Hearts Unfold by Karen Welch Page A

answer in Stani's room, Milo asked the desk clerk to check the bar.   Stani was not there, he was told, and the
doorman had not seen him leave during the evening.   Perhaps he had turned off his phone, the
clerk suggested.
    Not completely
satisfied, but with little choice other than to wait until morning, Milo had
gone to bed, planning to call again first thing in the morning.   If necessary, he would have Robert go to the
hotel to check Stani's room.   He felt
certain Stani would never do anything to harm himself, but it was possible that
if he had been drinking he might have fallen.   He would never forgive himself if something had happened to the boy, all
because he had wanted some time away.
    At seven, he
called the hotel.   Still no answer in
Stani's room, but this time he was told a member of the hotel staff had
recalled seeing Stani in the bar around four-thirty the previous
afternoon.   He had left the hotel with a
lady, a very stylish young lady.   No one
could recall seeing him return.   Would
Milo like for security to check the room?
    The result was
the discovery that Stani had indeed been gone all night.   In his room, they found only his bag, never
unpacked, and his violin.   There were two
telephone messages, which had come in before his arrival, one from Jana and one
from someone named Betsy.   Milo phoned
Robert at his hotel, asking if he had heard from Stani, already sure of the
answer.
    Who Betsy might
be, Milo had no idea.   He had never known
much about the young people Stani had met since returning from the world tour
over a year ago.   He had encouraged the
boy to go out, to join in the night life New York was famous for.   He felt it would be good for Stani's career
to keep his name before the public; it might even attract a broader
following.   Stani was an appealing young
man now, with his elegant figure and his striking auburn hair.   Certainly, women of all ages found him
attractive.   After concerts all over the
world, eager fans, many of them young girls, flocked around the stage doors
seeking autographs.   In some cases, there
had even been overzealous fans who sought to get closer, to touch him or place
some token in his hand.   But as far as
Milo was aware, there had never been one particular girl.
    It was
possible, as the desk clerk implied, that Stani had left the hotel with a call
girl.   Milo had never known him to use prostitutes.   He rarely spent much of the generous
allowance he received every month.   But
if he had been feeling rebellious after being so harshly scolded, he might have
done something out of character, just to prove that he was his own man.   At twenty-one, Stani had yet to declare his
independence, seemingly satisfied to let Milo direct his every step, not only
in his career, but in every aspect of his life.
    Milo called the
hotel again, this time requesting the telephone numbers of the mysterious
Betsy.   No answer at the first number, he
dialed the second.   An answering service
operator informed him that Miss Mason, who was available for auditions the week
after Christmas, had not picked up her messages since noon yesterday.   Milo left a message, stating that he was
Stani Moss's manager and to please return the call as soon as possible.   He hesitated to say that the matter was
urgent, but he was more and more concerned that it might be.
    They waited all
morning, he and Jana, huddled together near the phone in their hotel room.   Milo wanted to return immediately to New
York, but Jana urged him to at least wait until one o'clock.   If Stani failed to appear at the church for
his rehearsal, they would have real cause for alarm.   At one ten the call came from Robert.   He had gone to the church as instructed.   Stani was not there.   What did Milo want him to do next?   They agreed that Robert would inform the
music director that Stani had been taken ill.   Nothing serious.   He would
definitely be able to make the performance