Deadly Overtures: A Music Lover's Mystery

by Sarah Fox

  “Cute kid,” I said when I noticed a framed photo of a young girl on the detective’s desk. She had dark curly hair and a big smile with dimples. “Is she your daughter?”

  A shadow passed across Van den Broek’s face. “Yes.”

  The way he said that one word told me the subject was off bounds. Maybe he was divorced and didn’t get to see his daughter anymore. Whatever the case was, he clearly didn’t want to talk about it. I glanced around for Detective Chowdhury, but it seemed he wouldn’t be joining us, and I counted that as a stroke of bad luck. Spending time alone with Van den Broek wouldn’t be a barrel of laughs.

  Deciding it would be best to get our conversation going so it could end as soon as possible, I sat down and jumped right into what I had to tell him.

  “There’s something that’s been bothering me lately. Something about Pavlina’s body,” I explained. “I couldn’t figure out what it was until last night. You see, she wore a charm bracelet on her right wrist. She was wearing it on the evening she was killed, but when Mikayla Deinhardt and I found her body, it was missing.”

  The detective’s face revealed nothing, no interest or lack thereof, no indication of whether this information was new to him or not.

  Undeterred, I continued. “I don’t know if the bracelet was found at the scene of the crime or not. But if it wasn’t, that could mean the killer removed it. And if that’s what happened, there must be some significance to it.”

  Van den Broek tapped his fingers against the desktop in a slow, steady beat. “As I recall,” he said after several seconds, “you’d never meant Ms. Nicolova before the composing competition started.”

  “That’s right,” I confirmed. “I’d heard about her, of course, but I’d never seen her in person before.”

  Van den Broek nodded, his fingers still maintaining their steady rhythm. “And yet you feel certain she was wearing a specific bracelet on the night of her death.”

  “Because I saw it on her wrist earlier that evening,” I said, barely muted impatience hovering beneath my words.

  “And that was something you took enough notice of to realize that it was missing later that night.”

  I didn’t miss the skepticism in his voice.

  “Yes. Eventually.”

  I wanted to say more. I wanted to clench my teeth in frustration, but I refrained from doing either.

  Van den Broek finally ceased the drumming of his fingers, but his face remained devoid of expression and he said nothing, studying me silently from across his desk.

  I refused to squirm beneath his gaze, meeting it head-on instead. “It may or may not be important,” I said, although I definitely believed that it was significant. “I simply thought I should share with you what I’d noticed.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  His tone of voice didn’t match his words, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

  Pushing my chair back, I got to my feet. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”

  Walking with me toward the reception area, Van den Broek said, “We’re working hard to solve this case, Ms. Bishop, despite what you might think.”

  I stopped short in the hallway and faced him. “I never suggested otherwise, Detective. I would have thought you’d want people to share any information they might have, no matter how significant or insignificant it turns out to be.”

  “We do.”

  “Hmph” was the only sound I could come up with in response.

  One corner of Van den Broek’s mouth twitched. I didn’t know if it was a sign of growing anger or if he was fighting a smile, but I highly suspected it was the former.

  “I simply don’t want civilians getting in the way of our official investigation,” he said.

  “All I’ve done is share my observations.”

  “And as I said, I appreciate that.” He sounded no more sincere than the first time he’d said those words. “I hope you’ll continue to do no more than observe.”

  Not bothering to respond, I pushed through the door to the reception area and left the station without looking back. Once I was safely closed away in my car, I let out a growl of frustration. That man was infuriating. What he had against me, I didn’t know, although I suspected it was something he had against people in general rather than just me.

  Whatever his problem was, I’d told him what I knew, and that left me with a clear conscience. If I found myself in possession of any further information that needed to be shared with the authorities, I’d do my best to share it with Detective Chowdhury, because I had no desire to speak with Detective Van den Broek ever again.

  Chapter Twenty

  ALTHOUGH I LEFT the police station with an imaginary gray cloud hovering over my head, courtesy of Detective Van den Broek, my mood had improved by the time I reached JT’s house. I was looking forward to my afternoon of teaching. Working with my students—both children and adults—was enjoyable and rewarding for me, at least most of the time. Whether I was teaching, playing with the orchestra, or practicing on my own, music had a way of calming and relaxing me, and I was glad to have something to take my mind off my conversation with the less-than-agreeable detective.

  I had some time to spare before my first student would arrive and I was pleased to find that JT was at home. He appeared along with Finnegan when I let myself into the house.

  “Hey, guys,” I said as I gave Finnegan a pat on the head.

  “How’s your day going so far?” JT asked as I shed my coat and hat, storing them in the closet.

  “I stopped by the police station,” I replied. “That wasn’t exactly thrilling, but otherwise things are fine. How about you?”

  “I’m fine, but why were you at the police station?”

  I didn’t miss the suspicion in his eyes. “Just sharing some information.”

  Before he could become any more suspicious, I filled him in on what I’d remembered about Pavlina’s charm bracelet.

  “Why would the killer want to take her bracelet?” JT asked once I’d finished.

