Cat In A Topaz Tango

Temple lifted her foot in its industrial-strength Zoe Chloe Ozone Goth shoe just as ahead of her Danny leaped up, up, and awaaay in his beautiful balloon of a powerful dance kick, and behind her someone shouted, “Hike!”

Hike? Why not?

She kicked hard up and behind her like a tango diva with gladiator-style spike heels and a life wish.

The man screamed, tumbling away and down behind her, and she was on the floor as the flying tackle behind her hit home.

She was belly down, face-to-face with a horizontal Matt, who grabbed her hands and pulled her hard toward him in a paso move. On the slippery floor they could roll far away from the kicking feet and churning arms and legs behind them both at last.

Temple examined what she could see of herself. “No hypos?” she asked.

“God willing,” Matt said, patting her limbs and torso, hunting hypos.

“You were way too hot in the tango to be doing that right now,” she managed to huff out. “I might explode.”

He pulled her up to her feet as if doing an Olivia lift and held her even closer as Molina and Rafi and Dirty Larry pulled a man in an Oasis guard’s uniform away from his fellow guards and into custody.

The face was a deranged mask, but Temple was able to identify it. Hank Buck.

Rafi held the lethal hypo in his hand and moved carefully over the slick floor to show it to Matt and Temple. Empty.

“Good thing you’re so short,” he told Temple. “And have happy feet. And a berserk cat. Between the two of you, he missed harpooning you and did in his own shoulder.”

“What happens now?” Temple asked.

“In seven or eight minutes he’ll be as high as a fruit bat and we’ll read him his rights and interrogate him backstage while he’s euphoric before the EMTs get here. Because the horse was injected into a muscle, he’ll have two to four hours before it kills him. A nasal mist called Narcan can reverse an overdose.

“Buck was obviously hoping to dose Matt during the confusion of helping him and Olivia up. Floor was probably sprayed with silicone. Being on duty here, he’d have watched the rehearsal and figured out where Matt would end up.

If he’d gotten away before Matt realized he’d been ‘stung,’ or if Matt just didn’t register what had happened, we’d have no idea he’d been drugged or what was used and how to reverse it. So, though Buck is the bastard who should die, he’ll live to stand trial for attempted murder.”

Rafi slapped Matt on the shoulder. “Lethal dance, man.” He smiled at Temple. “You still have Supergirl chops, babe, and your cat rocks.” He sighed. “And Molina will happily take my ass to the cleaner’s because one of my staff was the wacko.”

Curtain Calls

The law enforcement types had shuffled the rogue Oasis guard off the dance floor so Matt and Temple stood dazed and embracing alone at the center.

The hypo had been intended for Matt, and then turned on Temple.

She slowly realized she’d been aware of Crawford’s droning voice circling the struggle. Now she could see and hear him. He was circling her and Matt now, like a media shark.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you have been hearing the blow-by-blow account of the capture of the dangerous lunatic who’s been sabotaging our wonderful dancers. Tune into the KREP-AM radio 88.6 on your dial, where I’ll be broadcasting my eyewitness account just as soon as I get back there this evening. By then I will have the name of the man who just tried to kill Mr. Matt Devine and my broadcast assistant, Internet darling Zoe Chloe Ozone.”

He minced carefully forward, came close, and thrust the microphone into their faces.

“How did it feel to come so close to death?”

Danny Dove came near with an expression that indicated he was close to a homicidal act, and extracted the mike from Buchanan’s hands.

“This is Danny Dove, head judge.” He put his free arm over Matt and Temple’s shoulders and started walking them offstage. “We respectfully request that Matt and Olivia visit the judges’ table to receive their scores for an amazing performance. Then, if our stalwart Miss Ozone feels up to it, she will award the junior dancer scholarship.”

Applause broke out.

“We appreciate your patience and forbearance,” Danny added, “and will return for the final adult results tomorrow.”

He turned to hand Temple the mike and returned to the judges’ dais. Olivia had been standing on the fringe and smiled tearfully as she walked over to stand by Matt. All three embraced, not with the usual euphoria of a great dance finished, but with a survivor’s fervor.

Temple stood between them, holding the mike, while the judges held forth.

Danny was the evening’s Iron Man. His calm control eased everyone back into normality.

“What can you say to perfection?” he began, then answered himself. “Bravo and brava! And to Miss Tatyana”—he turned to see her standing, subdued for once, in the wings—“let’s have her step into view for a round of applause. She choreographed the most superbly sexy tango I have ever seen.”

Applause and shouts erupted.