Raoul came to the Opera Populaire early that morning to discuss more matters with the managers. He had a rough night, and now it was time to address it. The tunnels must run miles underneath the opera house, and he wanted to bring it up to Firmin and Andre. They might have some advice or ideas of what to do. Although, he wondered if he should admit that he got lost and then fell into a trap.
As he opened the door, he ran into Madame Giry walking towards the main hall. Raoul excused himself, but earned a pointed look from her before she nodded. He watched as she continued, wondering if she was always so unfriendly. With a sigh, he continued to the offices, finding the managers.
"Ah, Vicomte!" Andre greeted, surprised to see the young man. "What can we do for you?"
"I have come across something that both of you may be interested in," Raoul explained, although thinking that Firmin may be more interested than Andre. Both managers waited as he took a deep breath. "I believe I have found the source of your Phantom problem."
"What?" Andre asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Trust me, I don't believe in ghosts, but I have a feeling that your opera ghost is more than he appears. I found a secret tunnel behind a mirror that leads to the catacombs beneath this opera house. I have a hunch that's where your mystery ghost lives," Raoul explained, making sure to leave out Christine's possible involvement for now. He didn't know if she was actually in on the hijinks, and it seemed inappropriate to include her because he had found the catacombs through her dressing room.
"I'm not sure we can work on a hunch, Vicomte. How did you find such tunnels?"
"Pure coincidence, I assure you. I fell asleep in one of the dressing rooms after one of your fancy after parties and when I woke, I saw something strange behind the mirror. After investigating, the glass slid away and opened to a dark hallway," Raoul partially fibbed. Again, he wanted to keep Christine out of the conversation for now.
"And you found what down there?" Firmin wondered.
"Someone had been down there fairly recently, as there were snares and other traps waiting," Raoul answered. He also didn't want his reputation tarnished by his foolishness and the snare which caught him. "I think your ghost is down there, or at least someone potentially dangerous."
"Should we alert the police?" Firmin suggested before the other two gave a resounding no.
"We should figure out who or what we're dealing with before we draw any unwanted attention to the opera house. Right now, the Phantom is merely a myth, and the public believes it to be a prankster, which is how we are going to keep it," Andre informed firmly.
"I agree, bringing the police should be our last resort. Let's see if we can do this by ourselves first. I believe that we will find what we are looking for if we are careful," Raoul added with a nod.
"Agreed. We should wait until the season has run its course, though. It will be easier to search when many of the performers aren't on the premise constantly," Andre sighed. Raoul turned to him as if he was insane.
"This needs to be dealt with. I will not be subjected to humiliation again!" the nobleman insisted. The managers nodded.
"And you won't be. We've already moved your box, and the Phantom hasn't contacted us in weeks. I think that is a good sign that he has been placated for now. As long as we play by his rules for the remainder of the show, we shall be fine. In the meantime, we can figure out what to do about the Phantom, if we do catch him," Andre reassured.
"And what about the safety of the performers? Carlotta has been already subjected to this madman, dropping sets on her and such!" Raoul reminded, wanting to take immediate action. Firmin raised an eyebrow at the mention of the diva. "And I think that he might strike again."
"And how would you know?" Firmin wondered.
"I think you're right that the ghost has been content with what we've given him, but I think he is moving in on Miss Daae," Raoul explained. The managers paused, not sure what to say. "I found the tunnel through Miss Daae's dressing room. I was waiting for her to return for her lesson that night, and she never returned."
"Do you think she's in danger?" Andre asked.
"I don't know, but it seems that no one knows who her tutor is. She won't even tell me his name," Raoul mentioned.
"Why would she tell you?" Firmin pressed. It was strange that the vicomte would take such an interest in their singer.
"We're childhood friends," the nobleman replied with a sigh. "And I was hoping something more, but she has been preoccupied with furthering her career."
"Understandable. And you think that her tutor and this Phantom are the same person?" Andre surmised. Raoul nodded and sighed.
"That's exactly what I think. Although, I don't think that Miss Daae knows it. I believe that her tutor is keeping her in the dark, hoping to win her favor," Raoul explained quickly. The managers exchanged a glance before looking back at the vicomte.
"Then we may want to keep a closer eye on Miss Daae. We may be able to confront our Phantom," Andre agreed, a smile forming on his lips. "And in a week or two, we will take a look at your tunnel system. Hopefully, we can get to the bottom of this without any issue."
"I hope for the same," Raoul replied before bowing slightly. "And if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to before tonight."
"Of course, Vicomte. We will see you this evening," Firmin replied, tilting his head down as the nobleman left. The managers looked at each other before they both exhaled. They were in way over their heads.
Rehearsal went as planned, and nearly immaculately, as well did the performance. Erik watched from his box, more than pleased with the result. He noticed the vicomte staring at the box, keeping Erik in the shadows. Although, it seemed that the nobleman hadn't seen him yet. Even the managers seemed to keep a trained eye on his box as well. It seemed that Madame Giry's warning was more than warranted. It was good that he had encouraged Christine to be social, as it may placate the irksome men running his theater.
Although, Erik couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about the intense stares that his box had gotten through the night. He hoped that with Christine talking and visiting that the managers would calm down. Maybe even the nobleman would cease his endless searching for the elusive Phantom. However, for the moment, he only cared about hearing his dear Christine, who sang to him ever chance she got. His heart soared as he saw such emotion in her eyes. She was a wonder.
After the curtain closed, Erik dashed into the paneled hallway and made his way down to his lair. He told Christine to entertain her patrons for an hour or two, and now he had a chance to work on his music before she came down for her nightly singing lesson.
Christine sighed loudly as she changed from her costume into something a little more formal. She had promised Erik that she would go talk to the people attending the opera, accepting their praises and criticisms. Just as she fixed her hair, she heard a knock at her door. She rose and opened it, surprised to see a familiar face.
"Oh, good evening Christine," Raoul smiled. She saw the surprise in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to be there.
"Good evening," she answered, glancing over him. "What are you doing? Are you attending the after gala tonight?"
"I, uh, suppose so. Are you?" he stuttered as she nodded, hiding a small smile.
"My teacher suggested that I might enjoy it more than I think I will. So, I will come and entertain for a while."
"You teacher suggested it?"
"Yes, I told him that I haven't been able to have much free time, and he gave me the night off, since I had been doing so well," Christine smiled. She hardly ever lied, but she wasn't going to admit it was Erik's idea to calm Raoul down.
"I see," he replied with a slight grin. He offered his arm. "Then may I escort you?"
"Seeing as I have no idea where this party is taking place, I will graciously accept," Christine replied, threading her arm through his. Raoul brightened, and Christine wondered if he expected for her to turn him down. And while she did enjoy the company of her childhood friend, she wished that it was Erik who was taking her to such a fancy gala.
"I am honored," Raoul chuckled as she closed the door behind her.