Wolf Tones (Standalone Psychological Thriller)

by JJ Marsh

  Still puffing from his run, Rolf opened his hands as if asking her to work it out for herself.

  “Well?” she demanded

  “Take a wild guess,” he said.

  Her expression was cold. “Why would you go out for a run, leaving that cat in here? Have you no sense of responsibility whatsoever? What is the matter with you?”

  Despite the sweat on his forehead, a chill wafted across Rolf’s neck. “Where is the cat?”

  “How should I know? I just got home and took a shower. That animal is your responsibility, not mine.”

  Rolf kicked off his trainers and went looking for Blue. The cat wasn’t on the sofa where he had left him, on the balcony chair, in the kitchen or in the master bedroom. He went into the bathroom and checked the spare room. There was no trace of his black furry form. A seismic rage built. She was trying to destabilise him, blowing hot and cold until he broke and begged her forgiveness. If she’d done something to Blue, he would never forgive her. His fury froze to a cold stillness, rooting him to the spot. He believed her perfectly capable of killing a small animal to make a vengeful point. What was wrong with him?

  At that moment, he heard a movement above his head. On top of the wardrobe, nestled amongst Rolf’s winter hats, Blue lifted his head to look down at the intruding human. Relief washed over him and he returned to the living room where Leonor was stretched out on the sofa, drinking red wine.

  “There you are, darling!” she muted the TV and reached out a hand. “Come and have a glass of wine with me and tell me all about your rehearsal.”

  He hesitated for a second, inhaling the scent of her jasmine perfume and aware of his sweaty T-shirt. She drew in her legs so he could sit beside her and beckoned. He sat, wary of her sudden change in mood but prepared to play nice.

  “I should shower first.”

  “You can do that before bed. Rehearsals? Did you have a good day? I was telling Le Duc about how hard you’re working. He said that in his opinion, Salzburg is lucky to have you. Wasn’t that sweet of him?”

  The very mention of Le Duc set his teeth on edge, but he smiled. “Very kind, yes. Also kind of him to give you those earrings. They look expensive. What was the occasion?”

  She rubbed her foot along his thigh. “Nothing special. He was just glad to see me. And you? Are you glad to see me?” Her expression was tender.

  He caught her foot and massaged it. “Of course I’m pleased to see you. The last few days have been a bit unsettling, that’s all.”

  “Mmm, that feels good,” she breathed, flexing her foot. “Just the right amount of pressure and you never tickle. Must be your magical hands.”

  This was dangerous territory. If he didn’t break the moment, she would want to take things further. He gave her foot a squeeze and replaced it on the sofa, heaving himself upright. “Right, for me it’s a shower and an early night.”

  “Don’t bother. I like it when you’re sweaty. Let’s take the rest of the wine and go to bed.”

  He stared at her. “Leonor, we agreed. In a matter of days, I will play one of the most important concerts of my life. That’s why I’m focusing all my energy into my work. No alcohol, uninterrupted sleep, healthy diet and zero stress. By the way, I found Blue.”

  She turned up the volume on the TV and fixed her gaze on the screen. “That is fabulous news. Truly, I couldn’t be happier.”

  Rolf went into the kitchen to pour a glass of water, coaching himself to say good night and return to the spare room. A thought made him pause. She had showered before going out. Why would she need a second shower as soon as she got home? Somehow, he couldn’t help one last prod. “Listen, I’ve been feeling pretty awful all day and I need an early night. I’m going to sleep in the spare room. How did it go with your friend this evening?”

  She didn’t answer. She didn’t even turn her head to look at him.

  He tried again. “You said you were meeting a girlfriend. Where did you go for your drink?”

  She gazed at the television, apparently enthralled by some nature programme.

  “Leonor? I asked you a question.”

  “What? Oh, it was fine.”

  Rolf waited a beat. “Which bar did you go to?”

  She shrugged. “Can’t remember. Hey, I’m at the stables tomorrow, so it looks like you’re eating takeaway again.”

  As if he was so helpless he could not look after himself. “Like I said, healthy lifestyle, which means no takeaways or junk food. I need to make the sacrifice for my career.”

  Leonor turned off the TV and stood up to face him. Her expression told him all he needed to know. He was in trouble.

