PART 3
"There was a fellow here looking for you the other day, Dorothy." Instro said this casually as he watched over Dorothy's shoulder.
"Really, Instro?" Dorothy said as she continued to play. As ever, her performance was flawless, but still, there was the frustrating lack of that rich emotion that layered Instro's playing. Somehow, he managed to put a sort of heart into his music that was beyond Dorothy. She struggled with it even now, though her playing would not have hinted at how frustrated she was by this.
"Yes. He was asking all sorts of questions about you."
"And what did you tell him?" she stopped playing. She remained seated, not turning to face him.
"Oh, nothing of great import, if that bothers you" he said. He stepped forward, placed a new piece of sheet music in front of Dorothy. "This is something new to practice honing your skills on." Dorothy began immediately, following the notes perfectly.
"Why was he looking for me?"
"Come to think of it, he didn't say" Instro said after considering it for a moment. "He just said he had heard I was giving you lessons, and whether I would be seeing you again soon or not."
"And?"
"I told him I wasn't sure. Far be it for me to pry into your private life, Dorothy."
"Who was this man?"
"He didn't give me a name, but he said he was an acquaintance of yours."
"I have no acquaintances." She stopped playing, the conversation now diverting her attention. She looked up at Instro, her emotionless eyes speaking volumes. "What did he look like?"
"Well, I hope you won't consider this odd Dorothy, but I'd have to say he looked a great deal like you."
"I'm afraid I can't be of much assistance to you this time, Roger." Big Ear kept his eyes firmly glued on his newspaper, never even turning his head to address Paradigm's Top Negotiator.
"Are you sure?" Roger said, reaching into his pocket. "If it's a matter of compensation..."
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that" Big Ear said as he scanned over the headlines, "I just legitimately have no information for you concerning this matter. Though there is a rumor..."
"Oh?" Roger said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Yes. The word on the street has been that Solderno's ghost has been walking at night."
"Huh?"
"Those are the precise words I heard it described as, Roger. Solderno's ghost is walking at night."
"Solderno..." Roger felt his memory wandering back to the day he had first met Dorothy Wayneright. Solderno had been claiming to be her father, and Timothy Wayneright had called himself her grandfather. He sighed as he pondered this. He stood, slapped a wad of money down onto the table in front of Big Ear, who immediately covered it with his newspaper. He raised his glass to Roger in a silent toast as he departed.
A pair of cold eyes watched as Dorothy Wayneright emerged from the Amadeus Pub. They watched as she said goodbye to Instro, and then began to walk down the street.
He opened the door of his car and got out. He followed her, always a good twenty feet behind. He walked at a slow, measured pace; Dorothy was far more observant than her nature would imply, that much he knew, and he would not risk her becoming aware of his presence yet. His eyes were glued firmly on her as he followed, never wandering to any of the sights of people that flowed about the two of them.
He had been following her for five blocks when the black car pulled up to the curb alongside her. He froze in place and frowned, knowing the driver of that car. The door opened, and she got in. He watched, his eyes narrowed as they drove away down the street. He remained standing where he was for several moments, and then turned to go back to his own car.
"How was your lesson today, Dorothy?" Roger said, breaking the silence that had held them for five minutes.
"Instro says I am improving," she said in her usual monotone. Roger smiled to himself, hoping that this might eventually mean not being awoken by the tormenting sounds of her sonata. "And he also said someone was looking for me."
"Someone was looking for you?" Roger said, his thoughts immediately throwing back to what Big Ear had told him.
"Yes. Someone who looked like me."
"Solderno's ghost is walking at night..." Roger muttered to himself.
"What was that, Roger?" Dorothy said, her interest seeming perked.
"Nothing, nothing." Roger said quickly. As if summoned by his sudden discomfort, the radio began ringing. Roger sighed with relief and flipped it's switch. "Yes Norman?"
"Master Roger, it seems our guest has come to."
Five minutes earlier...
Norman shook his head as he checked the young woman's pulse. He could not help but feel sorry for her; she seemed such a lovely young lady. He could not imagine the kind of monster who would want to do this to someone like her.
He started to pull her blanket back up around her collar when she shuddered and emitted a faint moan. Norman froze, waiting...
She moved. Her arms wriggled around, and her eyes fluttered. She gave a longer, clearer moan as she regained consciousness. Norman turned to hurry to the phone to let Roger know of this development. But as he turned to leave, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him back around.
"Roger..." she said softly, her voice crackly. Norman did not correct her, but waited for her to say something else. "Damian...it was Damian..."
