miffed, “But you didn't give me a...”
    “Every. Last. Thing.”
    Fine. I shared every frustrating detail of my dance lesson, including crashing into the dance pros, and the disappearance of my shoe heel that magically reappeared in Dimitri's mouth. What I did not share was how devastated I was when the man facing me disappeared out of my life without a word.
    I had reached the point where I'd discovered Dimitri's body in the parking lot when the door to the office slammed into the wall. Deputy Montana fell through the doorway, almost crashing into my chair. I half expected to see a bevy of female dancers in hot pursuit.
    Tom frowned. “What's the problem, Montana?”
    “The woman. The wife. Baby.”
    The wrinkles between Tom's brows formed parallel lines. He looked at me in confusion.
    “Irina, the victim's wife is pregnant,” I clarified.
    “Now. She's pregnant now,” the deputy yelled. “I mean, she's having the baby now. Her water broke.”
    We jumped out of our chairs and reached the door at the same time. Tom politely gestured for me to go first, but once we reached the hallway, the two men in their rubber-soled shoes moved a lot faster than I could in my heels.
    Irina's screeches of fury when she discovered her dead husband had been horrible. Her cries during labor were worse, resembling the hideous keening of some of the female singers tossed off American Idol during early tryouts. She reclined on the sofa in the reception area, her left palm pressed against her belly, her forehead covered with crystalline dots of perspiration.
    Samantha leaned over the pregnant woman. The student grimaced but she let Irina squeeze her fingers as a powerful new contraction began. Nanette stood next to Samantha, scrutinizing her watch.
    Waaaaagh! The high C emitted by Irina caused the mirrors on the walls to rattle.
    “Less than a minute between contractions,” Nanette announced. Her gray bun bobbed up and down with every word. “I think this critter's ready to pop.”
    Tom turned to Montana. “Where are the EMTs?”
    The deputy looked panicked. He motioned to Tom and they withdrew from the group surrounding the widow. I didn't see any reason not to join them so I did.
    “The ambulance just left,” Montana said.
    “Why didn't you have them turn around?”
    The deputy's face reddened. “Because her husband is in the back. Of the ambulance. Sir.”
    Okay, now that's awkward.
    Waaaaaaaaaaaagh! Irina increased her shrieks by a few decibels. I glanced at my own Timex watch. About thirty seconds since the last contraction. If memory from my own two labors served me correctly, Nanette was absolutely right. The baby was on his or her way.
    Tom got on his cell, calling for another ambulance. He sent Montana back to interview the seven instructors who were huddled on the opposite side of the studio, waiting to be questioned. They were surprisingly quiet for a change. I eyed the svelte female dancers doubting any of them had ever given birth.
    Although I might be jealous of their gorgeous bodies. I was still trying to lose the weight I had gained with my last pregnancy.
    Seven years ago.
    The doors to the studio flew open. The sight of a pair of El Dorado county emergency technicians pushing a gurney brought a collective sigh of relief from everyone in the studio, except Irina.
    “No!” She pushed the first EMT away when he bent over her. The other, older paramedic leaned in to assist his partner.
    “Go away.” She kicked at him, barely missing his chin.
    “Hey.” He jumped back a few feet for self-protection. Nice to know ballroom training would come in handy if I ever