Deadly Overtures: A Music Lover's Mystery (21 page)

Starting my car, I decided to go home as originally planned. When I pulled out of the parking lot and into the alley, the taillights of Jeb’s car shone through the darkness ahead of me and then disappeared as he turned out onto the street.

You promised Van den Broek you wouldn’t ask any more questions
, I reminded myself as I considered abandoning my plan to return home.

I have no intention of asking questions
, I argued with myself.

That was true. By following Jeb I wouldn’t be going against my word to the detective. Although I’d told him I wouldn’t ask questions, I never said I’d stop investigating completely.

And this time I’d do a better job of tailing my suspect than I had with Cameron.

My mind made up, I turned out onto the street and set off in the same direction as Jeb’s vehicle.

I didn’t expect to gather any significant clues by following the judge. What I had in mind was to find out where he lived. Once I knew that, I could return in the morning and follow him again. Hopefully I could then find out what he was planning to do. If he did anything suspicious, if I felt I was in the slightest danger, I would call the police. But for now I simply wanted to know where I could find him in the morning.

It didn’t take too long to tail him to his home. It turned out that he lived in a townhouse not far from the University of British Columbia. I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint his particular unit because he turned into the gated underground parking lot and I couldn’t follow him any farther. Pulling up to the curb, I shut off my car and sat there in the dark, tugging at my left earlobe. Should I wait and see if any lights came on in one of the nearby units, or give up and go home? I decided to wait for a while, but when no interior lights flashed on nearby, I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to identify his unit.

Perhaps that wasn’t a total loss, though. Since he’d parked his car in the underground lot, he’d have to come out that way in the morning too. If I returned to this same spot in the morning and waited, I could still catch him leaving to do whatever suspicious deed he had planned.

Deciding that was the best course of action, I finally set off for home and what I hoped would be a good night’s sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I
ARRIVED AT
my apartment a short time later, but sleep eluded me when I went to bed. Images of Ethan lying dead kept appearing every time I closed my eyes, and snippets of all the conversations I’d had or overheard that night went around and around in my head.

Eventually I drifted off, but still the events of the night didn’t leave me alone. I had uneasy dreams of shadowy threats lurking out of sight. At one point I awoke with a start, and it took me several panicked seconds to remember I was safe at home rather than trapped in the derelict building of my dreams, a killer haunting the hallways.

When morning arrived, I gladly left my bed behind, hoping my next night’s sleep would be far more peaceful. I was up earlier than usual, but that suited my plans well. I didn’t know if Jeb was an early riser or not, and I didn’t want to miss his departure from his townhouse.

After a quick shower, I dressed in jeans and a black sweater, pausing only to eat a piece of toast before brushing my teeth and donning my coat. Pulling on my slouchy knitted hat, I grabbed my bag and violin and set off down to the underground parking lot.

Less than twenty minutes later I pulled my MINI Cooper up against the curb, parking it across the street from the entrance to the underground lot at Jeb’s townhouse complex. I knew there was always a chance that Jeb had already left, but it wasn’t yet eight o’clock, and I figured my chances were even better that he was still at home.

Over the next half hour I watched three cars leave the underground lot, but none were driven by Jeb. Rubbing my gloved hands against my cold legs, I wished I’d thought to bring a travel mug full of hot tea or coffee. The frosty, cloudy morning was proving less than ideal for my stakeout.

To help pass the time, I decided to text JT. As I dug through my bag, searching for my phone, I came across a folded piece of white paper. Puzzled, I pulled it out. I didn’t remember putting it in my bag. As soon as I unfolded the sheet, my movements stilled and I felt the blood drain from my face. Someone had written a note with a black Sharpie, a note that wasn’t the least bit friendly.

Leave the past in the past, or else
, it read.

I dropped the note onto my lap, appalled by it. My hands trembled ever so slightly as I picked up the paper again. I stared at it, but the words became no less frightening. I folded the sheet and tucked it back in my bag, out of sight, but the words had firmly imprinted on my mind.

Leave the past in the past, or else
.

Or else what? Nothing good, that was certain. Most likely it meant I’d be the next victim.

Snatching up my phone, I pulled off my gloves. More than ever I wanted to get in touch with my best friend. Although my fingers shook, I managed to type out a message to JT.

Someone left me a threatening note
, I wrote.
I’m a little freaked
 
out
.

As soon as I’d sent the message, I realized JT had no idea what had transpired at the theater the night before.

Ethan was killed last night
, I typed.
At the theater
.

