Nightmares Can Be Murder (A Dream Club Mystery) by Mary Kennedy Page A

worked for him?” I asked when we finally settled down to our dinner.
    “A few years, I think.” Ali wrinkled her forehead in concentration. “There’s the usual gossip about them. You know, the studly dance instructor and his voluptuous partner, but I don’t think there’s anything to it. Gina seems really devoted to her kids. Frankly, I don’t know how she stands working for him. I guess the secret is that she doesn’t put up with any nonsense. He can be a pretty irritating guy with that Latin lover act.”
    I nodded. “I saw him in action at Luigi’s. I suppose he comes on to any female within a hundred miles. Hard to believe that women fall for that, but maybe some do—” I broke off abruptly as Barney and Scout ran under the coffee table doing their hellcat imitation, hissing and spitting, their thick fur coats standing on end.
    “What in the world’s wrong with you two?” Ali said, shaking her head. “I was going to give you a tiny bit of vanilla ice cream tonight, but if you can’t behave yourselves . . .” Her voice trailed off as we heard a furious pounding on the front door of the floor below.
    “I’ll go,” I offered. “I’m closer.”
    “Maybe it’s Gina and the key didn’t work,” Ali said. “Tell her to come up and have a glass of wine with us. Chico will turn up eventually. They certainly can’t start without him.” It was Gina but I knew immediately she wasn’t worried about the key. I opened the front door to find her white-faced, trembling, and crying uncontrollably as she fell into my arms.
    “Taylor, come quick,” she said, sobbing. “And get Ali. Something terrible has happened.”
    “Gina, what’s wrong?” I asked, pushing her gently away and holding her by the shoulders. “Do you want to come upstairs and sit down? You’re shaking like a leaf.”
    She was so pale, I was afraid she might faint right on the spot, and I tried to edge her toward a bench by the front door. She wriggled out of my grasp and started twisting her hands together like she was wringing out a towel. I was struck by the anguish in her dark eyes, and I knew that whatever had happened, it had shaken her to the core.
    She shook her head violently. “No, there’s no time to sit down. Just call nine-one-one. Please, do it now.”
    “What’s this all about?” Ali said sharply. I had been so focused on Gina, I hadn’t even heard Ali slip down the stairs behind me. “Gina, what’s going on? Tell us right this minute.”
    “It’s Chico,” Gina gasped, gesturing to the studio across the street. I could see that the front door to the dance studio was wide open, and music was pouring into the street.
    “What about Chico?” Ali demanded. “Gina, please! Pull yourself together. You’re frightening me.”
    Gina swallowed and closed her eyes tightly, her lips quivering. Then she opened her eyes and tugged at my hand. “Come, come right now!” she rasped. “There’s no time to waste. He’s . . . he’s on the floor and he’s not moving.” She drew in a long, shuddering breath, her voice catching in her throat. “I think he’s dead.”

8
    “If something’s happened in the studio, we can’t go in there,” I said automatically.
It could be a crime scene
, I thought, my heart hammering in my chest. The three of us had raced across the street and were peering through the open door into the studio. I noticed that Ali had pulled out her cell phone and was already punching in some numbers.
    “But what if he’s not dead?” Gina whispered. She was white as a corpse, and her voice was low and shaky. She swayed a little on her feet. “What if he needs medical attention right this minute? He’s all alone in there. I was afraid to turn him over. I didn’t even touch him.”
    “It’s okay, they’re sending paramedics,” Ali said, finishing her conversation and snapping the phone shut. I noticed her face was pale, her lips drawn into a thin line. “The ambulance should be here in a