Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

7. Rooftop Conversations

After getting briefed by Joe, Tess and Cat made their way up to the dance theater on the top floor. They were looking for signs of either homicide or suicide.

Inside the theater, they heard faint music and they followed it so they could see where it was coming from.

"This must be where she was rehearsing," Cat says when they reach the rehearsal studio above the theater's main stage. "Music still on, windows open."

Tess switches off the radio and bends to look through the purse on the floor. "Money is still in her wallet," she says, looking at Cat.

"There's no sign of a struggle in here," Cat notes, after looking around a bit. "I'm gonna keep going." Tess nods and Cat leaves the studio so she can move on to the next area.

Cat makes her way up the stairs leading to the roof, as this is where she likely fell from, according to Evan's calculations. She walks slowly along the roof, hand on her holster, glancing around her. The roof seems clear except for an ashtray with cigarette butts in it and a piece of leotard stuck on the side of the building, with blood drops next to it.
Leaning over the edge, Cat could see her colleagues down below and she was sure that Evan had been right.

A hand comes over her mouth just as she leaned back, stopping her from screaming, and she struggles until Vincent speaks right next to her ear.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," he repeats and lets her go when she stops struggling.

She is gasping for air. "Vincent, what the hell?" she asks.

Vincent had gotten a haircut. He's decided that it was time, his longer hair had begun to look a little untamed. "Heard you were looking for me," he says, "but you can't just show up at my place like that anymore."

"Says the guy disturbing my crime scene," Cat narrows her eyes.

"It's dangerous."

"Yeah, JT might come at me with a bat again," she scoffs, then takes a deep breath to calm down, stepping past him and closing her eyes a second.

"I read your mom's paper."

Cat opens her eyes and turns around, looking at Vincent. "And?"

"It's about genetic therapy for Dengay fever." Cat sighs and shakes her head. "It's got nothing to do with the experiments they did on me or her murder." He set his face so she would understand.

"Then why were those guys following her?" she asks. "Were they Muirfield?"

Vincent knew she was going there. He shook his head. "Catherine, don't."

"Was she working on some other research for them?" she steps closer to him.

He stays put. "I don't know." He clenches his jaw.

"But you told me that they were tracking her."

"Yes. So you would know it wasn't your fault and you would stop pursuing this," he says through his teeth.

"Yeah, but it means that you know more than what you're telling me."

They stare at each other and then Vincent looks away. He needed to change the subject. Or they'll be here all night talking in circles. He decides to give her some information on the case she was working on instead.
"I know that woman is lying," he says, looking at her before he smirks and walks to the edge of the building.

"What?" Cat follows him.

"The other dancer you interviewed." He stops and leans forward on his hands on the side. He looks at her from the corner of his eye.