The Violin Conspiracy(11)

He shrugged, still feeling a little defensive. “It took my playing to a whole different level. It was an enormous shortcut to having people pay serious attention to me.”

“Nothing good is ever easy,” she said.

“I guess not. But I don’t come from a family that really nurtures music.”

“Not even now, with all the attention you’ve gotten? You certainly are a media darling these days.”

“No, not even now. I haven’t talked to my mom in months.”

“Really,” Alicia said. “Why is that?”

“She did everything she could to stop me from playing. She just wanted another paycheck coming in.”

“Was she hurting for money?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t think so, but she was a single mom, and I have a younger brother and sister, and they always need something. It’s worse because they’re twins, and she has to buy for both of them. She’s always wanting more money.” He thought about it. “But, honestly, I have no idea. You think my mom would steal my violin?”

“Do you?”

“I don’t know. My family has the best motive, but I really don’t think they’d be able to get away with it, not with all the conditions we put around the deal. My lawyer made sure of that. They’re definitely greedy but they wouldn’t have the slightest idea of how to pull something like this off. Getting fifty dollars’ worth of groceries for fifteen? Yeah, sure. But this? Not even.”

“There’s a lot of money at stake,” Alicia said. “You’d be surprised what a motivating force money can be.”

Where Ray’s mother was concerned, Ray thought, Alicia Childress didn’t know the half of it.

Alicia pulled her laptop over, donned a pair of reading glasses. “Some of those relatives of yours have racked up some serious debts,” she was saying. “Thurston and Joyce in particular.”

“They always wanted money from me,” he said. “I never made very much but I still sent them what I could. It was probably twenty thousand dollars, all told. But it was never enough.”

“Which is why you made that deal with them back in February,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s why. It got them off my back.”

She’d been studying her laptop as if she could read some hidden map in its screen, but now she looked up at him, shook her head. “Your family is at the top of my list of suspects. A stolen violin plus insurance money equals a big fat life-changing motive.”





Chapter 5


    Day 17: Mom


He returned to Charlotte, and Nicole went back to Erie. Within a few days he was already considering a return to New York, as if being there would make it more likely that he’d stumble over the violin on a Midtown street. Late one morning, as he was working through the Bach Chaconne for the third time, his phone rang. Alicia. He snatched it up. “Any news? Did they find her yet?” He laid down his bow on the music stand. The house echoed.

“Not yet.” No one had tracked down the housekeeper. The community wasn’t talking.

“What about the reward?” Ray said. “Did you tell them about the reward?”

“Oh, good idea,” she said. “Wish I’d thought of that sooner. Darn. Missed opportunity.”

“She couldn’t just disappear,” Ray said, pacing around the house. “What about airports? Bus stations? It’s New York.”

“Exactly. It’s New York. She absolutely could.”

He asked if there were any leads about the Bitcoin account (nothing), the printer (nothing), or the Chuck Taylor purchases (no news).

“So Pilar is still the best shot,” he said.

“She is. There is a serious manhunt out for her. Bill Soames promised to alert me immediately when they track her down.”

“I guess you haven’t turned up anything with my family, then?”

“We’re monitoring all their accounts. They’ve all been interviewed multiple times.” Alicia’s voice turned deceptively casual. “I also had a chat with the Marks family.”

Ray sat up. “What did you think? They’re trippin’, right?”

“They’re certainly a piece of work. Denied everything.”

“Well,” Ray said, “if the violin is gone, so much for their lawsuit against me.”

“They definitely don’t seem to have a motive to steal it.”

He parsed her words. “But you don’t trust them, either.”

“I don’t. But we haven’t found any proof yet of their involvement. I’ll keep you posted.”

They hung up soon after, and Ray went back to practicing the Bach. He couldn’t concentrate, though, and finally took a shower and lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Midmorning next day, Alicia texted.

Alicia: I’ve found her. Honduras. The housekeeper.

Ray: I’m going down there, send me the address

Alicia: Leave this to the pros, grasshopper. I’m at the airport now.

Ray: Are you sure it’s her

Alicia: Pretty sure. We want to talk to her in person, not risk spooking her again. I’ll report back asap.



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