by Raine Thomas
Steamy Beans had catered the event and would be catering the Open House, as well, offering an assortment of finger foods and beverages both with alcohol and without. Alima had joked that it was worth applying for the permit to serve alcohol at the event just to get the parents more amenable to signing their kids up.
The good news was they didn’t actually have to rely on plying potential clients with alcohol to get them interested. Thanks in large part to the two viral videos featuring Archer’s dance moves, which the public now knew she’d taught Katie and the kids at the pool party, she had parents from all over the city wanting information about Pirouette. Their interest list was well over three hundred clients already and they hadn’t even had the Open House.
It was truly a dream come true.
She and Alima couldn’t have done it without all the support from the important people in their lives. May and her father had worked with her and Alima to set up the studio’s books, establish their minimum price point, work out the number of classes they could offer based on space and available timing, draft the legal contracts and employment agreements they needed, create the company’s policies and procedures, and the numerous other tasks a business owner had to handle.
Danny designed the company’s logo and established its branding, as well as connected Jasmine with a friend who built the studio’s website and started their social media accounts. Jasmine contracted with that same friend to manage the accounts until she could afford an office manager, something she hoped to do within another few weeks if everything went according to plan.
Sierra had blown up a few of the images she’d taken of Jasmine during the photo shoot they’d had a couple months ago so Jasmine could hang the photos around the studio. They had turned out simply stunning, if Jasmine did say so herself. Sierra’s work behind a camera was unmatched.
Everly offered suggestions on how to stock the locked medical cabinet Will installed in the staff break room. They now had plenty of ice packs, ACE bandages, Band-Aids, knee braces, and ointments to treat any minor injuries that might happen on site.
Alima’s parents had proven supportive, as well. They were happy their daughter was choosing to do something that contributed to the betterment of others. They offered to fund up to five scholarships a year for kids who couldn’t afford the fees, and they were sharing the name of the studio with everyone they knew.
And then there was Jasmine’s new family…Frank and Will.
Besides the unbelievable job they had done in creating the studio and the money they had invested in things she needed to get started, they had already done a competitive analysis targeting the other studios within a ten-mile radius, noting things like their rates, the number of awards they’d won, their annual enrollment, how much they paid their instructors, their course offerings, and more. They shared everything they had learned with her and May so they could keep it all in mind as they developed her business plan.
There was no way to thank them all properly for everything they had done. Jasmine would owe them for the rest of her life.
For the moment, however, her focus needed to be on Katie.
“How was school today?” she asked as she wrapped a hair tie around Katie’s bun.
“Good.”
It had been two and a half months since Katie started talking again. Between her work with Gareth and the speech therapy she had been receiving through the private school Will had enrolled her in, she was now speaking more than she was signing.
That didn’t mean she had become chatty, though.
“I’m glad,” she said, smiling at Katie in the mirror over the row of vanities lining one wall of the dressing area. “What was the favorite thing you did today?”
“Making crafts.”
“What kind?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Jasmine smiled again. “For your dad?”
“And you.”
Touched, she leaned down to place a kiss on Katie’s head. “That’s so sweet. Thanks for thinking of me.”
“‘Course. I love you.”
Jasmine’s throat tightened. Katie hadn’t ever said that before. She said it so naturally now that it was obvious she’d felt that way for a long time.
“I love you too, sweetie,” she managed to say in a normal voice. “I can’t wait to see what you did.”
Stepping back, she patted Katie’s shoulders and said, “I think you’re good to go. You ready to express yourself without words?”
Katie smiled and nodded.
“Let’s go.”
They headed out to the main instruction room. It was the only space they hadn’t yet used for a lesson, largely because it felt like overkill using it with just the two of them. Jasmine wanted to make sure it was ready for the Open House though.
Alima’s voice floated into the empty space from the outer office off the lobby where she was making the phone calls needed to confirm everything for the Open House. Without anyone else in the building, sound carried almost too well. Jasmine walked over to the sound system for the room and switched it on. The Void’s song “Miracle Worker” started playing, making the space feel less empty.
“Let’s warm up,” Jasmine said.
When they finished stretching, Katie asked, “Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s packing for his road trip, remember? He’ll be here as soon as he can.”
Will hadn’t yet attended a lesson for Katie at Pirouette. He had been on a road trip for the first couple and then had been needed on a site visit for a new property investment during the third. He told Jasmine he would be there that afternoon, both to see her and Katie before his road trip and to wish her well for the Open House.
Jasmine hoped that was true.
He had been acting strange since returning home from his last road trip. She had chalked it up to the stress caused by the custody issue, but that had been resolved a few days ago in Will’s favor and he still seemed distracted. The few times she tried to get him to open up to her, he had blown her off.
Whatever else he was going through, she told herself, he wouldn’t let Katie down. With that in mind, she moved forward with the lesson.
Not even ten minutes later, there was a knock at the front door. It was loud enough that Jasmine heard it over the music.
