Free The Blonde Died Dancing by Kelley Roos Page A

know Jack?”
    “We… we went to school together.”
    “Really!” The lady was so pleased it made me wish Jack and I had gone to school together, any old school. “Grade or high?”
    “Grade.”
    “I thought it must be grade. Because I don’t remember you. You see, Jack and I went to high together, Flushing High. Course he was a few years behind me. He was in my kid sister’s class.”
    “Imagine me seeing Jack again!”
    “Yes, after all these years!”
    “He was an awful cute kid.”
    “And still is! Too bad you missed him.”
    “Where did he go?”
    “Out the back way. He just stopped in to pick up the car keys.”
    “Well, Jack’s doing all right! He’s got a car now.”
    “No, he’s borrowing my husband’s. He’s got to go to New Haven tomorrow. Up near New Haven.”
    “Oh, New Haven.”
    “That’s right. Say, what’s your name? You didn’t tell me.”
    I said the first name that was coming into my mind nowadays. “Hester Frost,”
    “Well, Hester, maybe you could catch Jack… but, no, I guess not. It’s only a little ways to the garage.”
    “He’d be gone by now, you mean.”
    “Yes. Too bad.”
    “Yes. What’s Jack doing these days?”
    “He’s a teacher… over at the Crescent Dancing School.”
    “Oh. Crescent. I’ve heard of it.”
    “It’s just temporary.”
    “And is Jack married?”
    “Not yet.” She smiled proudly at me. “He’s going to marry my kid sister.”
    “Well, congratulations!”
    “Thanks. They been sweethearts since high. They used to be a dance team. Maybe you caught their act someplace. Mostly in clubs around Long Island here. Harris and Walston.”
    “Harris,” I said.
    “Dottie Harris. Don’t tell me you know her, too!”
    “Dottie Harris,” I said. “Dottie Harris.”
    “She teaches at the Crescent School, too…”
    Now I was getting places. My trip to Kew Gardens had been worthwhile. At least I knew why Dottie Harris had been able to give me the runaround. It hadn’t been a student who I had overheard talking with her in Studio J. Part of what she said had been the truth; she actually had had no lesson at that hour. She had been speaking to a fellow teacher, her fiancé, Jack Walston.
    I had also discovered that whatever it was that Jack had wanted in Anita’s apartment, Dottie knew about it. And whatever it might be, it concerned in some desperate fashion the two of them.
    Dottie’s sister was smiling at me. Now that she had told me, I could see the resemblance between her and her sister. In a few years, if Dottie didn’t heed the scales, she would be a chubby, overflowing bundle of sugar and spice like her older sister. Then I realized she had been speaking to me.
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “What did you say?”
    Dottie’s sister said, “Jack.”
    “Jack?”
    She pointed toward the door.
    “Here he is,” she said. “Back again.”
    I looked, and there he was, back again. He was walking around the front of a black, two-door sedan. He had a raincoat over his arm. He came into the store and grinned at Dottie’s sister; I could tell he liked her.
    “Louise,” he said, “I found Phil’s raincoat in the car. He might need it tomorrow.”
    “Thanks, Jack.” She took the coat from him. “That was thoughtful of you.”
    “Sure,” he said. “I’m thoughtful.”
    He glanced at me without the slightest interest. For that I was grateful. But Louise had to open her lovely rosebud mouth. Her voice was hopping with excitement. She was going to love this.
    “Jack!” she said.
    “Yes?”
    “Take a look at this young lady.”
    He took a look at me.
    He said, “I’m looking at her and I’m enjoying it. But… why?”
    Louise giggled; this was rich.
    She said, “She don’t mean a thing to you! Boy, you’re not kidding… memory sure plays tricks. Honey,” she said to me, “say something. Maybe he’ll recognize your voice. Speak!”
    “Bow-wow,” I said. “Arf-arf.”
    “Down, boy,” Jack said. “What, is