Footprints of a Dancer (Detective Elliot Mystery) Read Online Free Page A

two-by-four instead of your fists?”
    “That’s a cheap shot, Carmen, and you know it.”
    “Is it? You were about to cause a scene in there with the people we are supposed to be apologizing to.”
    “I don’t think we owe them one.”
    “How can you say that, after what Wayne did to their child?”
    “Considering no one has told me exactly what happened, I don’t know what to think. In addition, I don’t know what the other kid might have done, what his part in all of this was.”
    “It doesn’t matter. Wayne should keep his behavior in check. I prayed he would not turn out like his father, always angry and provoked so easily. But my prayers go unanswered. He is just like you.”
    Elliot looked away. It hurt to hear Carmen talk that way, and he was inclined to leave it there and walk away, but instead he held his ground. “You don’t remember me as well as you think. I wasn’t angry, not really. And I was never easily provoked. Admittedly, it takes a while to calm down when I do get angry, but it takes quite a bit to get me there.”
    “Oh really? I guess it wasn’t you in the school just now, scaring the wits from poor Mr. Masterson.”
    “Poor Mr. Masterson was out of line. And he was never in any danger. I was just trying to scare him. I know his type, plenty of money and a lot of influence, especially in a small town like this. It hasn’t been that long since you and I went to school here, and I doubt things have changed much. If I hadn’t stopped Masterson, he might have influenced Gaither to expel Wayne.”
    “And what do you think he will do now? You probably made things worse.”
    Elliot shook his head, trying not to smile. “He won’t do anything.”
    Carmen looked away and the wind caught her hair, blowing it back and revealing the clean lines of her profile.
    The moment caught Elliot with such power that he had to turn away. He wished they were married, raising Wayne together, and this was just one of those arguments couples have.
    “This was a mistake,” Carmen said. “I should not have asked you to come.”
    Elliot took a step toward Carmen, but stopped short of putting his hand on her shoulder. “I hope you don’t mean that. I want to be part of Wayne’s life.” And a part of yours, he thought, but as with the touch, he stopped himself. “It means a lot to me.”
    She turned back, though she avoided direct eye contact.
    Elliot smiled. Carmen had always been shy, not afraid to look at people, but rather, like with all beautiful women, she had learned to be careful with the amount of attention she gave men, especially with her eyes.
    “I’m happy to hear that,” she said. “But the trouble we have had in our lives, it all seems to...”
    “Center around my propensity for violence?”
    “That might be putting it too harshly.”
    Elliot smiled. “I know it’s hard to tell, especially after what just happened, but I’m not like I used to be. I think about it all the time. And I was never as bad as everyone thought. You of all people should know that.”
    Carmen trembled and reached out, the first to break the no-touch barrier, and put her hand on Elliot’s chest, though it was modest and quickly removed. “You’re not bad. And I didn’t mean to give you that impression.” She shook her head. “I should be going.”
    Carmen unlocked her car and climbed in. Before leaving the parking lot, though, she rolled down the window and this time allowed her direct and lingering gaze to find Elliot’s. “Maybe you could call me tomorrow and we can talk more about this.”
    Elliot smiled.
     

Chapter Six
    Later that night after his meeting at the school with Carmen, Elliot sat in a recliner in the living room of his home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, sipping coffee and trying to decide if he should continue looking for Gerald, or simply wait for his old friend to contact him again. However, each time he leaned in the direction of the latter, a gut feeling pushed him away from