That was odd, she thought. It wasn’t Will, who would enter from the back where the owners and employees were now meant to park. He also knew the code to unlock the door. Figuring it was a potential client or a delivery, she walked over to the sound system and hit the pause button.
“Sorry, Katie,” she said. “Please give me a minute. I’ll be right back. You can free dance to stay loose.”
Katie nodded.
Jasmine headed through the door to the lobby. She glanced to the right and saw Alima in the assistant’s office standing with the phone to her ear. Her friend mouthed, Sorry, and pointed at the phone. Jasmine waved at her to let her know she would deal with it.
Her eyebrows lifted when she looked to the front doors and saw Ginnie on the other side. The eager grandmother had been in touch a few times to request information and get an application to complete for her granddaughter. Jasmine expected them at the Open House and wondered if something had come up to interfere with that.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open, producing her most gracious business owner smile. “Hi, Ginnie. It’s so nice to see you.”
Ginnie returned her smile, but it looked strained. “It’s nice to see you too.”
Picking up on her tone and body language, Jasmine’s smile faded. “Is something wrong?”
The other woman shook her head. “No, not really. I know I’m a couple days early for your Open House and you’re likely not expecting guests, but, well, there’s something important I want to discuss with you about my granddaughter and I’d hoped I could do it without a bunch of other people around. Would you mind if I came in for a few minutes?”
Jasmine hesitated. Ginnie looked stressed. Her hands were pressed
together and her upper lip was coated with sweat. Of course, it was nearly eighty-five degrees, which would explain the perspiration. Jasmine was getting hot just standing there.
Besides, maybe her granddaughter had special needs. Jasmine would be happy to reassure her that the child would still be comfortable at Pirouette.
“Of course,” she said, stepping to the side and allowing Ginnie to pass.
The scent of stale cigarettes and poorly masked body odor made Jasmine struggle not to wrinkle her nose as the woman entered the studio. Ginnie had seemed so polished and put together during their previous encounters. The difference now had Jasmine’s instincts firing off warnings.
Changing her initial plan to bring Ginnie back to her office, Jasmine waved at the cushioned lounging benches and chairs in the waiting area. Alima’s voice got louder for a moment as she walked with the desk phone to the outer office door and pushed it closed with a wave at Jasmine to say she didn’t want to interrupt her meeting.
Jasmine had the inexplicable desire to push the door back open. She didn’t know why she felt so uncomfortable as she sat beside Ginnie, but there was no denying it.
“What would you like to tell me about your granddaughter?” she asked, keeping her tone polite and interested.
Ginnie’s smile was more genuine this time. “She’s just an amazing little girl. So lovely and talented. Quite shy, of course, but most kids are at her age.”
“That’s sweet. How old is she?”
“She turned six in July.”
The alarm bells got even louder.
“She sounds great,” Jasmine said with false enthusiasm. “What did you say her name was?”
“Katherine.”
A gasp turned Jasmine’s attention to the doorway leading to the main dance room. Katie stood there. Her face had lost all its complexion.
Jasmine got to her feet. Ginnie did the same. Her face morphed into one of exaggerated cheer, her smile as wide and false as a caricature.
“Katherine!” she exclaimed, starting toward Katie.
Katie stumbled back a step and encountered the edge of the doorway. A wet trail appeared down both of her legs.
She had soiled herself.
Jasmine surged forward, planting herself in front of Ginnie. “Stop right there,” she snapped. “Alima!”
“Katherine, honey, it’s me. It’s Nana.” Ginnie tried to shove Jasmine out of the way, her huge smile locked in place. “Let me go!”
“Hell no. You need to leave right now, lady.”
The older woman was astoundingly strong and seriously determined. She also had a couple of inches of height and a good fifty pounds on Jasmine. Jasmine’s slippered feet slid on the hardwood floor as Ginnie pushed against her. When the woman jerked her elbow and struck Jasmine in the mouth, it ignited her adrenaline. She lowered her shoulder and used her upper body strength to give Ginnie a more solid shove, sending her staggering back, bumping into a chair, and thudding to the floor.
While Ginnie gaped at her in shock, Jasmine reached down and tore off her dance shoes. “Alima!” she shouted again. “Call the police!”
Ginnie’s face morphed into rage. Jasmine’s blood went cold.
Behind her, Katie whimpered.
The office door flew open. Alima had the phone to her ear. She was rattling off the address as Ginnie used the chair to push herself back to her feet. Then Ginnie lifted the chair with the clear intent to wield it like a weapon.
“You bitch.”
“Get Katie out of here,” Jasmine ordered, not taking her eyes off Ginnie.
The furious woman swung the chair with all her might. Jasmine dropped to the floor. The chair whooshed harmlessly overhead. The momentum of the swing propelled the chair against the glass of the front window with a horrible crack.
Jasmine heard the sound of the phone striking something hard as Alima ran to Katie and lifted her from where she’d frozen in the doorway. They disappeared into the instruction room. Jasmine leaped back to her feet as Ginnie struggled to right herself after dropping the chair.
“The police are on their way,” Jasmine said, holding her hands up in a placating gesture that she knew wouldn’t work. “Don’t do anything more you might regret.”
