The Mystery of the Stolen Music (3 page)

“Maybe he'll remember where he put it when he starts looking for it,” Jessie suggested.

Bob Weldon chuckled. “By the time he gets back to the hotel, he'll forget why he's there,” he said.

“We could go back to the hotel with Mr. Perrelli,” Henry suggested.

“Yes,” Violet said. “We could help him look.”

Benny thought that was a splendid idea. “We'll find the missing music,” he assured Melody. “We're very good detectives.”

Melody smiled. “I'll get Victor,” she said.

“What about the rehearsal?” Bob Weldon asked. “We can't cancel that. People are arriving. We can't disappoint them.”

Melody's smile faded. “You're right, Bob. If we cancel the first event of the week …” Her voice trailed off.

“So the score will have to wait,” Bob Weldon said. “I'll round up the musicians.” He hurried off.

“I hate to put off looking for the score,” Melody said. “The longer it's lost, the greater the chance that the wrong person might find it.”

“Couldn't someone else conduct the rehearsal?” Violet asked.

“That's it,” Melody said. “I've been so upset, I don't seem to be thinking. I'll lead the rehearsal while you and Victor go back to the hotel.” She hurried over to Victor to tell him the plan.

He listened attentively, and nodded. Then he strode toward the Aldens. “Let's see what we can see,” he said and led them outside.

At the hotel, they went directly to his room. There, the conductor turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.

Henry was surprised. “The door wasn't locked,” he said.

Victor Perrelli stepped back to let the children enter. “Locked doors require keys,” he said. “Too easy to misplace.”

“But anyone could come into your room, Mr. Perrelli,” Jessie said. “Maybe — ”

“Please call me Victor,” he interrupted. He walked into the room. “What we need here is music!” He snapped on the tape recorder on the nightstand.

Instantly, the room was filled with the sounds of a full orchestra. Victor stood listening, his eyes closed. After several seconds, he began to wave his arms as though he were conducting the invisible musicians.

The children waited silently. Finally, Benny whispered, “Now I know how he practices.”

Victor dropped his arms suddenly and turned to the Aldens. “What was it we were supposed to do here?”

“Look for the missing score,” Henry reminded him.

Victor nodded. “Oh, yes, of course. Where shall we look first?”

“Try to remember what you did when you came back here after the reception,” Jessie suggested.

Victor nodded. “I listened to a Mozart concerto,” he said. “Very beautiful.”

“Did you hide the score before or after that?” Violet asked.

Victor sighed deeply. “A head full of music has no room for details,” he answered.

Seeing that they could not depend on Victor to remember anything helpful, Henry took charge. “Let's divide things up,” he suggested. “Jessie and Soo Lee, you check the bathroom. Violet, you help Victor search this room. Benny and I will look in the closet.”

They all set to work.

Jessie and Soo Lee found nothing in the bathroom.

Violet and Victor looked everywhere — even under the mattress. No success.

Henry and Benny searched the closet shelves and Mr. Perrelli's pockets. Nothing. Finally, Benny dragged the suitcase into the room.

“How about in here?” he asked.

Victor opened the suitcase. It was empty.

“Your garment bag's hanging in the closet,” Henry said. “We didn't look in it.”

Victor shook his head. “There's nothing in there but my tuxedo. And it's dirty at that. I must remember to have it cleaned before the concert.” Suddenly, his face lit up. “Yes, yes. Now I remember.”

He had remembered where he'd put the score! The Aldens waited anxiously for him to tell them where it was.

Instead, he said, “Such a strange thing: memory.”

“What is it you remembered?” Henry asked.

“Last night, after I listened to the concerto, I took a long walk,” Victor responded. “It was a lovely night. It brought back so many memories of my childhood.”

“Did you lock your door when you left?” Jessie asked.

She knew the answer. They all knew the answer. Victor Perrelli did not lock his door. Had someone come into his room while he was out and found the Mozart score? Perhaps Janet Muller had been right after all: The music
had
been stolen!

CHAPTER 6

Two Suspects

V
ictor Perrelli sank to the edge of the bed. “Oh, my,” he said, and ran his hands through his hair. “Do you suppose someone came in here and took the score?”

“We've looked everywhere,” Jessie said. “It doesn't seem to be here.”

“This is terrible, terrible,” Victor said. “But who would do such a thing?”

“The score is very valuable,” Henry said. “Many people might like to have it.”

Victor popped to his feet. “Great music belongs to the world,” he said. “This cannot be! I will
not
let this happen!” He strode out of the room.

The Aldens followed at his heels, out of the hotel.

As they marched back to the Civic Center, Benny said, “Don't worry. We'll help you find the music.”

But now the great Victor Perrelli was humming, and he didn't seem to hear.

Back at the Civic Center, Melody was talking on the lobby phone. When she saw them, she looked nervous, and abruptly stopped talking. As they came closer she hung up quickly and hurried over. It seemed as though she had been caught doing something she shouldn't.

“Oh, there you are,” she said. “I was just — ”

“Why is there no music?” Victor demanded. “We must rehearse!”

Melody's face was nearly as red as her hair. “We took a break,” she explained. “Now that you're here, Victor, you can take over.” Her voice was sharp.

Without another word, Victor headed into the auditorium.

Melody started after him.

“Don't you want to hear what happened?” Benny asked her.

Melody halted. “Yes, of course,” she said. “Did you find the score?”

“We looked everywhere,” Jessie answered. “But we couldn't find it.”