  “Sacrifice? That’s an interesting word. Yes, you are going to make a sacrifice for the sake of your career. That’s where I was this evening, making certain arrangements. You see, Max Hofmeister has taken a personal interest in you. He’d like you to play for him. A private concert, so to speak. He’s in a position to advance your career, cut short your probation and get you promoted so ... What was that phrase you used about the quartet? Oh yes. It would be very bad form to refuse.” Her smile was triumphant.

  “What do you mean, a private concert?”

  She reached for her phone, scrolling down the screen. “You’re going to play, just for him. He has something intimate in mind. Something like this.” She turned the screen towards him, displaying a photograph.

  Rolf stared, uncomprehending and horrified. The image was of him. Lying on his back, naked, his cello between his legs and the bow in his right hand. His eyes were closed and his mouth slack.

  “W-when did you take that?” he stammered, but he already knew the answer. The champagne cocktail last night, the hangover and light sensitivity this morning, the unclasped cello case.

  She smiled sweetly, watching him work it out for himself. Leonor was planning to sell him to Hofmeister.

  He stumbled backwards, the sweat on his chest like iced water. “Are you out of your mind? You expect me to pimp myself for the sake of a step up in classical music? Are you insane?”

  Something changed in the atmosphere as if a cloud just obscured the sun. She shook her head, dismissing his words. “Playing naked for Hofmeister will be nowhere near as painful as pimping yourself for drugs. Don’t make any plans for Sunday evening, will you?”

  “No way. Absolutely not. How can you even think of ...?”

  She cut him off. “Let me ask you something. Did you enjoy your sessions with Jakobisku? Sure, he taught you a lot, but he’s not a pleasant individual up close and personal, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Rolf’s nails dug into his palms, dreading what she was going to say. Those interminable afternoons in Jakobisku’s parlour. Hours of criticism and contempt had always left Rolf feeling hopeless and in some way, rather disgusted by his tutor. The man was repulsive.

  “He’s a friend of the family, has been for years. He gave up tutoring new pupils five years before I met you. Mama asked me to persuade him into taking on a new student and I did. Jakobisku wasn’t interested in financial reward, oh no. He wanted a different kind of quid pro quo. I saved your soul by selling my body. Let me spell that out for you, Rudolf. I paid for your tuition by screwing the filthy old pervert. So don’t you dream of using terms like ‘pimping yourself’ because I’ve already been there. I whored myself to put you where you are and I don’t regret it. So tell me again about sacrifice, Little Prince.”

  But Rolf was already rushing to the bathroom to empty the acidic contents of his stomach into the toilet.

  16

  His mobile was ringing. For a moment his brain froze, unable to comprehend why he felt so exhausted, what day of the week it was or why he was in the spare room. His gaze rested on Blue and he remembered. The phone display showed the caller was Trudi. Rolf answered.

  “Trudi, hello?”

  “Did I wake you? It’s nearly 10 o’clock, I thought you’d already be up.”

  “I didn’t sleep so well. Why are you calling me on a Saturday mornin
g?”

  Trudi didn’t answer his question. “Are you on your own?”

  “What do you mean?” Rolf was playing for time. He knew perfectly well what Trudi meant and wasn’t sure how to answer. If it was almost 10 o’clock, Leonor should have left the house over an hour ago. Unless she’d been lying about the stables. He got out of bed and opened the door.

  Trudi tutted with impatience. “What I mean is, are you alone? Or is Leonor there?”

  The apartment was silent and an empty coffee cup sat on the kitchen surface. Yet Rolf knew better than to trust appearances. “Give me a second to check,” he told Trudi.

  Leonor’s keys were missing from the table by the door and he couldn’t see her handbag. Just in case, he checked bathroom, balcony, bedroom and even in the wardrobe. She wasn’t home. He blocked out any recollection of last night’s conversation. No way could he process any of that yet. Blue sashayed out of the spare room, yowling for his breakfast.

  “Trudi, you still there? I’m alone, apart from this noisy cat. What’s up?”

  At the other end of the line, Trudi spoke to someone else. “He’s got your cat!” A voice could be heard in the background, but it wasn’t distinct enough for Rolf to understand the words. Trudi addressed him again. “Rolf, listen. Anton is here. The police released him first thing this morning, but he’s not crazy about returning to his apartment. Can you come over? There have been some developments.”

