Shorts

Te Duem Part 2

"We should check with the dance studio owner. You said Jayce Dost was a student at that studio," Mulder suggested, scratching the irritating burn on his back. "Besides, maybe the owner saw something Mr. Harrell didn't."

And so, Mulder and Scully entered the dance studio, Harriet's School of Dance, just a few moments later. Small children ran to and fro in pink tutus and ballet slippers, and Mulder couldn't help but chuckle.

"What do you say to a ballet lesson or two, Scully?" he joked as he knudged her side.

Scully rolled her eyes. "I tried ballet once when I was seven, Mulder. I hated it. Besides, these three year olds would probably be far better than you or I."

As the suited pair approached the front desk, they received a multitude of strange stares from young children and parents alike. One little blonde girl tripped over Mulder’s shoe, quickly standing back up and running off to be scolded by her mother to be more careful.

The woman behind the desk, blonde and middle aged, was on the phone when Mulder and Scully had approached. She held up one finger to tell the pair it would be a minute, and they waited patiently. When she placed the phone down, she smiled and said, "And what can I do for you? Are you the couple here to sign your daughter up for pre-tap? Here's a class schedule for you." She handed a piece of paper to Mulder.

Caught off guard for being an assumed couple, Mulder stuttered, "Oh, um, we're not a couple, no. I'm Age-"

The woman seemed horrified with herself. She clasped a hand over her mouth and said, "You're not the Lachers. . . Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

Mulder, simply out of curiousity, placed his glasses on and read over the schedule. Scully calmed the owner down, saying, "Really, it's all right," with a smile.

Mulder checked over his shoulder to make sure they were not holding up a line before fumbling in his breast pocket for his badge. He flipped it open as Scully did the same and said quietly, "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner Special Agent Dana Scully. We're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and we were wondering if we could ask you a few questions about a murder that occured near here."

The woman's eyes widened with horror. "Am I under suspicion?" she inquired in a half whisper, her voice quavering.

"No M'am, not at all," Scully said as she and Mulder closed their badges and placed them away. "We just nee-"

"Miss Harriet!" a small voice squealed from behind Mulder. "Are you coming?"

"Miss" Harriet leaned over the front desk. "Yes, Byralise. Just a moment." She glanced back to Mulder and Scully.

"M'am, we can wait," Mulder insisted. "I think your class is looking for you, after all," he continued with a laugh.

Harriet sighed in relief. "Thank you, I'm so sorry," she said, rushing off after the twinkle toes.

"Besides, I think it's time we talk to a few of Jayce's friends," Mulder whispered to Scully, nodding towards the back of the studio where teenage voices could be heard.

The sign on the door said "Girl's Dressing Room." Mulder glanced at Scully warily before he raised a fist and knocked twice.

A teenage girl's voice called out, "Come in!" after a fit of giggles. Scully twisted the door handle and pushed the door open just a crack, checking to see that no girls were changing before opening the door any further.