Quick note: The old couple in the concert (that won't appear until the next chapter) are dedicated to the group of about 10 elderly people who sat in the same section as me during Beethoven's 5th Symphony at the CSO this past Saturday night- they were obnoxious, but man, were they having fun! And the luthier is based off of a real luthier I met in Schuylerville, NY. He was really nice and made a good violin…had a cool cat too!
Thanks to all of my reviewers- everyone! And, no,TrinityWildcat, I didn't take that as a backhanded compliment- thanksso much for the encouragement!
Chapter 4Bobby entered the luthier shop with awe in his eyes. He was like a kid in a candy store…
He walked slowly from violin to violin-there were dozens of them- looking and wishing that he knew enough to pick up every single one off of their hooks and play them like he knew what he was doing. It was a little annoying; here he was in a situation that could have used every ounce of his intellect. All he had to do was know a little more about music- anything about stringed instruments- and he would be able to pick out the differences each violin possessed, just as he picked out the details at crime scene. But alas, all he could bring himself to do was delicately raise a finger and pull on one of the strings. The violin rang a muffled, fuzzy G at his light touch.
Just then a man in an apron came out of a back room, wiping his hands with a rag. He was very tall and thin and in about his 40s. "Can I help you?"
"No, just looking- wait, sorry," Bobby regained himself. "I'm Detective Robert Goren of the New York Police," he said, flashing his badge, "and I have a few questions for you." There, that was more like it.
"I'm Mark Macica, What can I do for you?"
"We're investigating a crime that involved 3 stolen violins."
"Oh I heard about that," he said. "It was simply awful to hear about Halley, and her violin…" he trailed off.
"Halley bought her violin from you," said Bobby.
"Yes," he said fondly. "I'd like to see it again some day."
"Who else in the Symphony bought their instruments from you?"
"Oh, geeze, half a dozen or so. Larry, Michele, Laura (that was a beautiful viola), and a few others. I could describe the instrument to you, naturally, but I'd have to look up the rest of the names for you."
"Could you do that?" asked Bobby.
"Yah, sure." The gentleman walked back towards the back room and Bobby followed him.
"Did you make the violin that Halley bought from you?"
"No, I picked it up at auction."
"Could you write that down as well? And the date you bought it along with the date Halley bought it?"
"Sure." He turned to the paper he was writing on and added the name of the auction house and the dates. Bobby watched him carefully write on the paper 'Bailey's Auction. 9/21/92. Halley 12/06/92.' Contrary to what Bobby had expected, the gentleman's handwriting was sloppy and erratic. Bobby had expected handwriting to match the delicacy of woodcarving that violin making required, but it didn't. It was almost completely illegible…
One Police Plaza
"You were wrong?" said Alex on the verge of laughter.
Bobby was upset and excited all at once. "What? Look at it!" He handed her the piece of paper.
"Good Lord, it's a wonder that he can get his pants on with writing like that… How can you read this thing anyway?"
"I wasn't that off my game, Alex."
"Of course, I forget. Only one mistake at a time…" Alex took a closer look at the paper. "Bailey's Auction. Never heard of it."
"Let's look it up." With some fast typing on Alex's computer, Bobby had pulled up the website for Bailey's Auction. Except… the website was in French.
"This guy failed to mention that he bought this violin in France?" asked Alex.
"Guess so," said Bobby shrugging it off, reading on totally unaware that Alex couldn't speak a word of French.
"So we're definitely going to France!" she said enthusiastically.
"You're going where?" asked Deakins as he walked up to the pair of detectives hunched over Alex's desk.
Alexlooked up. "The local luthier of the three originally bought the violin at auction in France, not far from where the other French violin was bought."She looked excitedly at Deakins. "Travel vouchers? Pleeeaaassseee…" she begged. Bobby was off still buried in the website.
"You can't just call these people? What else have you got?" asked Deakins.
"The luthier gave us the names of the members of the orchestra who bought from him, which matches up with the list we got from the players, so no surprises there. He gave us the name of the auction house and the date he bought the violin that he sold to our second victim, Halley Roberts. And… of course we haven't talked to the other two luthiers because they're in small-town France and Germany…" she looked away as if to say. 'Sorry, but we really can't proceed unless…'
"Alright, alright- I'll put in for travel vouchers. I'll need the locations of the luthiers to book your flights."
"Can do!" said Alex as she opened up he desk drawer, pulled out a manila folder and handed it to Deakins.
"Here's all the locations and information on the two luthiers… and there's a few hotel brochures as well…"
"Thanks, Alex, I get the point." He rolled his eyes. "Women and France…." He muttered as he walked off. Bobby was smiling very slightly at Alex's enthusiasm, though his gaze had not left the computer screen.
Alex swirled her chair back around to face Bobby. "What now?" she said in regards to their next move.
"I got us tickets," said Bobby.
"To where?"
"You'll see," he said smiling.