When Hell Freezes Over
Page 38
Using the light, I quickly checked all the instruments, listening through my headset. Then, satisfied with everything, I took a deep breath and flashed twice to stage right. Crossing myself, I started the two midi-ed synth tracks. As their drone rumbled out of the sound system, the wash of blue light came up around me, aided by fog let loose at my feet. The whole keyboard rig glowed.
Deviating from my original plan, I depressed a key on the mellotron, the only instrument, it’s said, where you can sound magnificent playing just a single note. The “three violins” sound soared out into the arena as two overhead spots stabbed down on me.
The roar of the crowd was absolutely deafening.
Acknowledgements
This novel is wholly a work of fiction, but owes a great deal to a large number of very real people.
As always, my wife Vicki was my front line defense, research assistant, fact checker, reader (and corrector!) and more generous with all-round support than anyone could imagine. My son Jan is responsible for the distinctive handwriting used on the cover and throughout the book. Andre Leduc, photographer extraordinare, again provided some incredible images for the cover. Kal Honey and Kim Kho must be mentioned for design and font consultation, as well as my other son, Karel.
The author also would like to thank Craig Collett of Coll Audio in Toronto for advice on backline rentals, and also for appearing on the cover—and he’s not even a keyboard player! In the UK, I relied heavily on the expertise and knowledge of David Younger, Lisa Govan, Bobby Teasdale, Mike Dickson and Mark McAleese for help with the Scottish and law enforcement bits; Martin Smith and John Bradley of Streetly Electronics for all things mellotronic and Elaine Smith and Mary Bradley for Birmingham-centric information.
The following kind people also provided assistance: Lyn Hamilton, Scott Martin, Jamie Goad, Josh and Mike O’Connell, James Bailey, Patricia Gouthro, Louise Pambrun, Dale Lang, Erin Lang, Gary Nagels, Ted Brennan and Raffaella Mio. If I’ve missed anyone, please forgive me!
And as always, at RendezVous Press, Sylvia McConnell and Allister Thompson need to be especially singled out for their insight, dedication and support in making this book a reality.
Any errors in this novel are entirely the author’s own—and have been made despite the very best intentions.
Photo by Andre Leduc
The fact that Rick Blechta has been a musician all his life is clearly apparent in his writing. All four of his novels, Knock on Wood (1992), The Lark Ascending (1993), Shooting Straight in the Dark (2002) and Cemetery of the Nameless (2005), have been critically praised for the insider’s knowledge of the music world. He also edited Dishes to Die For... Again, a collection of recipes by the Crime Writers of Canada.
Rick, who began his professional music career at the age of fourteen, is accomplished on several instruments. After receiving a B. Mus. from McGill University, he formed one of Canada’s finest progressive rock bands, Devotion, after which he taught instrumental music for twenty-three years, and for sixteen years was a member of the faculty at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
For the past fourteen years, Rick has been an active member of the Crime Writers of Canada and was recognized with the Derrick Murdoch Award in 2000 in recognition of his contributions to the organization. He is currently the CWC’s president.
He is married to prominent flutist and educator Vicki Blechta and has two sons.
For more information on Rick’s writing and music, visit his website: www.rickblechta.com. There you’ll also find information on a special contest being held (with some terrific prizes!) to celebrate the release of When Hell Freezes Over.
Victoria Morgan, a classical violin virtuoso, and her devoted piano accompanist are on yet another European tour currently stopping in Vienna.
While playing to a full house, Tory leaves the stage and disappears, leaving behind a puzzled (and angry) audience. Why would a professional so intent on maintaining her ascendant career do something so damaging?
Tory’s decision to leave proves to be especially fatal to her career, since it is tied to the brutal murder of a high profile Viennese figure.
The action is set around the appearance of a mysterious score for a recently discovered violin concerto of incredible worth. Is it truly by Beethoven as the owner claims, and will Tory be the first to debut this dream violin piece? And who is finding it worth killing for?
“This new novel by Rick Blechta is excellent. Whether it’s the terrific plot or the spectacular location, or just plain good writing, the book is hard to put down.” -The Globe and Mail
424 pages / ISBN 1-894917-17-0 / Cdn. $16.95, U.S. $14.95
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program.
RENDEZVOUS PRESS an imprint of Napoleon Publishing
Printed in Canada
11 09 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Blechta, Rick When hell freezes over / Rick Blechta.
(RendezVous crime) ISBN 1-894917-41-3 (pbk.)
I. Title. II. Series. PS8553.L3969W44 2006 C813'.54 C2006-903893-7