Til Darkness Falls, page 15
“Wunderbar. Meet me in front of the performance hall at about a quarter to eight. That will give us plenty of time to get to our seats. Oh, and by the way—”
“Yeah?”
“Be sure to wear something pretty.”
Brian ended the call, smiling despite himself. “Asshole.”
“Was that the dreamboat?”
Brian nodded as he looked over at his partner. “Yeah. I’ve got a hot date with Mozart.”
Angela’s nose crinkled. “Mozart?”
“Yep. I’m going to see, um, The Magic Flute, I think it was. Over at the college.” He gave Angela a suspicious glance when she laughed out loud.
“You’re going to an opera?”
“I don’t know. Am I?”
She laughed again and shook her head. “You sure as hell are. Oh, sweetie, it must be love.”
For once, Brian didn’t feel the need to contradict her. He looked down at the yearbook lying on his desk, which brought his thoughts back to how he should be spending his evening. He sat back in his chair and groaned.
“But how am I going to get out of here? If I just bail, the captain will have my balls for beignets.”
“Hmmm.” Angela pursed her lips as she pondered his dilemma.
Brian felt a niggling hint of worry when she suddenly perked up and threw him a bright-eyed grin. “I don’t like that look.”
“Oh, hush and listen up. You said the show was at the college, right?”
“Yeah, and?” Brian waited while Angela riffled through the stack of papers on her desk.
“Here it is. This is the list of the victim’s friends her mother provided when she was interviewed this morning. They all attended school with her. So—”
“So, I have a perfectly legitimate reason for needing to go there today.”
“Bingo.” She passed the list over to him. “Ain’t police work grand?”
Brian smirked as he looked over the list and wondered how he could get his hands on a decent suit on such short notice.
BRIAN felt a little silly as he stood in the hallway of the victim’s dorm, wearing the suit he’d hastily borrowed from Angela’s oldest son. It was tight across the chest and a bit too short for him, but he hoped that his black socks, which matched the color of the suit’s pants, would make that fact a little less noticeable. He was just lucky that Jonathan was a good-sized kid.
Angela’s suggestion had been right on the money. The first few names on the list she’d given him hadn’t proved very helpful, but he struck gold with the third. The young man, Frank Harper, had been with the victim the night before at a club. He’d been nervous at first because it was obvious that, just like the councilwoman’s daughter, he was several years too young to be in a place that served alcohol. But Brian had assured him that he was just after information that might help solve the girl’s murder.
The kid told him that he’d gone out with his girlfriend, the victim, and her best friend. Frank had left the club early to take advantage of the hints his girlfriend had been dropping all night, but he assured Brian that the victim’s friend had stayed with her at the club after he and his girlfriend had left. Armed with the friend’s name and room number, Brian headed that way.
It was after seven o’clock at night, but the girl answered her door right away when he knocked. Frank’s information was as right on the money. If the girl’s hysterical crying was anything to go by, she had indeed been very close to the victim.
“Polly Jones? I’m Detective Macon.” Holding up his badge, Brian waited patiently as the girl blew her nose. It took a few minutes, but she was eventually able to quiet her sobs long enough to speak.
“Have you found out what happened to Tara?” She was a pretty young lady, although her prolonged bout of crying had played havoc with her complexion. Her nose was as red as her eyes, and splotches had popped up all over her face.
Brian gave her his most sympathetic look. “Not yet. That’s why I’m here. I just came from speaking with Frank. He told me that you all were out at Sweeney’s last night. Is that right?”
“Uh, well, you know—”
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to bust you for under-aged drinking.”
Polly looked relieved. “O-okay. Then, yeah, we were there last night.”
“What time did you leave?”
“Um, I’m not sure, I was pretty wasted.” She shot him an uncertain glance, but he merely nodded reassuringly. “Wait, I think the bar was giving last call, so it had to be around two a.m. or so.”
“And did you leave the club with Tara?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we left together, but we weren’t alone.”
Brian’s ears perked up at the new information. “Who else was with you?”
“This guy who’d been trying to pick Tara up. I don’t know him, but I’ve seen him before. I think he’s in her Psych class. I mean, he was—” Polly broke into a fresh round of sobs. Brian waited in the hall while she retreated into her room to retrieve a fresh handful of tissues. “I’m sorry,” she apologized when she returned.
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. So, you said this kid was in her class? What’s the exact name of the course?”
“Beginning Psych 101.”
“Okay, and can you describe him for me?”
Polly began to calm as she sensed that she was being helpful. “Yeah. He’s our age, seventeen or eighteen, brown hair, gray eyes. Maybe your height or a little shorter?”
Brian had pulled out his notepad from the pocket of his trench coat and was taking notes as she spoke. “And how about his weight? Fat? Thin?”
“Um, average, I guess. A little heavier than you, I think, but not really fat?”
Brian wasn’t sure whether he had just been insulted, but he simply nodded. “Anything else? Some other distinguishing characteristic that would help us identify him?”
“Yeah, he has braces.”
