Free Deadly in High Heels by Gemma Halliday Page B

year.

CHAPTER SIX
    Marco and I followed Dana down the set of escalators to the lower level where the auditorium was located. Clearly Laforge had sent out a widespread text, as contestants and members of the pageant crew alike filed down the escalators beside us. Everyone wore the same expression of tightly contained nerves. While I was pretty sure the majority of us were hoping Laforge would say the pageant would continue as planned, none of us were exactly sure that we should want the pageant to continue as planned. Did that make us insensitive to the dead girl?
    The house lights were up in the auditorium, giving it an overly cheery feel for the jittery mumbles of the crowd. Dana walked to the front row, where she took a spot behind a small table that was clearly reserved for judges, carefully sequestered away from contestants. Marco and I filled in two seats near the front on the aisle. I could see Laforge shuffling papers just to the side of the stage. Beside him stood Detective Whatshisname. His head tilted toward Laforge as he mumbled something into his ear, but I noticed his eyes were on the crowd. I wondered if he was looking for anything in particular. Or anyone. Had the detective uncovered some evidence pointing to someone in the auditorium as Jennifer's killer? I couldn't help my eyes wandering over the assembled crowd as the questions pinged back and forth in my brain.
    Everyone I had talked to so far had described Jennifer as perfection. She followed the rules, was kind to everyone, and I had a feeling that if she started singing, little Disney characters might have even flocked to her in droves. So why had she taken the risk to sneak out on the night of her death? And who could have hated the possible Miss Congeniality enough to want her dead?
    "May I have everyone's attention, please?"
    My eyes jumped up to the stage where Laforge was standing, a wireless microphone in his hand. "I apologize for calling you all here on such short notice," he started. His voice was missing that commanding tone I'd heard from him at rehearsals. "However with our live telecast only five days away, time is of the essence."
    A wave of murmurs washed through the auditorium at this statement, questioning eyes turning to one another.
    "Yes," Laforge said into his microphone, answering the silent question. "The pageant will continue as scheduled." He paused, waiting for another round of murmurs to pass before demanding our attention again. "After discussions with the local authorities—" Laforge nodded to Detective Whatshisname, standing just offstage. "—and sponsors of our pageant at the Hawaiian Paradise Corporation, we have decided it is safe and appropriate to continue forward and dedicate this pageant to the memory of Jennifer Oliver, our Miss Montana." He paused again, and when he spoke his voice was lower, switching from announcer mode to something much more human and filled with emotion. "We feel it is what Jennifer would have wanted."
    Another soft murmur went through the crowd.
    Laforge took a deep breath and cleared his throat, pulling himself back into presenter mode. Whether the pause for emotion had been intentionally theatric or genuine, it was hard to tell. "I know that this terrible tragedy has taken a toll on all of us. However we will continue rehearsals today. New schedules are posted backstage. We'll break now for a brief recess then meet back here for the dress rehearsal of our opening number in twenty minutes. Thank you." Laforge nodded toward the audience before his thick heels click-clacked offstage to join the homicide detective again.
     
    *
     
    After checking the newly posted schedules, I saw that my fitting wasn't until later that afternoon, so Marco and I parted ways with Dana outside the auditorium. She said she wanted to call Ricky with the update on the pageant then grab a cup of coffee to keep her mind sharp as she jumped back into the judging duties. (Of course, in Dana's world a cup of "coffee"