Deadly Overtures: A Music Lover's Mystery Read Online Free Page B

sure?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Pavlina’s pale face.
    “I’m sure.”
    We remained there in silence. I didn’t know what to do next. Part of me wanted to retreat from the washroom, to hide away from the sight of Pavlina’s body, but another part of me couldn’t leave her alone, abandoned on the floor, even if she wouldn’t know whether anyone was with her or not.
    I should have realized the silence that had settled over us was only temporary, that a flurry of alarmed activity was imminent. It began mere seconds later when the washroom door opened and Olivia Hutchcraft stepped over the threshold, Hans right behind her.
    “Dear Lord!” Olivia exclaimed when Mikayla and I stepped aside so she could see Pavlina. She pressed her clipboard to her chest and stared at the body on the floor.
    His forehead furrowed with concern, Hans stepped around Olivia.
    “Is she breathing?” he asked me.
    I shook my head, a fresh lump of emotion blocking my voice.
    “Does anyone know what happened?”
    I shook my head again. “This is how we found her.”
    My eyes finally strayed from Pavlina’s body, taking in the rest of the washroom in a quick study.
    I pointed to the edge of the marble countertop that ran along one wall. “Look, there’s blood on the counter. Maybe she slipped and hit her head.”
    Hans nodded as he too studied the scene.
    Mikayla gave my arm a squeeze. “I need to step outside.”
    She released her hold on me and slipped out the door.
    “I think we should all wait outside,” Hans said.
    Olivia didn’t move, her eyes still fixed on the body, her face almost as pale as Pavlina’s. Hans put an arm around her shoulders and turned her gently toward the door.
    I took one last look at Pavlina, at the bloody, matted hair on the back of her head, at the streak of blood running down her right arm to her wrist, which suddenly seemed terribly pale, thin, and fragile.
    “Midori?” Hans called to me as he guided Olivia out of the washroom.
    I wrenched my gaze from Pavlina and followed him out the door, my body moving numbly, as if on autopilot.
    Out in the corridor, several musicians had gathered along with judges Jeb Hartson and Harold Dempsey; Olivia’s assistant, Sasha; and finalist Ethan Rogerson. Hans handed Olivia off to Sasha. The young man seemed uncertain about what to do with his boss, but after a slight hesitation, he led her off down the hallway.
    “I think it would be best if we kept this corridor clear,” Hans said to everyone present. “The paramedics will be here soon.”
    He didn’t add that their attendance would be futile, but I guessed from the expressions on all the faces around me that everyone already knew that. After casting uneasy glances at the closed washroom door, everyone except me, Mikayla, Hans, Harold Dempsey, and Jeb Hartson drifted away from the scene.
    “Is she really dead?” Harold asked once the others had left.
    “I’m afraid so,” Hans replied.
    Jeb ran a hand over his hair. “What a damn shame.”
    With a shake of his head, he walked slowly off down the corridor, Harold following. As they disappeared around a corner, I wondered why Jeb didn’t seem more distressed by Pavlina’s death. He wasn’t devoid of emotion, but his level of sadness seemed appropriate for someone who’d barely known her. If not for the conversation I’d overheard earlier that evening, his reaction would have seemed fitting. But knowing as I did that there was far more to his relationship with Pavlina, it struck me as odd that he wasn’t more broken up.
    Maybe he was though, deep down. It was possible that he was hiding his real feelings because he knew his relationship with Pavlina was inappropriate. Maybe later, once he was on his own and away from the eyes of anyone else involved in the competition, his true grief would surface.
    Hans addressed Mikayla. “I’ll stay here by the door to make sure no one goes inside, but would you please head to the lobby and direct the paramedics