It was a marvelous show, and Ein and Hitomi they are glad they went. It has been a minute or so since the curtain went down and the audience is still applauding. The curtain again rises for the cast to make their bow and curious to everyone is the absence of the star. Some stop clapping briefly but continued again, she may be the diva but it takes a whole cast to make it wonderful.
The absence of Helena is more worrisome to the young man and woman who came across town to see her. Hitomi looks at Ein and he back at her,
"We should go see if she's ok," Ein says. "With everyone on their feet is should be easy to get back stage."
"I agree," Hitomi replies.
They walk from their front row seats - a significant upgrade from the tickets they paid for - and head to the doors back stage. They quietly open the door and notice a stagehand blocking their way, he is facing the cast so he cannot see them but it would be impossible to get around without him knowing. Ein removes a small metal object from his pocket.
"I thought we had agreed no weapons." Hitomi whispers.
Ein looks at her and smiles, he draws the star back a bit and releases it at a small glass vase in the prop area. The vase shatters and the stagehand heads in that direction to investigate. Ein and Hitomi sneak around to the back stage area, it is mostly deserted now as the applause has started to die down a bit but the performers and hands are still on stage taking bows. As they continue towards what looks to be the dressing rooms Hitomi can't help but think back to their first encounter with Helena in Germany. She didn't blame Helena for all of the events at DOATEC, but she was still curious as to how she even ended up running in to her. Helena loved Paris, and after they had talked over tea on another occasion the question began to gnaw at her even more, why trade France for German. Maybe she intended to bump into us at that health food store, maybe if we had said nothing she would have "ran" into her somewhere else, maybe it wasn't coincidence. 'That's ridiculous,' she thought to herself, 'Helena has always been very friendly to me, and Ein for that matter.'
Ein's voice breaks the silence, "We are here."
Hitomi focuses again and sees Helena's name on the door they are standing by, she looks at the four gold stars below the name and is drawn back to her childhood. Her father was the master of the training hall even when she was young, and passing on his knowledge to his only daughter was of prime importance. He had made a large chart in her bedroom and every year would write down a list of techniques, and next to each one he would place a star when she could perform it and as she got better at the technique he would place another. Four stars meant she had mastered the technique, after she got four stars on each technique he would come in with a new board and the process continued. She knew it wasn't intentional but seeing the show tonight confirmed for Hitomi that Helena definitely deserved her four stars.
"Helena, it is Hitomi and Ein," He says while knocking on the door.
There is no answer. "Helena, are you there we saw the show and wanted to thank you for the front row seats." Comes from Hitomi.
Ein walks over to a small table with a clipboard and telephone on it. He takes the pen attached to the clipboard and unscrews the top, removing the writing part and the spring. She straightens the spring and using the plastic part flattens the metal writing piece. Using this makeshift pick he unlocks the door and opens it slowly, Hitomi looks at him stunned.
"Helena," He talks very softly, "We were just outside and wanted to say 'hello.' "
Hitomi follows him cautiously and they take a second to look around the lavishly decorated room. Hitomi takes special interest in the vanity with its bright lights surrounding the large mirror. It is made of solid Oak and is clearly very expensive, as she sits down at the matching chair she looks at herself in the mirror and that's when several small notes next to the phone catch her eye. One of the handwritten notes is the one she saw Ein write and give to one of the gentlemen when the entered the theater, but the other is more hastily scrawled.
"Ein, look at this," She picks up the note and tries to read it herself. She is unable, her spoken English is better than average but reading the language is another matter.
Ein takes the note and reads it, "We have to go." The look on his face is no longer the calm prepared, stolid face he normally has, this is one of concern
By the time Hitomi gets up Ein is already poking his head to make sure the coast is clear. It is and he and Hitomi make their way down the hallway and locate the back exit, Ein pushes the large door handle and goes through the heavy steel door, Hitomi follows and they find themselves in an alley behind the Opera House. It is a beautiful night, not to hot and not to cold, the perfect weather to be out – even if you had to be out here for hours.