Once again I wished I’d brought a drink with me. Even a cold one would have sufficed at the moment. My mouth had gone dry and my pulse was skipping along faster than normal. I checked to make sure the car doors were locked and returned my eyes to the driveway across the street. Jeb still hadn’t emerged.

Had he written the note?

I thought back, searching my memories for any possible opportunity that he might have had to slip the note into my bag. The only time he’d been close to me since I’d last rummaged through my tote was when I questioned him about Pavlina’s charm bracelet. Unless he was highly skilled in the art of misdirection, I didn’t think he would have been able to put something in my bag without me noticing.

I recalled something else. I’d left my bag sitting on the table in the musicians’ lounge. It was there when Jeb and the others entered the room with the police officer. Jeb would have passed by my bag and could have surreptitiously slipped the note into its depths as he did so. That would have been risky though, with the police officer not far behind him and with Yvonne, Harold, and Sasha entering the room at the same time.

Still, it wasn’t impossible that the note had come from Jeb. Considering the content of the threat, the judge was a good suspect.

Leave the past in the past
.

When we’d spoken about Pavlina’s charm bracelet, the death of her best friend had come up. Was that the part of the past the note referred to? If so, why was Jeb so determined to leave those past events undisturbed?

Could the death of Tiffany Alphonse have something to do with the more recent deaths of Pavlina and Ethan?

Possibly, but I didn’t see how.

The mechanical gate blocking the entrance to the parking lot rose. I peered across the street as a car drove up the short driveway to the road, but as soon as it came fully into view I lost interest. The car was blue, unlike Jeb’s dark green truck, and a woman was in the driver’s seat.

My phone vibrated in my cold hands and I glanced down to read the message JT had sent me.

This is getting out of hand
, his message read.
Give the note to the police and stay away from the theater
.

I have to go to the theater tonight
, I reminded him.
I’ll give the note to the police, but I’m busy at the moment
.

Doing what???
he wrote back seconds later.

I could almost feel his suspicion radiating out of my phone. For a brief moment I considered evading the question, but the note had left me rattled, and I decided I’d feel better if JT knew where I was and what I was doing.

As succinctly as possible, I told him I was parked outside Jeb’s townhouse complex. I added what I’d overheard him say the night before, and then I mentioned that it was possible Jeb was the author of the note.

If he wrote the note, you shouldn’t be anywhere near him
.

If he wrote the note, he’s most likely the killer, and somebody needs to keep an eye on him
, I countered.

Ten seconds ticked by before my phone vibrated again.

Send me the address. I’m coming over there
.

I considered arguing, but not for long. The truth was that I’d feel safer with his company, as well as less bored. This whole stakeout thing was turning out to be pretty dull.

I sent JT the address of the townhouse complex and he told me not to go anywhere until he arrived. I didn’t make any promises. If Jeb emerged before JT appeared, I couldn’t just let him go off and fulfill his sinister plans, whatever they involved.

Returning my attention to the underground parking lot, I pulled my gloves back on over my chilled hands and drummed my fingers against the steering wheel. Time moved along at a lethargic pace, or at least that’s how it seemed. Another four cars left the complex and one entered the parking lot, but there was still no sign of Jeb. I shifted in my seat, growing tired of sitting there in the cold. I hoped JT would arrive soon, and that Jeb would appear shortly after. As determined as I’d been that morning to follow the judge, my patience had worn thin.

Luckily JT’s truck turned onto the street a minute later and pulled up to the curb a short distance away from my own car. I watched through my rearview mirror as JT approached, and I popped the lock when he reached my car. He opened the passenger side door and ducked down to look into the vehicle.

“Any sign of him?”

“Not yet.” I shivered as cold air wafted in through the open door. “Get in. It’s freezing with the door open.”

“There’s no way I’m hanging out in this toy of a car.”

“It’s not a toy!”

“To someone my size, it might as well be.”

Okay, so that was true. The MINI Cooper was just the right size for me, but JT was over six feet tall and would no doubt feel cramped within seconds.

I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat. “All right, we’ll move to your truck.”

Always keeping an eye on the complex across the street, I retrieved my violin from behind the seat and left my car for JT’s. I was happy to find that the cab of his truck was warmer than my MINI Cooper since he’d had the engine and heat on more recently than I had.

“Can I see the note?” JT asked as soon as he was settled in the driver’s seat.

I withdrew the sheet of paper from my bag and passed it to him.

He frowned as he read the short message. “You really need to give that to the police.”

“I will,” I assured him as I returned the paper to my bag. “But not until I know what Jeb’s up to.”

“Do you really think he’s the one who wrote that note?”