  Elation filled Rolf as he crouched to shake kibble into Blue’s bowl. “Released without charge, I assume?”

  “Yep. How soon can you get over here?”

  “Half an hour? Do you want me to bring Blue?”

  Trudi conferred with Anton. “No, he’s better off staying there. See you soon!”

  He ended the call and got dressed, excited and nervous about seeing Anton again. As he passed the ground floor apartment, he was surprised to see it was no longer taped shut or covered with police warnings. They must have been here very early to remove their cordons. He hesitated, wondering whether to bring Blue down so he could go out into the gardens. He made up his mind to do that as soon as he got home. Now was time to leave.

  Forty-five minutes later, Rolf arrived at Trudi’s apartment block and took the lift to the fifth floor. His palms were sweaty. Trudi opened the door with a grin and welcomed him inside. There was Anton, sitting at the kitchen table, wearing a kimono and a rueful expression.

  Rolf stood just inside the doorway, with no idea of how he should react. He waited for Anton to give him a clue.

  “Thanks for coming. It’s been a very weird couple of days.” Anton’s voice was soft. “I’m grateful that you’re taking care of Blue for me.”

  Relief lightened Rolf. “Are you okay? We’ve all been so worried. None of us believed it was true, not even for a second. We know you better than that, right, Trudi?”

  Trudi was making coffee and didn’t turn around. “Right. But wait till you hear the latest. Have a seat.”

  While her back was to them, Rolf asked a question with his eyes. He flicked a glance at Trudi then focused on Anton with raised eyebrows. Anton shook his head.

  “As I said, it’s been a very weird couple of days. Yesterday was the weirdest of the lot. It seems the police released the information that I’d been accused but not the name of my accuser. Of course not. Just between us, I can tell you that the person who made those allegations was my ex-pupil, Dieter Fitz.”

  “Dieter? The maestro’s godson? You’re not serious?” Rolf shook his head in disbelief.

  Trudi set a pot of coffee and three cups on the table. “You know this kid?” she asked Rolf.

  Before he could reply, Anton continued. “Yes, Rolf knows this kid because Leonor is now his teacher. I had too many students and not enough free time. When Leonor told me she was looking for work, it made sense she coach some of my violin pupils. I spoke to the last three I’d taken on and their parents, asking if they would mind changing tutor. In each case, I promised that if it didn’t work out, I would be happy to resume their tuition.”

  Rolf studied his face, which was greyer and more drawn than the last time he’d seen him. The very essence of Anton was sunshine, warmth and life. Now he seemed to have aged a decade in four days. Unshaven and wearing a silvery satin dressing-gown, he gave every impression of defeat.

  “Hang on,” said Rolf. “You asked Dieter to change tutors? Not the other way round?”

  Anton rested his arms on the table and stared into his cup of coffee. “No, not the other way round. Why would you think that?”

  Rolf regretted his question and shrugged, shaking his head. The kitchen had gone very quiet. The sounds of traffic and children’s voices playing in the park floated in through the windows, but between the three of them, all was still.

  Anton looked at Rolf, his gaze steady as if he was waiting for the penny to drop. “In that case, it really comes down to my word against hers. Unless we could ask Dieter for the truth. The thing is, that’s going to be problematic. You see, under questioning, the boy retracted his allegations and admitted to making everything up. His parents suspended their complaint and the police told me that once they had finished checking the contents of my computer, I would be released without charge. So I spent a second completely unnecessary night in police custody. Early this morning, they told me my digital trail was clean and I was free to go home to my apartment.”

  Trudi shoved Rolf’s cup towards him. “Drink. You’re going to need it.”

  Rolf downed his cooling coffee in a couple of gulps. “So you’re allowed to go free, but don’t want to come back to your apartment?” asked Rolf. “What about Blue?” His emotions puzzled him. Underneath the heartfelt wish that everything would get back to normal for Anton, he sensed relief about the prospect of keeping a distance.

