Clearly Laforge had sent out a widespread text, as contestants and members of the pageant crew alike filed down the escalators beside us. Everyone wore the same expression of tightly contained nerves. While I was pretty sure the majority of us were hoping Laforge would say the pageant would continue as planned, none of us were exactly sure that we should want the pageant to continue as planned. Did that make us insensitive to the dead girl? The house lights were up in the auditorium, giving it an overly cheery feel for the jittery mumbles of the crowd. Dana walked to the front row, where she took a spot behind a small table that was clearly reserved for judges, carefully sequestered away from contestants. Marco and I filled in two seats near the front on the aisle. I could see Laforge shuffling papers just to the side of the stage. Beside him stood Detective Whatshisname. His head tilted toward Laforge as he mumbled something into his ear, but I noticed his eyes were on the crowd. I wondered if he was looking for anything in particular.
