The phone rang again. Beck leaned over and said, "Its from Gobs this time. You should answer it." I took the phone and accepted the call, putting it on speaker.

"Hello," I asked, eyes on the road. We were approaching the apartment and I couldn't wait to see what he and Julie had accomplished today. I had only a managed to secure the paper from Peter (well, that and the other document, but it seemed like a dead end). I hadn't had time look at it yet.

Hopefully it's something.

"Hey, Stephanie. I know this is last minute but I thought we could meet at a restaurant to discuss what we found. We're starving and I think it's best to switch things up in the long run so we're not caught."

"Hmm. Yeah that makes sense. Where do you want to meet?"

"Well see you at the Starving Artist in twenty."

I agreed and we hung up. I turned to Becker. "Have any idea what the heck the 'Starving Artist' is?"

He gave me a grin. "Its only the best place ever!" I rolled my eyes as he went on about how cool and cheap it was.

College students.

We turned south and I listened to his directions, his arms gesturing wildly as he described it.


We stepped inside the establishment.

Well, he didn't lie.

If there was a musical equivalent to a sports bar, this would probably be it.

The walls were decorated with instruments and memorablia in the form of music sheets and signed records, amongst other things. The theme seemed to be a mix between art deco and 50's diner. It worked somehow. Mabye.

A waitress who, I could only assume was goth, approached us.

"Hello," she said cheerfully, "party of one?"

I almost corrected her about the one but shut my mouth before I pointed out the invisible man next to me. He was becoming too real.

I smiled. "Actually, I'm meeting some friends. So a table for...three please."

She lead us to a part of the restaurant that seemed to focus on classical music. We sat down and I thanked her again as she placed some menus on the table.

"Yes! This is my favorite part of the restaurant." He vibrated with happiness as the sounds of violins and other instruments assaulted my ears.

"You, ah, really like this place huh? Are you a music connoisseur or something?"

That have him pause. He stated at me then bopped himself on the head with the palm of his hand. "Oh, right. It feels like we're so close now. I'd forgotten you know next to nothing about me. I'm actually- was- a music major. It was my passion in life."

I felt my eyebrows raise.

"Really? And here I thought you were a run of the mill frat boy," I said jokingly.

He looked at me with mock sterness.

"I'll have you know ma'am. I am a charming frat-musician-artist boy. The ladies love it," he winked at me with exaggeration, "The ladies love me."

We were laughing when I felt a presence behind me. I swiveled around.

"Hope we're not interrupting your...laugh session Stephanie." Gobs said playfully as he and Julie slid into the booth.

Ahem.

"I was thinking of something funny." My face was red.

He smiled, making his swollen eyes look a little less sad. "You don't need to explain. I talk to myself all the time." Julie nodded and shook her head at him.

"So", she started, turning to me, "How do you like the place? "

I looked around, taking in the sights and sounds...and smells. My stomach grumbled.

"It's pretty neat, I have to admit. You come here a lot?," I asked her

She sighed and acted annoyed. "Not really. This was Gobbles' and Becker's hang out spot. They usually left me behind." Her eyes got soft and her voice was fond when she continued. "Becker loved this place. He was a musician, if you didn't know. It was his major too. We wouldn't say it around him cuz he'd get a big head but he was actually a progidy amongst his-" a sob escaped her and she put her head down on the table.

Gobs put his arm around her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. But I could see remembering had taken a part of him too. He's eyes were red again and he was in the verge of tears.

I didn't dare glance at the friend in question. But out of the corner of my eye I could see him watch them, expressionless.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just still so new, you know?," she said as she waved a hand in the air and patted her boyfriends arm, thanking him. She looked intent. "What matters now is solving this mess."

She rummaged in her bag and took out two things, placing them in front of me. Becker floated closer to me to peer at them.

The first thing that caught my attention was the big quartz crystal attracted to a rope. It looked familiar.

Gobbles tapped the table in front of it and spoke. "I'm not sure if you remember but Pooka has a necklace exactly like this that he would always wear. He claimed that it 'spoke' to him."

"Oh, right." I thought back to when I'd first met him. He had said the same thing to me and Lula. It had freaked her out.

I picked it up and- mabye it was just my imagination, but- it felt warm. I set it back down quickly.

Mabye Lula had been onto something.

"Is it Pooka's?"

They shook their heads.

"It looks like it but the dean's is clear. The other one was less pure I guess. It was pretty opaque at the center. Like, foggy white." The boy's hands gestured at the center of the rock.

"Trust us. We've had a lot of time to look at it. A lot more than we would've liked," he added bitterly.

He stopped and took a breath. "Sorry. *Ahem* We found it next to his bed at his home. The other thing we found in a secret compartment in his desk-don't ask. It seemed pretty interesting so we brought it in case."

I had to give the would-be thief credit. I wondered how he had guessed about the desk. But I didn't have time now. I'll ask later.

I picked it up and looked at it.

My nostrils flared as I read the the document and I felt a tremor go through me. I thought back to the other document I had found at the shed.

