I know where this is going now! Wahey!

And just by the way, I KNOW YOU WERE ALL ONLY JOKING ABOUT DRAGGING FRED TO DA HARRISON!!!! BUT ROXIE WAS HYSTERICAL, REMEMBER?! AND IT WAS FUNNY! And, by the way again, you have SICK MINDS!! I mean, who would suggest wrapping a rope around his neck and walking with it all the way to Harrison's so that the head would fall off and the body would be unrecognisable? Which of you was it? Own up!

Usual disclaimer

That night, Roxie crept down into the lobby with Fred's body. It was risky, of course, somebody could come out of their apartment at any time and see her, but she really couldn't think of another way. The sheet-wrapped body was large, awkward, and very heavy. Roxie had to stop every so often to put in down and rest.

She went into the toilets that were just off the entrance hall, panting under his weight. Then, with a mighty thrust, she threw the body out of the open window, using uncharacteristic strength. It landed outside with a thud, and Roxie smiled. She'd got away with it. Just. Hopefully.

Much elated, she clambered up the stairs to her apartment on the second floor. Then, about to put her key in the lock, she stiffened, hearing footsteps on the floor above her. They were coming down the stairs, fast. Hurriedly, Roxie looked around for a hiding place, and found one in the nick of time. As she nestled into the dark cupboard, with all the janitor's brooms and equipment, the running footsteps passed her, and carried on downstairs. In a flash, Roxie flung open the door and stepped out, not even stopping to brush the dust off her clothes. She opened the door and was inside in a trice. Then she shut it noiselessly, took off her dress, flung it across the room and put on her nightie. Without bothering to do anything else, she slipped into bed and was asleep in no time, her conscience miraculously cleared.

The next day, Roxie didn't wake until half past eleven.

"Holy-" she shouted, realising that this was the third time that she'd been late for work in five days. Then she remembered what her manager had said yesterday- she wasn't the only promising act in Chicago, and she'd been going for a year now. The critics would start to get bored of her, he would start to get bored of her soon. And if she carried on being late, on top of all that, well, she'd be out.

Roxie stared at her ceiling. Those words had been harsh, especially after all the nights they had spent together. Suddenly, Roxie thought back to last night, what she had done to Fred. She sat up quickly. The footsteps, she thought. Who had they been? Why where they running down there?

As soon as she walked into the lobby, the answer became apparent. There was a little cluster of people, all talking excitedly. The door to the toilets was open, and Roxie could see policemen looking through the window. She sauntered over to the group of people, and asked them what was going on. They looked at her incredulously.

"You mean, you don't know? You didn't wake up?" said one of them, staring at her.

"When? Last night? No, I took a coupla sleeping pills- I had a bad headache," said Roxie, with an absolutely straight face. She was surprising herself with how easily these lies were pouring out. But then, she'd always been good at lying, ever since she was little.

"Oh, I see," replied the woman, who Roxie dimly recognised as from the apartment below her.

"Well, it was like this," pushed in another woman, "My husband is away at the moment, and I always find it hard to sleep when he's not with me. Anyway, I woke up at about half past one. I tried to get to sleep again, but I couldn't. So I started reading. I read for about an hour, as near as makes no difference, anyway. Then I turned my light off, and I was just drifting off, you know how it is, when I heard a noise outside. I always keep my window open, so much healthier, wouldn't you agree?" Here she looked at Roxie, who felt that something was expected of her. She nodded quickly, and mumbled something that could have been taken for a yes or a no. The woman was obviously satisfied, and she carried on.

"So, I looked out of my window, because it was a very strange noise, not like cats knocking over a bin, or anything, but strange, like something scraping on a window sill. Anyway, I looked down, and I saw a thing being pushed out of one of the windows down here. It was kind of human shaped, but it looked weird- like it was one of them mummies you see in museums and suchlike. I thought for a second, and then I realised which window it was. It was the window out of the lavatory! So, I ran downstairs, and outside, and I looked under the lavatory window. And sure enough, there was a huge package on the ground. I peeled back a few layers, it was a sheet or something, and guess what there was in that package?" She looked at Roxie again. Roxie, careful to keep a bland expression, replied, "I really can't imagine."

"A body, that's what," said the woman, with obvious relish, "A real dead body."

Roxie arranged her face into a mix of shock and revolt.

"Ugh," she said, with faked feeling. "Now, thank you very much for telling me that, but I really have to be off for work."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the door, hips swaying slightly, putting on an act for the benefit of the women who stood watching her go, open-mouthed, Their reactions ranged from disgust at the idea of a jazz act living amongst them, to secret admiration.

Roxie continued until she turned the corner. The she hailed a cab, and settled down into her seat, preparing herself for the onslaught she would receive from her manager.

Hope you liked it! I've just read , it is so good! Lauren, you rule!