Brian cocked his eyebrow. “Braces at his age?” He felt a bit proud of himself when she giggled.
“Yeah, he’s kind of a dork. That’s why Tara wouldn’t give him the time of day for a long while. He’s been trying to get her to go out with him since, like, the third week of school. But we were both really trashed last night, and I guess she was feeling generous.”
“They do say that alcohol is the best beauty treatment in the world.” Smiling at her, he flipped his notepad closed. Replacing it in his pocket, he exchanged it for his card holder. “Here, if you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
She took the card he held out toward her. “Okay, I will. Oh, and Detective?” Brian paused in the act of turning away from her door and looked questioningly at her over his shoulder. “When you catch the bastard, I hope you cut his balls off.”
Brian felt his lips crook up at the corner as he nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
ONCE he was back outside, he considered himself officially off of the clock. He had the best lead he could have asked for, but it would take a bit of time to locate this braces-wearing psych student. And in the meantime, he had a date he needed to find.
Not having a map of the campus handy, Brian asked a passing student where he could find the performing arts center. It was, of course, on the quad. Marveling at the groupthink that apparently had infected the designers of American colleges, he headed in the indicated direction. After a short walk, he came across a wide-open grassy area that stretched several blocks in each direction and spotted a particularly large building. It was butt ugly, in his opinion. Rather than being fashioned using traditional right angles, it seemed to explode out like a possessed flower. But it was clearly the right place. Groups of well-dressed adults and passably attired college students thronged toward the main entrance. A large banner stretched between the columns framing the multiple sets of steps leading inside.
“The Magic Flute,” Brian mumbled to himself as he read the name of the opera he’d been invited to see. Opera? He shook his head, wondering what in the hell he was doing there. He had never seen an opera in his life. Heck, musical theater in general remained an unknown quantity. Yet here he was, ready to sacrifice a few hours of his life just because he was a sucker for a certain blond, blue-eyed German cello player. Well, if he did fall asleep in the middle of the thing, he at least hoped he wouldn’t snore.
Brian looked around at the crowds of people, wondering just where his date was. He didn’t have to search for long, since Alrick wasn’t exactly difficult to spot. Standing a head taller than most of the people around him, the German radiated an air of elegant maturity that made him stand out. The lights from the performing center caught the white-blond of his hair in a halo effect as he turned his head this way and that, clearly looking for his date. Brian stared for a long moment, wondering what cosmic favors he would owe in his next life for the opportunity of knowing this incredible man.
The fanciful thought was cut short when he saw Alrick look in his direction. Brian forced himself to breathe normally as the blond came toward him, a broad grin stretching his sensual lips as he weaved through the crowd with all the grace of a dancer. Swallowing hard, Brian willed his body to behave, with limited success.
“You made it. I was worried for a moment that you might lose your nerve.”
Brian laughed, refusing to admit that not showing up had ever crossed his mind. “Yeah, I can’t say that I know what I’m in for. Don’t blame me if I pass out on you.”
Alrick smiled down at him. “I am not concerned. The performing arts program at this school is supposed to be very good.”
Having no opinion on the matter, Brian merely smiled. “I’m just glad at least one of us will know what’s going on.”
“I’ll try and explain the acts as they happen. It will be in German—” Alrick grinned as Brian stared at him in horror. “But the plot is easily understood.”
“Yeah, okay, if you say so. What’s it about, anyway?”
“Oh, the usual. A boy who falls in love with a girl and has to fight through many obstacles to win her with the help of his Zauberflöte, his magic flute.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
Alrick nodded. “Indeed.” The crowd had thinned noticeably, and people were streaming steadily up the stairs and into the building. “Looks like they’ll be starting soon. Shall we go in?”
Brian was somewhat relieved when Alrick didn’t offer him his arm. He still wasn’t entirely comfortable being out in the open like this. Glancing up at the improbable roof of the center as they neared the entrance, Brian shook his head. “What’s up with this building? Some crazy architecture project gone awry?”
Alrick chuckled. “No, it’s so that the music will reflect properly.”
Brian frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Here, look.” The blond pointed upward. They had made it inside, and Brian saw the same insane pattern on the ceiling of the theater. “Right angles swallow sound and don’t allow the audience to hear properly. By slanting each section of the room like so, the acoustics are better.”
Brian shrugged. “I’ll have to take your word for that.” He noticed that they weren’t the only two guys there as a couple and felt his self-consciousness abate somewhat. It was very unlikely that he’d run into anyone he knew, but after witnessing the shit heaped upon a guy in the academy who’d been less than circumspect about his sexuality, Brian had been careful to the point of paranoia. There was no sense inviting trouble. Still, it was nice to be able to sit so close to Alrick, their arms pressed together from the tightness of the seating.
“I truly hope you enjoy the performance.”
Brian glanced over and felt a warm tingle as Alrick smiled at him gently. “I’m sure I will.”
