Debbie arrived with the three beers as he finished. They thanked her, and she nodded, moving on quickly. It was casual at Nicks, but the place was getting busy, and Debbie seemed to be working the patio area alone.
When she was gone, Quinn asked, You dont think her death was odd?
Odd? You should see my caseload. Its odd that a man shoots his own kid, his wife, and then himself. Its odd that out of the clear blue, a shot rings out in North Miami and a kid in all honors classes falls down dead. Hell, theres odd out there. You bet. But as far as this Trudeau thing goes, what the hell do you want? Theres nothing there. So its odd. So what? Everyone down here is frigging odd. And guess what? It aint illegal to be odd.
If I understand the situation, Quinn said evenly, there were lots of people out there who hated Lara Trudeau.
Pete Dixon stared at him, lifted his beer bottle and took a long swig. Maybe lots of people hate you, Quinn. Its America. Its allowed.
Im not dead, Quinn reminded him.
Yeah, well, hell, youre not in the position were in at the force, either. People hire you, pay you by the case, and youve got the luxury of lots of time to investigate odd and nasty things. My plate is full with stuff that definitely has murder written all over it. You feel free to spend your time chasing odd. I cant do it.
Hey, were all on the same side here, Jake reminded him. You know, fighting crime. Thats the idea.
Yeah, thats right, and our big man Quinn here comes straight from the FBI. How was it, then, Quinn? What the hell made you leave, anyway? Or did being with the Feds just make you think you could come back and be better than anyone else?
Quinn might not have expected a lot of help from Dixon, but he hadnt expected total animosity, either. He watched his fingers curl too tightly around his beer bottle, and he forced himself to control his temper.
Youre right, Pete. Youve got lots of cases. Right now, Ive just got one. If you do think of anything that can help me, Id appreciate it if youd let me know.
Maybe he should have spent a little more time with the Bureau shrinkthe control thing seemed to work. To his amazement, Pete flushed. Being such a big man, he went very red.
Yeah, sure. He swallowed more of his beer. Hell, the whole damned thing was odd, youre right. The oddest thing is, how the hell did she down all that stuff and get out on the floor and dance so damned well, thendrop? She must have been totally oblivious to what she was doing beforehand. Come by and get the tape. Maybe that will help you. Who the hell knows? I looked at it over and over again, and it didnt give me a thing. I gotta go. My brothers kid is playing the saxophone at some dumb school thing. He stood. Thanks for the meal, Dilessio.
Sure thing, Jake said.
He gets discounts here anyway, you know? Pete said to Quinn. Married the proprietors niece. Whens that kid due, Dilessio?
Soon.
Hope you have a boy.
Oh, why? Jake said.
Cause women are trouble. Right from the get-go.
The both stared after him as he walked away toward the parking lot. Then Jake laughed out loud. Quinn, youve come a long way.
Oh yeah?
For a minute there, I thought you were going to get up and deck him.
Quinn shrugged. Psychology one-oh-one, he said lightly, except that he had a feeling Jake knew better. You know, I think he believes theres more there than meets the eye, but hes got the same problem as everyone else.
And whats that?
Figuring out just how odd fits in with illegal. And murder.
Well, if you need help, Im around, Jake told him.
What, youve got a small caseload?
Jake shook his head, scratching the paper off the beer bottle. Nope. Murder is murder, though. Whether its obvious or not. You find something, Ill step on a few toes for you.
Great. Thanks.
Were playing poker later, out back in Nicks house, if you want to join us.
I think Im going clubbing.
Youre going club hopping?
Not hopping. Just clubbing.
Heading down to Suede?
Yep. Want to blow off the poker thing and come with me?
Jake shook his head. Someone down there might know me.
How come?
I got called in when a dead hooker was found not far from the place.
Was that one ever solved?
No. Jake looked up at him. The kid had no track lines, but she managed to overdose.
So it was, or wasnt, a homicide?
I havent closed the case, Jake said flatly. Havent found anything, but I havent closed the case. I havent put it into cold cases yet, either. Sometimes, the drug cases are the easiest. The perps are known to the narcotics guys. Not in this instance. They ran the ropes for me on it, checking into every club with a name. No one has come up with anything. She had a name, Sally Grant, and she picked up tricks on the street, no known regular johns. There were no witnesses, no one who could be found who admitted to seeing her in days, just a dead girl with a needle next to her.
