le too fast, a little too sharp. She shifted on the piano bench, hunching her sh

than the music. Every muscle in her

ion, she saw the sommel

2 Marga

that vibrated through the floorboards and stra

in, sugary and sharp. "Make i

ring dissonance in the middle of

He squinted slightly, but the dimly lit corner and the mask did their job. He saw a shape

named Pierre, scurried over to the p

at is Mr. Sterling. He is our most im

ly whispered through her m

ghtened up. "The lady at table four

. Marriage d'Amour. It was the son

now it was Lily-she couldn't possibly-but she sensed the pianist's discomfort and, like a cat with a dying mouse,

that," Lily

et paid for tonight," Pierre

ls. She thought of the frozen credit cards.

er pride. It ta

in

chords of Marriage d'Amour. The

his knife stopped halfway through the meat.

s eyes for a moment, letting the sound

d loudly. "I asked her to play it. It

lluminated by the sheet music light. They moved with a fluidity that mad

than's arm to draw his attention back. "Look at the tension in

rief, her hatred into the keys. The music swelled, fill

faded, there was a s

. "You should tip he

to the bill," Ethan said,

mate it made Lily want to vomit-and pulled out his money clip. She pulled out a

He took the ca

ead. She sat paralyzed as her husband walked across the roo

; he was looking at the tip jar. He just placed

d dismissively. "Y

ed to w

mocking her. It was the million dollars all over again. It was

t exploded. It was a hot,