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Authors: Julie Thomas
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Tatiana to play for her. Daniel watched closely as she opened the case and lifted out the violin, then he sagged back into his chair. This wasn’t the concert violin; it was probably one she’d had for ages. The girl went through her routine quickly, rosin on the bow, wiping the strings, tuning at the piano with the accompanist, and tightening the screw on the frog, and then she began to play a piece of Mozart.
His attention wandered, and he began to look around the room. A crystal chandelier hung in the center and there were tapestries and paintings on the walls. The carpet was a pinky color, like salmon before his mom cooked it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that the noise had stopped and she was putting the violin back in its case. He was too disappointed to look at her. Instead he wondered if every room in this place had a crystal chandelier and if the architects had argued over which chandelier to put in which room, and then his mind started to calculate how many crystals there might be in all the chandeliers in the whole building—
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go in there.” The doors behind them burst open with a resounding crash, and a man strode in, followed by an agitated, large woman who was trying to stop him. Daniel recognized him instantly as the very tall man he’d seen talking to the maestro during the intermission the night before. He had a glossy black beard, curly black hair, and thick-rimmed glasses that sat halfway down a long nose. He stopped and his gaze swung around the occupants of the room.
“Sir! I must ask you again to leave. Now! There’s a private master class going on in this room—”
Tatiana was hiding the violin case behind her back.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over this building. Play it!” he demanded. His accent was English. She didn’t move, and Daniel wondered why she didn’t just tell him the violin wasn’t the del Gesú.
“I said, play it!” he roared.
She hesitated a second longer, then with a sudden darting movement she leaped slightly sideways, ran around the semicircle of chairs, across the room, and out the door.
“Come back!” It was an explosion of sheer frustration. He turned on his heel and was about to follow her when the woman blocked his path.
“I must protest most strongly, sir. You’ve upset one of our students, and I think you should leave the center now. I’ve called security.”
“Didn’t you hear it? It isn’t the same violin,” Daniel blurted out suddenly in a small but clear voice. The man spun around and looked straight at him. He was clearly angry, and Daniel could feel his own heart racing as the man towered over him.
“What did you say?” he asked sharply.
“I said, it’s not the same violin. As the one she played last night.”
“What do you know about her violins?”
“Nothing. I just know that the one she played today was ordinary.”
“He’s right.” It was one of the other pupils, a girl sitting two seats away from Daniel. “It isn’t the same violin. It sounds totally different.”
The man turned to the woman who’d followed him in. “I’m sorry; please accept my apology for the interruption.”
Chapter 9
D aniel wandered down the steps and into the Grand Foyer. He passed several groups of people, none of whom took any interest in him, so he sat down on the rim of one of the brass planters. It was nearly lunchtime and he wasn’t sure where to go next. Two women walked into the foyer from the Hall of States. One of them was the African American woman he’d seen talking to the maestro during the intermission the night before—she worked here, she might know! The other woman was taller and had really long black hair.
“Excuse me.”
They both turned toward him.
“Yes? Can I help?” asked the African American woman.
“I need to find Maestro Gomez. It’s important.”
“What’s your name?” the other woman asked. Her voice was soft and her eyes
His attention wandered, and he began to look around the room. A crystal chandelier hung in the center and there were tapestries and paintings on the walls. The carpet was a pinky color, like salmon before his mom cooked it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that the noise had stopped and she was putting the violin back in its case. He was too disappointed to look at her. Instead he wondered if every room in this place had a crystal chandelier and if the architects had argued over which chandelier to put in which room, and then his mind started to calculate how many crystals there might be in all the chandeliers in the whole building—
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go in there.” The doors behind them burst open with a resounding crash, and a man strode in, followed by an agitated, large woman who was trying to stop him. Daniel recognized him instantly as the very tall man he’d seen talking to the maestro during the intermission the night before. He had a glossy black beard, curly black hair, and thick-rimmed glasses that sat halfway down a long nose. He stopped and his gaze swung around the occupants of the room.
“Sir! I must ask you again to leave. Now! There’s a private master class going on in this room—”
Tatiana was hiding the violin case behind her back.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over this building. Play it!” he demanded. His accent was English. She didn’t move, and Daniel wondered why she didn’t just tell him the violin wasn’t the del Gesú.
“I said, play it!” he roared.
She hesitated a second longer, then with a sudden darting movement she leaped slightly sideways, ran around the semicircle of chairs, across the room, and out the door.
“Come back!” It was an explosion of sheer frustration. He turned on his heel and was about to follow her when the woman blocked his path.
“I must protest most strongly, sir. You’ve upset one of our students, and I think you should leave the center now. I’ve called security.”
“Didn’t you hear it? It isn’t the same violin,” Daniel blurted out suddenly in a small but clear voice. The man spun around and looked straight at him. He was clearly angry, and Daniel could feel his own heart racing as the man towered over him.
“What did you say?” he asked sharply.
“I said, it’s not the same violin. As the one she played last night.”
“What do you know about her violins?”
“Nothing. I just know that the one she played today was ordinary.”
“He’s right.” It was one of the other pupils, a girl sitting two seats away from Daniel. “It isn’t the same violin. It sounds totally different.”
The man turned to the woman who’d followed him in. “I’m sorry; please accept my apology for the interruption.”
Chapter 9
D aniel wandered down the steps and into the Grand Foyer. He passed several groups of people, none of whom took any interest in him, so he sat down on the rim of one of the brass planters. It was nearly lunchtime and he wasn’t sure where to go next. Two women walked into the foyer from the Hall of States. One of them was the African American woman he’d seen talking to the maestro during the intermission the night before—she worked here, she might know! The other woman was taller and had really long black hair.
“Excuse me.”
They both turned toward him.
“Yes? Can I help?” asked the African American woman.
“I need to find Maestro Gomez. It’s important.”
“What’s your name?” the other woman asked. Her voice was soft and her eyes
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