"There was a fellow here looking for you the other day, Dorothy." Instro said this casually as he watched over Dorothy's shoulder.
"Really, Instro?" Dorothy said as she continued to play. As ever, her performance was flawless, but still, there was the frustrating lack of that rich emotion that layered Instro's playing. Somehow, he managed to put a sort of heart into his music that was beyond Dorothy. She struggled with it even now, though her playing would not have hinted at how frustrated she was by this.
"Yes. He was asking all sorts of questions about you."
"And what did you tell him?" she stopped playing. She remained seated, not turning to face him.
"Oh, nothing of great import, if that bothers you" he said. He stepped forward, placed a new piece of sheet music in front of Dorothy. "This is something new to practice honing your skills on." Dorothy began immediately, following the notes perfectly.
"Why was he looking for me?"
"Come to think of it, he didn't say" Instro said after considering it for a moment. "He just said he had heard I was giving you lessons, and whether I would be seeing you again soon or not."
"And?"
"I told him I wasn't sure. Far be it for me to pry into your private life, Dorothy."
"Who was this man?"
"He didn't give me a name, but he said he was an acquaintance of yours."
"I have no acquaintances." She stopped playing, the conversation now diverting her attention. She looked up at Instro, her emotionless eyes speaking volumes. "What did he look like?"
"Well, I hope you won't consider this odd Dorothy, but I'd have to say he looked a great deal like you."
"I'm afraid I can't be of much assistance to you this time, Roger." Big Ear kept his eyes firmly glued on his newspaper, never even turning his head to address Paradigm's Top Negotiator.
"Are you sure?" Roger said, reaching into his pocket. "If it's a matter of compensation..."
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that" Big Ear said as he scanned over the headlines, "I just legitimately have no information for you concerning this matter. Though there is a rumor..."
"Oh?" Roger said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Yes. The word on the street has been that Solderno's ghost has been walking at night."
"Huh?"
"Those are the precise words I heard it described as, Roger. Solderno's ghost is walking at night."
"Solderno..." Roger felt his memory wandering back to the day he had first met Dorothy Wayneright. Solderno had been claiming to be her father, and Timothy Wayneright had called himself her grandfather. He sighed as he pondered this. He stood, slapped a wad of money down onto the table in front of Big Ear, who immediately covered it with his newspaper. He raised his glass to Roger in a silent toast as he departed.
A pair of cold eyes watched as Dorothy Wayneright emerged from the Amadeus Pub. They watched as she said goodbye to Instro, and then began to walk down the street.
He opened the door of his car and got out. He followed her, always a good twenty feet behind. He walked at a slow, measured pace; Dorothy was far more observant than her nature would imply, that much he knew, and he would not risk her becoming aware of his presence yet. His eyes were glued firmly on her as he followed, never wandering to any of the sights of people that flowed about the two of them.
He had been following her for five blocks when the black car pulled up to the curb alongside her. He froze in place and frowned, knowing the driver of that car. The door opened, and she got in. He watched, his eyes narrowed as they drove away down the street. He remained standing where he was for several moments, and then turned to go back to his own car.
"How was your lesson today, Dorothy?" Roger said, breaking the silence that had held them for five minutes.
"Instro says I am improving," she said in her usual monotone. Roger smiled to himself, hoping that this might eventually mean not being awoken by the tormenting sounds of her sonata. "And he also said someone was looking for me."
"Someone was looking for you?" Roger said, his thoughts immediately throwing back to what Big Ear had told him.
"Yes. Someone who looked like me."
"Solderno's ghost is walking at night..." Roger muttered to himself.
"What was that, Roger?" Dorothy said, her interest seeming perked.
"Nothing, nothing." Roger said quickly. As if summoned by his sudden discomfort, the radio began ringing. Roger sighed with relief and flipped it's switch. "Yes Norman?"
"Master Roger, it seems our guest has come to."
Five minutes earlier...
Norman shook his head as he checked the young woman's pulse. He could not help but feel sorry for her; she seemed such a lovely young lady. He could not imagine the kind of monster who would want to do this to someone like her.
He started to pull her blanket back up around her collar when she shuddered and emitted a faint moan. Norman froze, waiting...
She moved. Her arms wriggled around, and her eyes fluttered. She gave a longer, clearer moan as she regained consciousness. Norman turned to hurry to the phone to let Roger know of this development. But as he turned to leave, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him back around.
"Roger..." she said softly, her voice crackly. Norman did not correct her, but waited for her to say something else. "Damian...it was Damian..."