A Note Before Dying

Book One in the Mara Solomon Series

Adam Cole

Part Thirty-Four

(C) 2020 Adam Cole

Published by Nuncici Press, an imprint of Adam Cole Works LLC

Mara sat across from Randle at the Brick Store Pub.  It had grown steamy as June began to hint at approaching July.

“So you can’t hold him?” Mara asked, incredulous.

“Well, we can get him for a few things,” said Randle, “but he covered his tracks really well.  We still can’t connect him directly to the murders.  His lawyer’s making a good case for his possession of the firearm, which wasn’t the same one that killed Adastra, and they’re using the fact of your mother’s history of confusion.”

“Of course she was confused!  She thought he was the dishwasher man!”

Randle shrugged, helplessly.  “He’s claiming you both attacked him.  How is your mother?”

“Fine,” Mara sighed.  “About the same as ever, except with a bruise on her head.”

“I’m sorry,” Randle said.  “I followed him all the way to your place from the airport.  I watched the two of you talking on the phone, but he didn’t threaten you.  Then he led me here, but I didn’t know it was your mother’s place.  She let him in willingly, and I didn’t really know what was happening even after you pulled up.  I was beginning to wonder if you might have been a part of what he was doing.”

“That’s what he wanted, too,” Mara said, wryly.

“Okay, explain this to me again,” said Randle.  “He was involved in some kind of forgery?”

“Yes,” Mara said.  “He was trying to fabricate a fragment of a Mozart Concerto, the Concerto for Flute and Harp.  Mozart only wrote one piece for the harp, and so anyone that discovers more Mozart material for the harp is guaranteed to get famous quick.”

“Why would he have killed someone over a piece of music?”

“He was worried about his reputation,” Mara explained.  “He wrote this little piece to sound as much like Mozart as he could, and sent it to the harpist, Symon Tweak in Sheffield.  Tweak was supposed to check the piece for errors and take care of the creation of the actual forgery.  Which he did.  He found some tiny mistakes that Page hadn’t anticipated, and he corrected them in the actual forgery.  But I think he lost his nerve.”

“That why he sent the piece to Adastra?” Randle asked, scratching his chin inquisitively.

“Yes,” Mara agreed.  “Adastra was in on it.  She had debts to pay, and she made an unwholesome deal with Page.  He had confided in her and she had realized that playing this supposed Mozart piece could make her reputation.  She was taking care of herself.

“But she had a change of heart at some point.  So she called Symon Tweak for help because she knew he had proof of the fake.  Tweak didn’t want Adastra to suffer.  He sent proof of the forgery to her: the original in Page’s handwriting, with the unplayable harp-parts in it.  If that were to get out before the announcement of the discovery, the game would be up.”

“What about the copy he sent to the Maestro?” Randle wanted to know.

“I think Reanne was trying to do the right thing,” Mara said. “Instead of just blowing Page’s cover, Adastra must have tried to convince him to stop the whole thing.  Page demanded she give him back the manuscript.  Only there was another copy!  Reanne had asked Tweak to send a second copy to Maestro Spanni, who must have been nice enough to give her the combination to his mailbox so that no one could find it in hers.  When Page threatened her, she told him about the second manuscript, but she kept its location to herself.”

“What about the little piece she wrote?  The one you deciphered for us?”

“I think Adastra suspected that Page might be dangerous, but I don’t think she really understood what he might do until he was on his way to her apartment.  She couldn’t call the police because she was still involved.  She needed to tell someone where the manuscripts were in case the worst happened.  So she scrawled out her help-note and left it for us to find.”

“And it worked,” said the Detective.  “Page didn’t notice.  He dragged her out of there without realizing she had left the information behind.  It was lucky for us you knew how to decipher her piece!”

“Well, I had help,” Mara admitted.

“And you had to go all the way to Sheffield to get your answers,” Randle said, grinning a little, “which were right here.”

“Yes,” Mara said, her face falling.  “And I led Page there right after me.  Poor Mr. Tweak!  Artie knew you were investigating him and he was following you.  I guess when he heard us talking about the harp piece he decided to get close to me.  He was with me when it became clear that Adastra had received some kind of message. Once Artie found out where I was going, he beat me to Tweak and tried to force the information out of him.  Tweak told him about the manuscript, but not the combination.  Artie might have let Tweak live if I hadn’t blundered in there.”

“I hope they find some evidence over there to nail him for that,” muttered Randle.  “I should have been watching you much more closely.” 

Mara shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee.  “Anyway,” Mara said, “his reputation’s ruined now.  He’s not going to show his face again.”

“Listen, Mara,” said the Detective, “You did really well.”

“Thank you, Detective,” Mara said, trying not to blush.  “I’m sorry about lifting evidence.”

Randle smiled.  “You didn’t think it was a little odd, my leaving you there alone like that?”

Mara’s face brightened in surprise.  “You trusted me?”  The detective did not answer, but his silent grin sufficed.  “That was sweet of you Detective Randle!”

“Look,” Randle said, scratching the back of his head.  “Call me Mitch, okay?”

“All right, Mitch.”

“Ehhh, I was wondering.”

“Yes, Mitch?”

“Even though this case is over, it’d be nice to see you again.  Can I call you sometime?”

Mara smiled wryly.  “I appreciate that, Detective, but it’s not really a good time.”  She sighed and looked away.  “I’m just getting over a complicated relationship.”

  Detective Randle’s presence faded like a scene in a movie.  Sensing that he had somehow been dismissed, he made his excuses and left Mara alone to her thoughts.

She saw Reanne in her mind.  Her friend was smiling at her.  It was as though she’d felt she’d earned the friendship back.  “I did it for you, Reanne,” she said to the image.

No, girl, you did it for you, Reanne replied.

More about A Note Before Dying

Mara Solomon is a musicologist, not a detective.  She has no idea that she’s about to take on a murder case.  

In an unexpected visit to the Decatur Police Station she discovers that her estranged friend, the harpist Reanne Adastra, has been brutally beaten to death, her body left to rot in the South River.  The only clue to the movie seems to be a piece of music, scrawled by Adastra before her death and left behind.  The police have no idea what to make of that.

But Mara thinks she knows.

Adam Cole is the host of TruerMU where he interviews celebrities and up-and-coming musicians and creatives.  His guests have included Shawn Mullins, Liberty Devitto and Rick Beato, among many others.  A jazz and classical pianist, Adam’s numerous fiction and non-fiction titles engage readers with the truth about music.  Visit Adam at www.acole.net

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