The Last Dance

It was a rule he tried to live by, one of the many things experience had taught him. Never get your hands dirty. Shaving your legs is a pain in the arse. If a piece of business needs doing, it’s always better to do it fast.

To the casual observer, gazing down from the top of the Tower perhaps, or from a penthouse apartment in one of the expensive blocks that have sprung up in recent years, this might be Las Vegas. If that casual observer really squinted. And had never been to Las Vegas.

‘A lot of men sleep around,’ Xiu said. ‘A lot of men who aren’t married to Michelle Cutler. She’s almost certainly got “hitman” in her phone book somewhere. Right between “hairdresser” and “homeopath”.’ ‘I’m not convinced.’ ‘You’re probably right,’ Miller said. ‘I doubt she has a homeopath.’

When it came to his abilities as a detective, Miller was not lacking in confidence – not usually, at any rate – but, if pushed, he might eventually concede that he was not always brilliant at reading the room. Or more specifically, the people in the room. That said, he required only a fraction more sensitivity than the average tree stump or doctor’

When calling upon a member of the public, for whatever reason, only a police officer with a phenomenal lack of self-awareness would expect a warm welcome. Nobody was ever thrilled to see you, that was a given. A copper (or even worse, two of them) on your doorstep was more or less guaranteed to put a crimp in anyone’s day, but Scarlett Ribbons star

‘You dance love, and you dance joy, and you dance dreams.’ GENE KELLY ‘Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane.’ H. P. LOVECRAFT

Each time, in so many words he’d been told – sorrowfully, but firmly – that the investigation was ongoing. Miller always tried to stay calm, to not laugh out loud or throw anything, but he knew what that meant. Ongoing nowhere, ongoing backwards.

Miller could not always control his instincts, but he trusted them.

‘I’m serious. Why don’t you do your job and focus on working the murders in that hotel? On a case you can actually solve.’ ‘So you think I can solve it?’ ‘Well, if anyone can, it’s the man I was married to. He was almost as good a copper as he was a dancer and he was one hell of a dancer.’ Alex stood up, smiling as she moved across to stand close b