Prints on it? Quinn asked.
Her ownbut that could have been staged.
Hell of a lot overdoses going on, Quinn commented.
The M.E.s will tell you their tables are full of them. Legal substances, illegal substances. But it sure does add up to odd, doesnt it? Two dance students, too much Xanax. One dead hooker, too much heroin. They shouldnt connect. But maybe they do. Hell, maybe dancing is dangerous for your health.
The prostitute was a dancer?
Not that I know of. She was just found not too far from the studio. Not that that necessarily means a damn thing.
Did they question anyone at the studio, find out if she had ever been in?
Yep. None of the teachers had ever seen her.
Thanks again for the dinner, Jake.
Keep me informed.
Will do.
Quinn left Jake at the table and headed for his boat to change. It had been one hell of a long time since hed been to a club on the beach.
What the hell were people wearing to clubs these days?
CHAPTER 5
Want to make me look good?
Pardon? Shannon said.
She was definitely off today. First there had been the strange lesson with Quinn OCasey, which she had wanted to scream through, her patience nonexistent.
Now Richard.
She didnt need to scream when she danced with Richard. He was good. Excellent. A doctor, he had found that dance took his mind off the strain of his day. He wasnt performing brain surgery on a daily basis, but something far more demandingat least in the eyes of his customers, he had once told her humorously. He was a plastic surgeon. Trusted with looksthe most important thing in the world, to the players in the area. Hed fixed or repaired the old, the young, the famous, the rich. He was written up constantly in magazines and had even been touted as the Botox king of the western world by one popular publication.
Shannon wasnt sure about his age but assumed he was around forty. He was in great shape, a golf enthusiast when he wasnt in the studio or working. He maintained a great tan, had a full head of almost platinum blond hair and fine gray eyes. He was married, and his wife, a pediatrician, came in now and then, as well, but she wasnt as enamored of dancing as Richard was. She preferred diving and spent most of her free time out on a boat. They seemed to have a perfect relationship. When they could be together, they were. When one had an opportunity that didnt work for the other, they just went their separate ways. Mina Long was petite and, like her husband, fortyish, platinum blond, bronzed and in great shape. The only difference was that she had brown eyes. After all their years of marriage, Shannon thought with some humor, they almost resembled each other.
Shannon wasnt sure about his age but assumed he was around forty. He was in great shape, a golf enthusiast when he wasnt in the studio or working. He maintained a great tan, had a full head of almost platinum blond hair and fine gray eyes. He was married, and his wife, a pediatrician, came in now and then, as well, but she wasnt as enamored of dancing as Richard was. She preferred diving and spent most of her free time out on a boat. They seemed to have a perfect relationship. When they could be together, they were. When one had an opportunity that didnt work for the other, they just went their separate ways. Mina Long was petite and, like her husband, fortyish, platinum blond, bronzed and in great shape. The only difference was that she had brown eyes. After all their years of marriage, Shannon thought with some humor, they almost resembled each other.
He was a nice guy, and she enjoyed teaching him. He learned quickly, and in the year since he had been coming to the studio, he had advanced rapidly. But then again, he could afford all the private lessons he wanted. Most people, with more moderate incomes, took one or two private lessons a week and attended group lessons whenever they could.
Earth to Shannon.
Oh, sorry. Make you look good? You dont need anyone to make you look good, Richard. In fact, youve gotten so good, I have to admit, I did just drift off in thought. Forgive me. Thats not at all a good thing for a teacher to admit.
He smiled. Youre still upset about Lara.
Of course, she admitted.
You do know I did everything that I could, he said quietly. I may be a plastic surgeon, but I was top of my class at med school and spent plenty of time interning in the emergency room.
Oh, Richard, of course, I know you did everything. Its just still sosad.
Yes. Well all miss her tremendously. I mean, you will miss her, right?
Of course. Shannon frowned. Why do you say that?
No reason.
They had been waltzing. She stopped near the stereo, frowning as she looked at him.
Richard, why did you say that?
