Cortez the Killer?

Another new twist in the murder of an Upper East Side dancer-stripper: The second boyfriend, Paul Cortez, apparently made seven phone calls to Catherine Woods before her murder, but none afterwards. Other reports do not pinpoint Cortez as the caller, but Cortez's father told reporters that his son was having problems with his cellphone around Thanksgiving...hmm. The Post reports that a few of Cortez's ex-girlfriends told the police he could be violent, and reporters had staked out Cortez's apartment last night for comments, but he just said, "Just give me a couple days." (The Daily News noted he had just purchased some chicken, rice and beans.)

The Post looks at the world of big dreams (Broadway!) and the reality (stripping) for many women who come to the city. One says, "I wish I never got into it. But it gets addictive, like a drug. After this, you can't picture yourself going back to a normal job."