“Shut the fuck up and get out of my way!”
Ginnie surged forward. Jasmine lowered herself again to brace for the impact of the woman’s full weight as she barreled into her. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to stop her otherwise, Jasmine tripped her.
They fell. There was an audible snap. Pain slammed through her. The collision with the hard floor beneath Ginnie’s sizeable bulk robbed her of breath.
“It’s Nana, Katherine,” Ginnie called out, fighting to get up as Jasmine clung to her. “Katherine. I’m here to take you home!”
Jasmine planted her feet and used her legs for leverage, thrusting upward and rolling the other woman off her. She quickly reversed their positions, grasping Ginnie’s flailing wrists to keep her down. Fear and agony banded her chest. She struggled to draw a full breath.
“Let me go, you deceitful whore!” Ginnie screeched. “If it wasn’t for you, Carol Ann would have convinced that bastard to give Katherine back to her by now. She’s my granddaughter. I have every right to be with her!”
The words gave Jasmine added strength, helping her keep the woman down. “No, you don’t. You lost that right the moment you first turned your anger on her.”
Ginnie’s face once again distorted into the raging fury that Jasmine firmly believed was the cause of Katie’s trauma. She lurched up and smashed her forehead into Jasmine’s face. Despite the resulting bright pop of pain, Jasmine wouldn’t let her go. Two drops of blood dripped onto the other woman’s face. Then two more. She didn’t seem to notice.
“Let me see her!”
“No. You’ll never see her again if I have anything to say about it.”
“You have nothing to say about it,” Ginnie spat. “You’re not her mother.”
“I am in every way that matters.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Will had never known fear like what he experienced as he pulled into Pirouette’s parking lot and saw the myriad of flashing lights from the emergency vehicles parked there.
Katie…Jasmine.
He threw his truck into park in the middle of the lot since it was as close to the building as he could get. A uniformed police officer approached. Will saw recognition in his gaze as he spotted him through the windshield.
Shoving his door open, Will jumped out. “Is everyone okay?”
“Yes, Mr. Campbell. Everyone is fine.”
The finest edge of his fear dulled at that. “Thank God.”
“We’ve been trying to reach you, sir.”
Will’s phone was programmed to dump callers into voicemail if he didn’t have them entered as a contact. He hadn’t checked his voicemail before heading to the studio since he was already running behind.
“There’s been an incident,” the officer explained.
No shit, Will thought. The front window was shattered and there were emergency vehicles all over the place.
“Did someone try to break in?” he asked.
“No, sir. Please come with me. We’d like your assistance accessing the security footage.”
His anxiety made a swift return over the officer’s serious demeanor. “Where’s my daughter?” he asked as he fell into step with him. “Is she with Jasmine?”
“She’s with Ms. Patel. Right over here.”
Will’s heart thudded in his throat as they neared the ambulance. Why were they going to the ambulance?
Why wasn’t Katie with Jasmine?
When he rounded the vehicle and found Katie sitting on the back of it with Alima, relief nearly overwhelmed him. Then he saw the tearstains on both their cheeks and realized Katie was wearing a shirt that was way too large for her.
What the fuck?
“Hi, kiddo,” he said in a soothing voice, not wanting to alarm her.
> Her eyes met his. They filled with tears.
He reached down and gathered her against him. She clung to him, burying her face against his neck.
“Hey, now,” he said, brushing a kiss against the top of her head and running a hand over her hair. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Alima rose. He looked at her over Katie’s head and mouthed, Where’s Jasmine?
She mouthed back, Hospital.
“Jasmine’s at the hospital?” he asked loudly, forgetting all about being discreet.
Katie started sobbing.
“Sir, if we could get your assistance with the security?” the officer prompted.
“Someone better start explaining what the hell is going on.”
The officer nodded. “Perhaps it would be best to leave your daughter in Ms. Patel’s care for a few minutes.”
Katie’s grip on him tightened.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” Will said. To Alima, he asked, “You’re okay?”
“Yes. Thanks for asking. If you’re going to keep Katie with you, I would like to head to the hospital. I don’t think Jasmine has her phone, so she won’t have a way to reach her family.”
He couldn’t fully react to the words without further upsetting Katie. Somehow, he managed to say, “Thanks for staying with her.”
“Of course. Bye, Katie.”
Katie didn’t respond. Will turned to follow the officer. His gaze swept over the cracked window as they got closer to the studio’s entrance. Once he could make out more detail, he saw that the glass hadn’t been fractured from the outside.
Someone had done it from inside.
He did his best to maintain his composure for Katie’s sake, but it was a battle. When they walked in and he saw the smears of blood on the floor, his gut iced over. Only the knowledge that Katie needed him to keep it together prevented him from bellowing a demand that someone tell him what happened.
Crime scene markers had been placed in multiple places within the lobby. Beside a chair lying on its side near the broken window…beside the blood…beside a small pool of liquid that looked like water.
No, not water, he thought as he caught the scent of urine.