Oh, Lord, now Im really sorry.
Richard.
A little bird told me oncea while agothat you and Ben Trudeau had been partners and a very hot duobefore Ben married Lara.
I see.
You were partners, right? I hear you stormed the floor in competitions, that no one even came close to being as good.
We won a few competitions, but that was ages ago. And I do mean ages.
Sorry, I shouldnt have said anything.
Who told you about it?
Now, I swear, my lips are sealed.
It doesnt matter, Richard. Its not like it was a deep, dark secret or anything. I was just curious.
I told you, my lips are sealed. And hey, you didnt answer my question.
What question?
He sighed with a pretense of mock impatience. Do you want to help me look good?
I did answer your question. You do look good.
He shook his head, smiling. There are some hotshots down from the board. Im bringing them out to Suede tonight. Would you show up for a few minutes?
Richard, I was going to try to head home early. Someone will be down there, though. Rhianna or Jane.
He shook his head. Youre my teacher. We both know that even the top professionals work with their partner over and over again. I look best with you. Show up for one dance and one drink? Ill get you out of there by ten-thirty, I swear it. Please?
Richard, dont beg.
I am begging.
All rightyou tell me what little bird told you about Ben and me, and maybe Ill come.
Thats bribery!
You bet, she said, smiling.
I cant tell you. And I dont fold easy.
If you want me to show up
Gordon, Richard said.
Gordon?
Yes, I said Gordon, didnt I?
Yesand quickly. You folded like a bad poker hand, she said, laughing.
Right. So now you have to show up.
I will, I will, she told him. Right after I strangle Gordon.
Why? You just said that it wasnt a deep, dark secret or anything.
But stillwere not supposed to bring our personal lives into the studio.
Richard let out a snort. That gets ridiculous, you know.
Its only professional.
Not professionalsilly, Richard said. And youre getting that prim look on your face again. Ill let it go, but lets concentrate on something wild and sexy. I want to be known as the salsa king of Miami, not the reigning Botox monarch, okay?
She laughed.
Well give them a show, she promised.
And, Shannon?
What?
What happened was terrible. But it wasnt your fault in any way. Were all stunned, and so sorry, butplease. Its okay to grieve. Lara was tremendously talented, a force. Well all miss her, maybe forever. Butwell, youve got to move on. It hurts to see you so unhappy.
Im fine. Its justthe whole thing was so absurd. I cant believe it. I cant believe Lara would drink on top of drugs before a performance.
Youve got to accept it. It happened. You cant keep questioning fateyou have to let it go, however much you dont want to.
Thanks. Moving into psychiatry, are you? she teased.
He put up his hands in mock surrender. Okay, I quit. Come on, lets play some salsa, huh? I really want to wow em tonight.
She walked over to the stereo system. Salsa it is.
What did they wear to clubs these days?
Next to nothing, it seemed.
It was still earlyfor clubbingwhen Quinn returned to the beach. Luckily it was a weeknight, and he was in time to get a meter right on the street and a seat at the sidewalk café across from Suede and Moonlight Sonata. He sat staring at the Deco building that housed the club and dance studio. Hed watched people arrive for dance classestaking the stairs up to the second floor at the side of the buildingalong with the few who were already arriving for a night on the town. Several people had entered the lower level dressed in shorts and T-shirts with lettering that advertised Suede. Apparently they were employees. In between arrivals, the café was one of those perfect spots for people-watching.
A gothic group cruised by, one girl, two guys, all three with nose rings and enough silver in their ears to weight down a cargo ship. Despite the balmy quality of the weather, they wore dark jeans and long black jackets, along with makeup that left them looking like walking cadavers.
They were followed by an elderly couple, moving very slowly. Harvey, as the wife addressed the man, wasnt holding the bagel bag securely enough, according to Edith, the woman.
Three bathing beauties strolled past him next. One had on a short jacket, which pretended to cover up the expanse of ample breasts displayed by the strings of her bikini top. The jacket, however, ended at her midriff. The bottom of her bathing suit was a thong. She was wearing three-inch heels, as well.
Interesting ensemble.
As night came on, so did more of the bold, the beautiful and the downright ugly.
A doorman came out to guard the entrance to the club.