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go.”
    â€œIn a minute.” Melanie needed to gather her thoughts. “How well did you know Pauline McMasters, Hank?”
    Hank shrugged. “Not well at all. I met her when I got in the troupe. She was fiery, though, I’ll give her that. She and Leona had some bang-up fights. You thought you saw a fight between me and Leona today. You ain’t seen nothing till you see—” Hank realized what she was about to say. “I’m sorry. It’s so easy to forget.”
    â€œWhat do you think happened between her and Leona, Hank? Why do you think she quit the troupe?”
    â€œShe decided it wasn’t worth the work and putting up with Leona, I guess. But you know, Mel, there was one thing funny about that situation.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWe got to where we could almost count on a fight every rehearsal, or at least a severe disagreement. But the last two days Paulie came to rehearsals, she seemed different.”
    â€œHow different? Describe her.”
    â€œWell, she seemed distant, fuzzy, not really there. Pauline didn’t do drugs, did she?”
    â€œOf course not, Hank. Did she act like she was on drugs?”
    â€œI sure wouldn’t say she was herself. Leona took Paulie into her office a couple of times, and Paulie would come out looking subdued. It was like Leona had found the magic words to make Paulie behave. Until that last day.”
    â€œWhat happened then? None of us knows. Paulie was going to tell me about it, but she didn’t get a chance.”
    â€œI’m sorry. I liked her.” Hank looked out the window for a minute. “Paulie stormed into the school, and before Leona could talk to her, do anything, Paulie backed Leona into a corner. Can you imagine backing the dragon-lady into a corner?”
    â€œI can’t. I wouldn’t have the nerve.”
    â€œWell, Paulie did. I guess that was the source of their problems. Anyway, none of us could hear what Paulie said to Leona. Believe me, we wanted to, but for once they kept their voices down. Whatever was discussed must have gotten out of hand. Paulie shrieked, jerked off her necklace, and threw it at Leona. Then she marched out, past Vodka, past all of us, not looking at anyone, out the door, slamming it behind her. It was a good show, but I wished we’d heard all the lines.” Hank laughed.
    â€œSo do I.” Melanie said. “So do I.” She grabbed a grocery bag with two loaves of French bread, jumped out of the car, and slammed her door. Suddenly she was starving, but at least she finally had some food for thought.

seven
    W HEN THEY WENT through the dark wood doors in the center of the building, they found a security door and a wall of buzzers for each apartment.
    â€œWhich one do we want?” Hank asked.
    â€œNumber C–6.” Melanie shifted the bag so she could see.
    Hank pushed the button for C–6, then spoke into the two-way wall speaker. “Hello the house.”
    It was Anne who answered. “Come on up. Elevator’s on the left, up six floors, the third door on the left.” The security door hummed for a second, then clicked open.
    On the elevator, Melanie said, “I wish we had some kind of plan, Hank. If you get a chance to mention Paulie’s name, do so. Stuff like, ‘Too bad about Paulie, wasn’t it.’ Then watch people’s faces.”
    â€œI wonder, Mel, if anyone knows anything about what happened to her except for Madame Leona?”
    â€œMaybe not. And now that I’ve been around her, I realize she’s a fanatic about dance, but I can’t believe she’d kill anyone.”
    â€œEspecially for no more reason than dropping out of the troupe.”
    Melanie stepped between the doors as they whooshed open, keeping the elevator stopped but not getting out. “That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? And I’m sure it is, but we just need to know. None of us feels good about all of this,