must. Until then, I’m otherwise occupied.”
She turned for the door, her pace unhurried, her head held high.
“We’ll be expecting you,” Van den Broek called after her, his tone suggesting she’d better make good on her word.
The detectives exchanged a weighty glance, and then Van den Broek’s eyes fell on me. A hint of a frown pulled at his mouth, but I didn’t avert my gaze. Maybe he thought I was a snoop for listening in, but it wasn’t my fault I’d overheard the exchange with Elena. The detectives hadn’t exactly chosen a private spot for it.
After another second of attempting to stare me down, Van den Broek strode out of the room, his partner by his side. When they were gone I turned to face Dongmei, whose eyes were as wide as my own must have been.
“What do you think that was all about?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said.
But I wanted to find out.
Chapter Nine
S EVERAL MUSICIANS TRICKLED into the lounge over the next few minutes. I hesitated by my locker, not sure if I should stick around and chat with my friends or go off in search of Elena. While part of me wanted to make sure she was okay after her encounter with the police—in case her unflappable demeanor was an act—I mostly wanted to know what the heck was going on. As usual, my curiosity got the upper hand, and I left all my belongings behind as I headed off on my search. Although I had trouble picturing Elena crying in a bathroom stall, I decided to check the nearest women’s washroom first, just in case. I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find her there.
Not wanting to linger in the spot where Mikayla and I had found Pavlina’s body, I quickly retreated from the washroom and set off down the hall toward the back of the building. As I reached the foot of the stairway leading to the second floor, my search came to an end. Elena descended the stairs toward me, as cool and collected as ever. Whether or not the imposing detectives had instilled any anxiety beneath her haughty façade, I didn’t know, but if anyone could remain completely undaunted by them, it was Elena.
“Is everything all right?” I asked when she reached the foot of the stairs.
Her blue eyes rested on me for a second or two before she responded. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Not waiting for a response, she brushed past me and continued on toward the lounge.
I watched her go, wondering if I should follow her and see if I could get something more out of her. It only took me a fraction of a second to decide that would be a waste of time. Elena only ever shared what she wanted to share, and she wasn’t about to confide in me.
That didn’t put an end to my quest for information though. It wasn’t hard to guess why she’d been up on the second floor.
Jogging up the stairs, I turned to the left and followed another hallway until I reached Hans’s office. The door stood ajar, and the orchestra’s conductor was seated at his desk, his forehead furrowed and a frown on his face. He seemed lost in thought, and didn’t notice my presence until I tapped on the door frame.
“Midori.” He sat up straighter. “Come in.”
I stepped into the office and shut the door all but a crack behind me.
“What’s going on with Elena?” I asked without preamble.
Hans let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. “Nothing to worry about.”
I plunked myself down in a spare chair. “You look worried.”
He regarded me in silence for a moment or two before running a hand through his blond hair. “You’re right. I am worried. We can’t afford to lose our concertmaster, especially not right in the middle of the season.”
“Are we in danger of losing her?”
He hesitated, and I knew he was about to shut me out.
I jumped in before he had a chance to do that. “I know the police want to question her. I was there when they talked to her a few minutes ago. Does she know something about Pavlina’s death?”
Hans eyed the door, as if worried we might be
She turned for the door, her pace unhurried, her head held high.
“We’ll be expecting you,” Van den Broek called after her, his tone suggesting she’d better make good on her word.
The detectives exchanged a weighty glance, and then Van den Broek’s eyes fell on me. A hint of a frown pulled at his mouth, but I didn’t avert my gaze. Maybe he thought I was a snoop for listening in, but it wasn’t my fault I’d overheard the exchange with Elena. The detectives hadn’t exactly chosen a private spot for it.
After another second of attempting to stare me down, Van den Broek strode out of the room, his partner by his side. When they were gone I turned to face Dongmei, whose eyes were as wide as my own must have been.
“What do you think that was all about?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said.
But I wanted to find out.
Chapter Nine
S EVERAL MUSICIANS TRICKLED into the lounge over the next few minutes. I hesitated by my locker, not sure if I should stick around and chat with my friends or go off in search of Elena. While part of me wanted to make sure she was okay after her encounter with the police—in case her unflappable demeanor was an act—I mostly wanted to know what the heck was going on. As usual, my curiosity got the upper hand, and I left all my belongings behind as I headed off on my search. Although I had trouble picturing Elena crying in a bathroom stall, I decided to check the nearest women’s washroom first, just in case. I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find her there.
Not wanting to linger in the spot where Mikayla and I had found Pavlina’s body, I quickly retreated from the washroom and set off down the hall toward the back of the building. As I reached the foot of the stairway leading to the second floor, my search came to an end. Elena descended the stairs toward me, as cool and collected as ever. Whether or not the imposing detectives had instilled any anxiety beneath her haughty façade, I didn’t know, but if anyone could remain completely undaunted by them, it was Elena.
“Is everything all right?” I asked when she reached the foot of the stairs.
Her blue eyes rested on me for a second or two before she responded. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Not waiting for a response, she brushed past me and continued on toward the lounge.
I watched her go, wondering if I should follow her and see if I could get something more out of her. It only took me a fraction of a second to decide that would be a waste of time. Elena only ever shared what she wanted to share, and she wasn’t about to confide in me.
That didn’t put an end to my quest for information though. It wasn’t hard to guess why she’d been up on the second floor.
Jogging up the stairs, I turned to the left and followed another hallway until I reached Hans’s office. The door stood ajar, and the orchestra’s conductor was seated at his desk, his forehead furrowed and a frown on his face. He seemed lost in thought, and didn’t notice my presence until I tapped on the door frame.
“Midori.” He sat up straighter. “Come in.”
I stepped into the office and shut the door all but a crack behind me.
“What’s going on with Elena?” I asked without preamble.
Hans let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. “Nothing to worry about.”
I plunked myself down in a spare chair. “You look worried.”
He regarded me in silence for a moment or two before running a hand through his blond hair. “You’re right. I am worried. We can’t afford to lose our concertmaster, especially not right in the middle of the season.”
“Are we in danger of losing her?”
He hesitated, and I knew he was about to shut me out.
I jumped in before he had a chance to do that. “I know the police want to question her. I was there when they talked to her a few minutes ago. Does she know something about Pavlina’s death?”
Hans eyed the door, as if worried we might be
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