  “I don’t know. But if I did know, I bet I’d be a lot further ahead with this investigation.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out before too long.”

  Although I detected a hint of good-natured exasperation in his words, I was pleased by his belief in me. Maybe it was confidence in my nosiness more than anything, but I chose to see it as a compliment.

  Digging around in my tote bag, I pulled out a container holding the sandwich I’d packed that morning before leaving home. “Are you going to be around for a bit?” I asked, hoping I’d have his company while I ate.

  “Actually, I have to go out in a few minutes. I’ve got a meeting with the Absolute Zero team. But first,” he continued before I had a chance to comment, “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m thinking of putting together an album of some of my music.”

  My face lit up. “That’s great, JT.”

  I’d been telling him for years that he should get his music out in the world. Yes, his score for Absolute Zero was on television for the world to hear, but he had dozens of compositions unrelated to the sci-fi show that deserved to be heard by the public as well.

  JT dug a flash drive out of the pocket of his jeans. “I picked out the songs I think I want to use, but I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on the song choices and the order.”

  “I’d love to.” I meant it sincerely. I always enjoyed listening to his music, no matter the occasion.

  “Great. Thanks.” He handed me the flash drive. “No rush. I don’t have a real timeline or anything.”

  “I’m so glad you’re doing this. Really.” Something occurred to me then. I held up the flash drive. “What about your new song? Is it on here?”

  “It is.” JT grabbed his coat from th
e foyer closet and pulled it on. He suddenly seemed in more of a hurry to leave. “I’d better get going. I’ll catch you later.”

  “Have a good meeting!” I called after him as he disappeared out the door.

  When he was gone, I addressed Finnegan. “I guess it’s just you and me for the moment.”

  Sitting in the middle of the foyer, Finnegan wagged his tail, a big doggie grin on his face.

  “You’ll keep me company while I eat, right?”

  He gave an enthusiastic bark and raced ahead of me to the kitchen, never one to miss out on the chance to catch any crumbs or other scraps of food that might end up down at his level.

  I tucked JT’s flash drive into my pocket and perched on a stool at the breakfast bar to eat my lunch. I was eager to check out the songs JT had chosen for his album, but that would have to wait until I got home and had access to my laptop. Besides, I wanted to give the selection of songs my full attention, and I couldn’t do that when my first student was due to arrive in less than twenty minutes.

  As I ate my sandwich—giving the occasional tidbit to an appreciative Finnegan—I thought over the puzzle of Pavlina’s missing charm bracelet. The magazine hadn’t held any clues as to the significance of the bracelet, and I doubted I’d find the information I needed online. More likely than not, the only way to figure out who would want to steal the bracelet was to talk with people who knew Pavlina well.

  The easiest person to approach would be Dongmei, but Pavlina had been no more than an acquaintance to her. Still, their paths had crossed more than once over the past few years and Dongmei seemed to know some of the gossip within their circle of young composers. Maybe it was a bit of a stretch to expect her to know anything about a specific piece of Pavlina’s jewelry, but I decided to start with her anyway.

  If she couldn’t help me, I’d move on to someone else. Jeb was the person I figured was most likely to know personal details about Pavlina, but I wasn’t particularly looking forward to that conversation. Recalling how angry he was when he’d found me with his phone, tiny patters of dread waltzed up my spine. If I did approach him with questions about Pavlina, I’d have to make sure I did so at a time when other people were well within shouting distance. I didn’t want him lashing out at me with anything more than words if I managed to trigger his temper again. I needed to remember that he was on my suspect list, and that it was entirely possible he’d killed Pavlina. The killer wouldn’t think too kindly about me poking my nose into the matter, and that was definitely something to keep in mind.

  If JT had known I was considering a chat with Jeb, he would have warned me that it was risky, and I wouldn’t have been able to argue with him. I planned to do my very best to keep myself out of danger, but I was still determined to ferret out the information I needed.

  I tucked those thoughts aside as I finished off my lunch and let Finnegan out in the backyard for a few minutes. When we returned indoors, my first student of the day was letting herself in through the unlocked front door.

  I spent the next several hours focused on my students, and the time passed fairly quickly. By the time I said goodbye to my final student of the day, darkness had fallen. I bundled up and let Finnegan outside again before giving him a goodbye pat and heading out to my car. The evening wasn’t quite as cold as I’d thought it might be, probably because a bank of clouds had moved in, the moon only peeking out occasionally. Still, it definitely wasn’t warm out and I was glad of my cozy coat and my car’s heater.

  Before pulling away from the curb, I sent Dongmei a text message, asking if she knew anything about Pavlina’s charm bracelet. Then I returned my phone to my purse and set off into the night. Although it was my initial intention to head home, I turned left instead of right when I reached Dunbar Street.

  It was Monday evening and I had no concert or rehearsal to attend. On Tuesday night there would be a finale concert, and all the remaining finalists and the judges would be in attendance. The orchestra would play excerpts from each of the top compositions, after which the winner would be announced. Since Jeb would be there that night, I’d originally intended to question him then, if Dongmei’s response to my text message didn’t provide me with the information I was after. But when I was alone with my thoughts again, I realized it made me uneasy to wait that long.