It wasn't 'Protect Black Flood' that was written on it. It was-

"Project...Black Blood?" I was startled at the sudden sound of Becker's voice. I'd forgotten he was next to me. I looked back at it. It looked to be a document of transactions. There were a lot of big numbers next to dollar signs. And names. Dean Mintner's being one of them.

Julie leaned forward, eyes glittering.

"Interesting right? Apparently the Dean had been a supporter for whatever this project was, like, five years ago but he stopped then. And if you look here on the bottom," she singled out a line towards the end, "He had apparently started 'donating' again recently. Before Pooka shot him dead anyway. Thing is, it looks like the project had been shut down already."

My head was spinning. This puzzle seemed to grow larger the more we dug and we weren't having much luck getting closer to finding our killer.

But I nodded my head calmly. "Hmm. Yes. This is very interesting. I'll have my people look into it. Mabye something will come up." That seemed to please them. And I would get Connie to check some things for me.

Wait a second. I pulled out the sheet I'd found and placed them side by side, comparing. They all leaned forward.

Finally a friggin' clue!

"You see this little symbol here on the paper," I moved my finger to point at the sheet I'd found, "It's here too. It's probably important. If we can figure out what it means we're golden." We would have another lead anyway.

We all stared at the symbol.

We paused as the same waitress came and asked us if we were ready. We quickly looked through and placed our orders, handing back the menus afterwards. She left and we were lost in deep thought again.

Fingers snapped next to me and I looked at Beck. He looked like he'd had an 'ah-ha' moment. He placed his lips next to my ear and I shivered over the cold.

"Tell them you figured it out," he whispered.

I guess he forgot that they can't hear him anyway.

I looked up at them.

"I, ah, think I figured it out." I said nervously.

"Really?" Gobbles looked expectant.

"Sure."

Their faces froze, waiting. When I didn't speak the boy asked, "So what do you think it is?" Another couple, uncomfortable seconds ticked away.

I swear to god, Beck. I'm going to find a way to revive you just do I can kill you again myself. Thoughts on homicide, I almost missed his response.

"It's the symbol for Columbia university." I blinked dumbly and repeated the words quickly, my mouth tripping on the words.

I was excited. This gave us another connection. One I'd be able to get a handle on tomorrow when I'd planned to go. I told them as much and they agreed it was a good break.

Right on time our food arrived and we dug in. I realized I had barely eaten in the last two days as I attacked my burger and fries.

In between bites Gobbles looked up and pointed excitedly behind us. "Look," he said, his face smeared with secret sauce, " it's the mechanical piano." Julie clapped.

"The what? Does it...play electric music?"

Julie laughed good naturedly and corrected me. "No," she shook her head, "it has a song selection you can choose from. You place a buck in and then you choose. You can see the keys moving up and down like there's someone there. Its pretty cool." She put her hand underneath the table, struggling to get something out of her pocket. She pulled out a wrinkled bill.

"Here, try it."

I took it reluctantly after a lot of cajoling from all three of them.

If this is what being a mother feels like...sorry mom.

I stepped up to it as the last song ended and saw that they were right. I tried to get the dollar as crisp as I could and lowered my hands towards it. Another hand blocked the opening, stopping me.

"Wait, Stephanie," said Beck. "Would you...let me play instead? I...I promise they won't know. I just really miss it." He looked at me with big eyes.

I could almost spit I was so disgusted-with myself. I immediately relented and sat back down.

We all looked on as Becker sat on the bench and placed his hands on the keys. A nice tune started to play. It's was calming and I found myself reacting to it. I closed my eyes.

"Nocturne No2 in E-flat. Nice choice. Didn't know you liked music too." This was from Gobs.

I shrugged, "My mom forced me and my sister to take piano lessons when we were younger. I wasn't very good. I could just about play one song." He laughed.

The truth was, I'd enjoyed it. But Valerie was much better. She received praise while I fell behind. I'd quit pretty soon after. I shook myself mentally.

This song really is affecting me. Talk about nostalgia.

We looked back and I could see Beck had immersed himself in the song. His whole body moved as if a force drew the notes out from inside him. His eyebrows were furrowed and he stared, unseeing, at the space ahead of him.

Of course, no one but me could see it.

The song ended.


We took our leave, each in our respective vehicles. Becker floated to the car but Gobs held me back.

"Thanks for that. I know you wouldn't be aware of it but that song struck a cord." That surprised me.

"How so?"

He looked tired, but something within him had loosened a bit. "That was the first song Beck had taught me how to play. Only song, really, since I'm so inept. We used to play it together all the time. Its how I'd recognised it so easily."

I didn't know how to respond. He turned and waved as he walked away. "Meet you back at the apartment."

I stood there, watching him go for a couple seconds longer, before I turned back to my car.

I looked up at the sky. The stars shun brightly.

I could still hear the notes of their song in my mind so strongly.

As if they could just escape from there and fly into the night.

I got into the car and we drove back, tired. But hopeful.