Death of a Chorus Girl (The Delacroix Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

presses.
    “Because it was his partner.  Beauregard, I think was his name.”  Tom moves to take the phone from me, but I scurry out of reach.  “Before you go calling your lawyer again, other than comments I know I’ve heard before from a particular producer friend I have, he was harmless.”
    I expect some of the tension to dissipate.  Instead, Tom takes another step towards me, befuddlement in his eyes.  “How come you called the one by his first name and the other by his last?
    What is Tom talking about?  I referred to Richard as … Richard.  Crap! That isn’t going to be easy to explain away.  So I don’t.  “Tom, it’s been a long day, and I’m tired, so I’m leaving.  But if I find out you called your lawyer on either of those detectives, all of our relationships will be over.  Is that clear?”
    “Em.  Don’t you think me hitting on you is quite different than a detective you just met?”  Interesting tactic twist.  I wasn’t expecting whiny.
    “I suppose it would be if you want to forget I’d only know you for maybe five seconds before you started hitting on me, along with all the other girls I was standing with.”  Tom isn’t actually as bad as Beauregard is.  I hope that the kiss I leave on his cheek will smooth things over between us.  “Get some rest, Tom.  It’s been a trying day for you too.  You can handle all the investors beginning tomorrow.”
    He ensnares my elbow and gives it a light squeeze.  “Thanks, Em.  No hard feelings?  I’m just trying to look out for my best girl.”
    That makes me laugh.  “No hard feelings.  Call me later this week and we’ll do lunch to rework the schedule, okay?”  He agrees and offers to call his car to drive me home.  Normally, I don’t allow him, but this time I accept his gesture.
    The afternoon hours pass and by evening I’m in my living room drinking a glass of wine with Sabene.  Sabene Williams is my best friend and the minute she got off work she drove over to see if I needed anything.  She’s an EMT and heard about the death on her scanner.  Short and sassy, she has no problem getting and holding the attention of the opposite sex.  Just under five feet, she has long, and I mean long, jet black, silky hair.  There is a constant mysterious twinkle in her almond-shaped, green eyes, as if she is sitting on a secret you will never uncover.  I wouldn’t say she’s slim, but she’s definitely fit.  Where my musculature stems from constant fluid movement, hers comes from running and lifting heavy equipment.
    “So tell me more about the detective,” she slyly inquires.  We just finished discussing the morbid particulars of Annie’s death.  I didn’t think there was much to discuss.  The poor girl was choked to death only to then be crushed by a lighting rig, but Sabene had all kinds of medical questions.  How much blood was there?  What position was the body in?  Did I smell copper?  All things I’m more than happy not to pay close attention too.
    “Why do you ask?” I hedge.  “There’s not much to tell.  He took my statement at the precinct and asked me a couple of questions, nothing more.”  I choose that moment to get up and put the dishes away.  Any time I mention a guy Sabene is all over me, wanting every detail of how they look and if I am attracted to them.  I designate my dating life as casual.  Years have passed since my last serious relationship, and that one didn’t last long.  In truth, I really just don’t have the time for it.  I’ve always been too focused on building my career, still am.  Months turned into years and girls’ night became more and more blind dates and surprise fix ups.  If Sabene even gets a whiff that I am even remotely attracted to Richard, she will be relentless in her pursuits to get me to ask him out.  And if that fails, she will go through her own personal channels to get him to ask me out.  Some weird six degrees of separation ties that