“Victor doesn't lock his door,” Henry told her. “Anyone could have walked off with it.”

“I can't worry about that now,” Melody said. “I have to rehearse!” She stomped off.

“She's acting a bit strange,” Henry said.

“She's probably worried about the missing music,” Violet defended.

“She can't be too worried,” Benny said. “She didn't even ask us about it.”

“You can't think
she
took it,” Violet said. “Why would she do that?”

No one had an answer.

“What about the phone call?” Jessie asked. “It looked as though we'd caught her in the middle of something she wanted to keep secret.”

“Melody was probably just calling the hotel looking for us,” Violet suggested.

Soo Lee nodded. “That would mean she
is
worried about the score.”

“Of course she is,” Violet said. “That's why she phoned: She wanted to know if we'd found it.”

“Funny she didn't say something when we got back here,” Jessie said.

“Victor didn't give her much of a chance to say anything,” Henry reminded her.

Music drifted into the lobby.

“Let's talk about this later,” Jessie suggested. “I want to hear the rehearsal.”

The Aldens went into the auditorium.

Victor was at the podium. “Let's try it once more,” he was saying. He took up his baton. “Now, remember, this passage should be sweet, full of heart.” He waited until everyone was ready. Then, with a downward stroke of the baton, he started the music again.

The Aldens sat quietly. Music surrounded them. They felt as though they were being lifted up and carried away to beautiful new places.

Victor tapped his baton against the podium. “No, no!” he said. “The strings are coming in late. Ms. Carmody, are you with us?”

Melody mumbled an apology.

“It sounded good to me,” Benny said.

“But Victor has a trained ear,” Violet said. “He hears things we don't.”

“I don't know how he can conduct at all with the missing score on his mind,” Jessie put in.

“He's probably forgotten all about it,” Henry said.

Jessie wasn't so sure. “He seemed awfully upset about it at the hotel. How could he forget it so soon?”

“He remembers all that music,” Soo Lee said.

“And Mozart's long name,” Benny added. “But nothing else.”

“Do you suppose … ?” Violet said.

“No,” Henry answered firmly. “Victor didn't steal the score. We shouldn't even think it.”

“Nobody would think it,” Jessie said. “Maybe he knows that.”

“Right,” Benny piped up. “Maybe he just pretends to be so forgetful to throw everyone off the trail.”

“I think he really is forgetful,” Henry argued. “Remember what he said: ‘A head full of music has no room for details.'”

“Is valuable missing music just a detail?” Soo Lee wanted to know.

No one, not even Victor Perrelli, could answer yes to that.

They fell silent as the music began again. But their heads buzzed with unanswered questions.

CHAPTER 7

Violet's Lesson

A
t lunchtime, the orchestra stopped practicing. Most of the members went back to the hotel. Bob Weldon suggested that he and Victor make one last search for the score. The Aldens looked for Melody to ask her to have lunch with them, but she had disappeared.

They walked to a nearby coffee shop.

After they had placed their orders, Violet said, “Melody looked upset when Victor corrected her.”

“You mean about the violins coming in late?” Henry asked.

Violet nodded. “Maybe that's why she disappeared like she did after the rehearsal.”

“But Victor corrected everyone,” Soo Lee piped up.

“Right,” Benny agreed. “If they all got upset about it, the whole orchestra would have disappeared.”

“Benny's right. Something else is bothering Melody,” Jessie said. “If only we could figure out what it is.”

Just then, the waiter brought their lunches, big sandwiches with potato chips on the side. Although Benny's sandwich was larger than the others, he was the first one finished.

“Let's go,” he said as he wiped his chin.

“We have plenty of time,” Henry told him. “The workshop won't start for half an hour.”

“But it might be filled up if we don't get there early,” Benny said.

He had a point. The auditorium had been nearly full during rehearsal.

The Aldens finished their lunches and hurried back to the Civic Center.

Abner Medina, the percussionist they'd seen the day before, was in charge of the Make Your Own Instruments workshop. “I'm very happy to see so many eager faces,” he said.

He went on to demonstrate some home-made instruments. He showed them a harmonica made from a comb and wax paper; a cigar box guitar; paper plate tambourines; and drinking glass chimes.

“You can even make music with a rubber band,” he said and looped a rubber band over two fingers. He spread them wide and strummed the rubber band with the fingers of his other hand.

“How about drums?” Benny asked. “I want to make drums.”

Abner Medina looked pleased. “Everything you need is on this table,” he said. “Get to work. Use your imaginations. See what you can come up with.”

Violet was selecting her materials when Melody came into the room. Smiling warmly, she no longer seemed upset.

“Violet,” she said, “why don't you come back to the hotel with me now? I'd like to hear you play.”

Violet was thrilled by the invitation. At the same time, she was nervous about it. What if she froze and couldn't play? What if Melody didn't think she played well?

“Oh, I'd love to,” she said, “but I didn't bring my violin.”

“I'm sure I can find one for you,” Melody told her. “I'll go see what I can do and meet you in the lobby. How's that sound?”

It sounded wonderful. “All right,” Violet said.

Melody turned to the Aldens' new cousin. “Would you like to come along, Soo Lee?” she asked.

“Oh, yes,” Soo Lee answered.

Saying, “Give me five minutes,” Melody left the room.

“She's being awfully nice,” Jessie commented.

“She
is
nice,” Violet said.

“But this morning when we came back from the hotel, she hardly said a word to us,” Henry reminded his sister.

“She was upset about Victor,” Violet said. “We already decided that.”