“It would make sense if he’s the killer, but he didn’t exactly have ample opportunity to put the note in my bag. It could have been one of several people.”

“Maybe I should come to the theater with you tonight.”

Since the final concert was a recap of the two previous ones, JT hadn’t been hired to record it.

“I’m sure that’s not necessary. There’ll be lots of people there.”

“Including the killer, most likely.”

“True, but I’ll make sure I’m always with someone I trust.”

“I hope that’s a promise.”

I reached over to give JT’s arm a reassuring pat. “It is.”

He surprised me by placing his hand over mine and giving it a squeeze. I met his eyes—the gorgeous color of sunlit root beer—and my heart flip-flopped when he held my gaze.

Hopeful butterflies took flight in my stomach. “JT . . .”

A dark truck drove out of the underground parking lot.

JT let go of my hand as I leaned closer to the windshield.

“Is that him?” he asked.

After a second I sat back, disappointed. “No.”

I opened my mouth to say more, but the moment between us had passed. My disappointment intensified.

JT rubbed his hands together. “You could have picked a warmer day for a stakeout.”

I brushed my nagging feeling of regret aside.

“It’s not like I can choose when a potential killer is going to act extra suspicious,” I said. “Besides, now that you’re here, this could be fun. It’s like we’re Castle and Beckett waiting for a villain to make a move.”

“In the cold.”

“In the cold,” I conceded. “And I should have brought snacks. Or at least coffee.”

“I won’t argue with you there.”

“Live and learn.”

I settled back in my seat, my eyes still fixed on the driveway across the street.

“Did you have a chance to listen to the tracks I gave you?” JT asked a moment later.

“Not yet,” I said. “But I’m looking forward to it. I want to listen at a time when I can give the songs my full attention.”

“No worries. Like I said before, there’s no rush.”

“I’ll listen before the end of the week,” I assured him.

A dark truck emerged from the underground parking lot.

I sat up straighter and swatted JT’s arm. “That’s him! Quick!”

JT started the engine and put the truck into gear. I pulled on my seat belt and snapped it into place.

“Don’t lose him,” I cautioned, leaning forward, as if that could keep me closer to our quarry.

“I won’t,” JT said. “Relax.”

I tried to, but the best I could manage was to sit back in my seat. My heart continued to beat faster than normal and I gripped the armrest with my gloved fingers.

“If he does anything illegal or puts anyone in danger, we’re calling the police, right?” JT checked.

“Of course.”

I held my breath as Jeb drove through an intersection, but JT managed to follow him through before the light changed. The tense pursuit continued and after a couple of minutes I wondered if Jeb was heading for the Abrams Center. He was taking us in that direction, at least. But a moment later he drove right past the theater.

“You know, he could be going to get groceries or something innocent like that,” JT said as he continued to travel behind the dark truck, leaving some space between the two vehicles.

“We just passed a grocery store,” I pointed out.

“Maybe he likes shopping at a different one.”

“There’s nothing secretive about buying groceries, and he’s definitely up to something secretive. Why else would he be worried about someone suspecting what he’s up to?”

JT didn’t argue with me on that point.

“He’s pulling over!” I said a few seconds later.

“I can see that.”

I ignored his dry tone, searching frantically for a free parking space at the side of the road.

“There’s a spot up there.” I pointed to the space by the curb.

JT drove past Jeb’s truck, now parked, and claimed the spot I’d indicated. As soon as we stopped moving, I unclipped my seat belt and twisted around so I could look out the rear window. Jeb had climbed out of his truck and was circling around the front of it to reach the sidewalk. As soon as he was off the street, he headed in our direction.

I slid down the seat to hide. “Get down!” I said to JT.

He didn’t move. “Why?”

“He’ll see you!”

“So?”

“He might recognize you.”

“Not too likely,” JT said, not the least bit concerned. “Even if he saw me at the theater I doubt he’d remember me, especially out of context.”

I let out a huff of frustration, still scrunched as low as I could get.

“Besides, he’s already passed us.”

I shot back up, my eyes going straight to the window. I caught sight of Jeb as he disappeared through the front door of a store. My gaze shifted up to the awning above the entrance.

“Suzie’s Party Supplies?” I read, surprised.

“Yeah, he’s definitely up to no good,” JT said, unsuccessfully fighting to keep the amusement out of his voice. “He’s probably planning to throw a killer surprise party.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Very funny.”

He struggled to keep the grin off his face but couldn’t manage it. “This is what we sat in the cold waiting for? To watch him buy party supplies?”

“This might be a stop on the way to another place,” I said.