  I knew there was a judges’ meeting scheduled to begin in less than an hour, and that it would take place at the theater. It would give the judges a final chance to confer and decide on the winner. Jeb would be there, and with any luck I’d have a chance to speak with him.

  As I arrived at the theater and pulled into a parking spot behind the building, I had second thoughts. Maybe it would be smarter to go home and wait for a response from Dongmei. Still sitting in my car, I pulled my phone out of my bag. I hadn’t received a reply to my message.

  Tapping my fingers against the steering wheel, I considered my options. I was about to back out of the parking space and head home when my phone buzzed. Shutting off my car’s engine, I checked the device.

  Sorry, I don’t know anything about it, Dongmei had replied. Is it important?

  I’m not sure, I wrote back. I’m hoping to find out.

  Climbing out of my car and locking it up behind me, I hurried across the parking lot and entered the theater through the stage door. The corridors were deserted and almost eerily silent. I made a quick circuit of the backstage hallways on the main floor, but found no one. If the judges were already at the theater, perhaps they were upstairs.

  I made my way up to the second floor, where it was just as quiet as down below. The door to the judges’ lounge stood open, however, and the light was on inside the room. I poked my head around the door frame, but the lounge was empty. Frowning, I checked the time on my phone. The meeting wasn’t scheduled to begin for another twenty minutes or so.

  I took a few steps farther along the hallway to see if Hans was in his office, but the door was shut and locked, and there was no response to my knock. Deciding to wait downstairs for Jeb’s arrival, I turned around and headed for the stairway. As I made my way down toward the main floor, heated voices floated up from below. I slowed my steps, making as little noise as possible, not keen on walking straight into the middle of an argument.

  Although I couldn’t make out any specific words, I could tell that two men were in the midst of a disagreement. They spoke in lowered voices, but I thought one belonged to Ethan and the other perhaps to Jeb, minus his phony accent.

  As I made my way down the last few stairs, I thought I heard the words “threaten me” and “mistake,” spoken by Jeb. Ethan said something fiercely in return, but I couldn’t make out any specifics.

  I stepped off the last stair and almost collided with Jeb. Fury practically radiated off of him and it wouldn’t have surprised me to see steam pouring out of his ears. Ethan had disappeared from sight, and despite the judge’s dark mood, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I’d almost literally run into Jeb.

  He stepped around me, his features still shadowed by anger. Perhaps that should have frightened me, but I didn’t give myself a chance to think about it.

  “Mr. Hartson,” I said, stopping him before he could continue on to the second floor. “I was hoping to ask you something.”

  He stopped on the first step and turned back, towering over me. “Is that right?” His drawl was back in place, but there was a steeliness to his eyes that told me he hadn’t forgotten our previous encounter.

  A shrill note of unease whistled away in the back of my mind, but I ignored it and pressed on. “I was wondering if you knew anything about Pavlina’s charm bracelet.”

  Something shifted in his eyes. The steeliness remained, but now wariness and calculation accompanied it. “Why would you think I’d know anything about some bracelet of hers?” He set the words out carefully, his eyes fixed on my face.

  “Because you were close to her.�
��

  “Was I now?” He stepped down off the stair and I fought the temptation to move back to maintain the same distance between us. “What gave you that idea?”

  I swallowed, but did my best to remain outwardly calm. I didn’t want him to know that he was intimidating me, that my heart was dancing a wild tarantella in my chest. For a split second I considered lying and telling him I’d simply heard rumors, but I discarded that idea. If he was certain he’d kept his relationship with Pavlina a secret from everyone except Olivia, he might know I was lying. In that case, I might get more out of him if I went with the truth.

  “I accidentally overheard you speaking with Olivia Hutchcraft last week. You and Pavlina were in a relationship.”

  Jeb stood very still. A twitch from a muscle in his jaw was the only detectable movement from his entire body. His eyes drilled into me, and I suddenly realized I hadn’t made sure that there were people within shouting distance before starting this conversation. Hopefully there was someone nearby, since the judges’ meeting was set to begin soon, but I couldn’t guarantee that. After all, I hadn’t seen or heard anyone other than Jeb and Ethan since I’d arrived.

  Several seconds passed before Jeb spoke. “You know, eavesdropping on private conversations isn’t something I’d recommend.”

  I did my best to maintain my unruffled demeanor. “Like I said, it was accidental.” That was only a slight stretch of the truth. I hadn’t purposely stumbled upon their conversation, although I could have stopped listening early on.

  “Be that as it may, I suggest you forget about what you heard. I don’t take kindly to threats.”

  “I’m not threatening you,” I said. “And I have no intention of doing so.”

  I wondered if he was so quick to jump to that conclusion because of the argument he’d just had with Ethan. My guess was that the photos Ethan had taken of Jeb’s phone had factored into the conversation.

  “Then what exactly is your intention?” he asked.