Orchestrated Murder Read Online Free Page A

back. She seems more upset than most of the others. People keep going back to talk to her.”
    â€œLet me guess: she’s the piccolo player.”
    â€œWhat’s a piccolo?”
    As the two men headed back to the rehearsal room, Pratt was thinking to himself, This is going to be a very long day.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    â€œI s there anything you’d like to tell me?” Pratt asked the short and very pretty young blond woman sitting in front of him. “I’m willing to hazard a guess that you play the piccolo,” he added.
    He’d asked the uniformed cop to send the upset woman out to speak to him. Once she’d appeared, Pratt had taken her upstairs and found the backstage area where he knew they could talk without being disturbed. This needed to be handled just right.
    She sat stiffly with her hands clenched in her lap. “Actually, I play piccolo and flute in the orchestra.”
    Pratt pulled up another chair. “Your name, dear?”
    â€œSofia. Sofia Barna.”
    â€œThat’s Polish, isn’t it?”
    â€œMy parents are from Poland. I was born in Toronto.”
    â€œAnd you’ve been in the orchestra how long?”
    â€œNearly six months.”
    â€œHow do you like it here?”
    â€œIt’s okay. I’m lucky to have landed the job.”
    â€œHow are you f inding life in our city?”
    â€œAll right, I guess.”
    Pratt circled a bit closer with the next question. “And when was the last time you saw Luigi Spadafini?”
    Her eyes opened wide. “Why are you asking that?”
    â€œPlease answer the question.”
    Sofia looked around as if she wanted to run away.
    â€œTake your time,” Pratt said kindly.
    â€œThis morning just before he…just before he…”
    Pratt studied her closely. Obviously she’d been crying, and right now her face looked like she just might do it again. She also had all the signs of someone with something to hide.
    â€œI meant before that.”
    â€œThe concert last night. He was so angry afterward. That’s why we had the emergency rehearsal this morning.”
    â€œBut you also saw him after the concert, didn’t you?”
    The young woman wilted, put her head in her hands and began sobbing. Pratt let her go on for a while.
    â€œMiss Barna,” he eventually asked, but kept his voice gentle, “would you please answer my question?”
    She snuffled a moment longer, then raised her head and wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeves.
    â€œYou were seeing him, weren’t you?”
    She suddenly looked defiant. “Who told you? That Wanamaker woman, the orchestra’s busybody?”
    â€œSo you’re not denying it?”
    â€œNo. I suppose I can’t. I know people in the orchestra guessed. I was careful. Luigi wasn’t quite as careful. It wasn’t his nature.”
    Pratt decided to take out his notebook. “Did you spend the night together?” At first he thought she wouldn’t answer, but eventually he got a nod. “All night?”
    â€œDo you also want a detailed description of what we did?” Sofia asked harshly.
    â€œWhat was Spadafini’s mood like?”
    â€œHe was very angry at the orchestra. He went on and on about it. Then just before midnight, his phone rang.”
    â€œHis cell phone?”
    â€œNo. His home phone. I think he’d left his cell in the car. He got out of bed and took the call in his study. I heard a lot of shouting through the door.”
    â€œDo you know what the argument was about?”
    â€œNo. I think it was about money or something. The only clear thing I heard was about Luigi not owing anything.”
    â€œHe used those exact words?”
    She nodded.
    â€œAnd did he say anything to you about it later?”
    â€œNot a word. Actually, he was in a very good mood when he got back in bed. A very good mood…”
    Sofia looked as if she was going to cry again. Pratt