ALRICK shifted in his seat more from a desire to feel Brian’s arm bump against his rather than from any discomfort. Even if the performance turned out to be horrible, this was still shaping up to be one of the best nights of his life. As a young man, he’d dreamed of enjoying a performance of beautiful music with the man he loved, and he did love Brian; there was no denying it. He just had no idea what to do about it. It wasn’t as though he could stay in the city forever. The demands of both of his jobs and risk of discovery simply wouldn’t allow for such foolish self-indulgence.
The warmth of Brian’s arm seeped into him, chasing away the chill of the late winter’s night. A problem for another time, he decided, determined to just enjoy himself and to relish every moment he got to spend with the other man. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight came up as a young man wearing a tuxedo walked across the stage, a baton held motionless in his hand. Bowing, he paused to bask in the adulation from the audience before taking his place behind a large stand covered with a thick ream of paper. Brian leaned back in surprise when the section of the stage where man stood began to lower into the floor.
“Huh? What’s going on?” he whispered.
“The orchestra is below the stage,” Alrick explained softly. “The platform will descend only partially. See? The conductor’s position will enable him to see both his musicians and the performers.”
“Clever.”
Alrick smiled as the conductor raised his hands. He brought them down sharply, and the lyrical strains of the overture filled the hall. Although he made certain to watch the performance with a critical eye, Alrick allowed himself to become immersed in the music. In his opinion, this was by far Mozart’s best work, compelling and playful in turns as it transported the listener to the magical realm of fairy queens and desperate lovers.
He leaned over toward Brian occasionally, offering translations and commentary where he thought they’d be most effective. He whispered closely in Brian’s ear, enjoying the way the smaller man shivered from the warm brush of his breath. The story of the handsome prince and his foolish servant unfolded before them, the soaring arias and comical refrains giving brilliant life to the tale of a young man willing to overcome any trial to win the hand of the girl he’d been promised.
As Alrick explained the meaning of the lyrics to Brian, he suddenly realized just how relevant the story had become to his own life. He knew what it meant to want someone dreadfully but to fear that the difficulties separating them might prove insurmountable. After all, what right did a man who killed for money have to live happily ever after?
This likeness is enchantingly lovely
I feel it, as this heavenly picture
My heart with new emotion fills.
Can the feeling be love?
“Yes, it is love alone.” Alrick hummed the words quietly to himself in German. He hooked his fingers through Brian’s, his heart twinging with a bittersweet pang when the other man returned the gesture with a gentle tightening of his grasp.
“SEE? You didn’t fall asleep.”
Brian laughed as they walked down a path leading away from the quad. His hand still tingled from where the blond had been holding it for the past two hours. He stuck it in his coat pocket, telling himself it was to block out the wind and not so that he could preserve the sensation. “It wasn’t half bad at that. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud, but that Papa-whatever guy was pretty funny.”
“Papageno. Yes, every good opera needs a court jester, and he is more effective than most.”
Brian didn’t know if Alrick knew the campus any better than he did, but he followed the other man’s lead without comment as they drifted further away from the crowds leaving the theater. They were soon in a darker part of campus, and he realized the dimly lit area was a small park. The shadows of trees loomed over them as they wandered aimlessly along the path, the waxing moon providing the only light.
Isn’t this romantic? Smiling to himself, Brian decided he wasn’t complaining.
“So who was your favorite character beside Papageno?” Alrick asked.
Brian didn’t hesitate. “The Queen of the Night.”
“Really? Why?”
“She reminds me of someone I work with.”
Alrick chuckled. “That sounds ominous.”
“Yeah, she’s definitely queen of all she surveys. We’re just the peons slaving away, subject to her every whim.”
Alrick made a sympathetic noise. “The Queen is a very intriguing character. Her arias are particularly difficult. It’s said that she has some of the highest notes that any singer has ever had to produce.”
Barely listening, Brian kicked at a pile of leaves as he walked at Alrick’s side.
“Mozart’s own sister-in-law premiered the role.”
“Um hmm.”
“There’s a spider on your head.”
Brian stopped and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Really?”
Alrick laughed. “I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. You seemed lost in thought.”
Brian glanced from side to side, noticing that they were completely alone on the dark path. “I was.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Whether I had to give you an engraved invitation before you kissed me.”
Alrick went completely still for a moment, shocked at Brian’s boldness. Then his lips turned up into a sly smirk, and Brian quickly found himself wrapped in a pair of strong arms. Even through the barrier of their coats and clothing, he could feel the taller man’s body heat flowing into him, making a mockery of the biting chill.
“Your wish—”
Words gave way to the soft press of lips. The gentle slide of Alrick’s against his sent a tingle all the way down to his toes. Brian tried to urge the other man’s lips apart with his tongue, but the blond stood firm, allowing nothing but the soft, intimate caress.
Groaning with frustration as his cock began to swell, Brian reached up and tugged on the lapels of Alrick’s long coat, trying to convey his dissatisfaction with the teasing pressure. The blond answered his urgency with a murmured sound of amusement, indicating his delight at Brian’s desperation. Brian resorted to calling him names in his head because he had no desire to move away from those lips.