  Seconds ticked past before Anton spoke. “There’s no way I can go back to my apartment this weekend. Until Dieter and his parents withdraw the allegation completely, there will be no official apology and I’m still under suspicion. Even if I’m cleared, the board will want me out. Out of the orchestra, the apartment and ideally, out of Salzburg. Thanks, but no thanks, fuck you very much. I am done with this bullshit. Trudi, you’re an angel to let me turn up here and shower and wash my clothes and crash on your sofa. First chance I get, I am taking you out to dinner. Rolf, maybe you could bring a few of my things over? Much as I love Trudi’s kimono, I don’t plan on wearing it in public.”

  “Of course. I can do that this afternoon.” A pain squeezed Rolf’s chest. “What you going to do in the longer term?”

  “You’re a good mate. And this afternoon would be great because Trudi is going to a jazz concert at Mirabell Gardens. Longer term? Good question. My career here is over so I need to make plans, try to find some work and get a place for me and Blue to live. Short answer, I don’t know yet.” He covered a yawn, his expression infinitely weary.

  Trudi stood up and took Anton’s undrunk coffee from him and poured it down the sink. “Listen to me. You’re exhausted and you need some undisturbed sleep in a quiet place. I’m going to clear up in here and then leave to meet the others for the concert. You’re going to get your head down in my bed for a few hours while Rolf fetches you some clothes. We’ll work something out, I swear. Now you rest and forget the last forty-eight hours. Take a glass of water and close the curtains.” She smiled at Rolf. “I’ll give you my spare key so you can get in while Anton is asleep. When you’ve dropped off his stuff, can you leave the key with him? I’m planning on partying tonight so I may not be back till late, just so as you know.”

  Anton heaved himself to his feet and blew Trudi a kiss. “Thank you both. Where would I be without my friends?” He followed Trudi’s pointed finger and disappeared into her bedroom.

  Her sweet smile morphed into sternness as she faced Rolf. She stepped two paces closer and dropped her voice to an almost noiseless whisper. “Come with me.” She led him through the apartment to the balcony at the front of the
building and closed the door behind them.

  She faced him, her arms folded. “Someone set him up. I think we both know who it was and why.”

  Rolf had no idea what to say. “Trudi, I ...”

  “Anton hasn’t said anything but I’m not stupid. You two were sleeping together, right? I suspected as much that Sunday in the park. Leonor found out and tried to put a stop to it by getting her rival accused of child molestation. How can you stay with such a person, Rolf? She’s a horrible piece of work.”

  “It’s more complicated than that. I owe her my whole career.”

  “No!” Trudi hissed, raising a finger in front of his face. “Doesn’t matter who helped or funded or coached, you owe your career to no one else but yourself. Are you bisexual?”

  Rolf looked over her shoulder at the linden trees rustling in the breeze and tried to answer honestly. “I don’t think so. The thing about Anton is that he’s like me.”

  Trudi raised her eyebrows and drew in her chin.

  “I’m not talking about gender,” Rolf went on. “He and I come from similar backgrounds. We both grew up not knowing if we’d have to do a runner from our apartment in the middle of the night because we couldn’t afford the rent. We’re not the kind of people who become musicians, we just got lucky.”

  “Luck is only part of it. I don’t know about your circumstances, but Anton saw an opportunity and worked his arse off to make the most of it. He could have gone a lot further if he hadn’t been so stubborn about his principles. He doesn’t deserve to have this happen to him. Especially not now.”

  Rolf nodded. “No, he doesn’t.”

  Neither spoke for a moment.

  Trudi moved her face into his sightline. “Do you love her?”

  Rolf answered without thinking. “She’s all I’ve got.”

  “That’s not true – and even if it was, what basis is that ...” She inhaled and tried again. “Ask yourself one question. Can you be yourself? Because when she’s around, I’ve got to say you’re not the same. You are two different people. Rolf the cellist, who’s fun and friendly and good company. Rolf the boyfriend, frightened of his own shadow. I can see why. She’s a viper. I overheard her talking to Hofmeister at the garden party. She said Jun wouldn’t be in the orchestra at all if she wasn’t shagging the conductor. Hofmeister said Jun wasn’t the only one punching above her weight. His exact words were, ‘Rolf Jaro is out of his depth, both as a musician and a man’. That’s when she stomped off in a huff.”