Free Night and Day by Iris Johansen

music is always there.”
    He nodded. “Yes, that’s what I tried to tell Natalie. I could give her everything else, but she didn’t understand that if all the rest is taken away, she could still have the music.” He shrugged. “She was too impatient to practice.”
    â€œI may still try if it will make you happy,” Natalie said.
    â€œYou have a daughter, and that just may be enough to make me happy without your bothering.” He touched Cara’s hair. “Will you play for me?”
    She nodded. “I don’t have my violin. It’s back at the camp at Gaelkar.”
    â€œI’ll take care of that. After dinner tonight?”
    She nodded again. “You know about the music. What do you play?”
    â€œNothing.”
    She looked at him, puzzled. “Why not?”
    He held out his hands. Four fingers on both hands were broken and terribly misformed. “One of the guards at the work camp in Siberia decided that I had been disrespectful. So I decided my life had to go in another direction.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” she whispered. She couldn’t imagine anything more terrible. The music stifled, never to be able to free it.
    â€œI see that you are.” His hand lightly brushed her cheek. “And that you understand more than anyone else could.” His smile faded. “Except my son, Alex. He had the music in his soul. He played the piano and I thought I’d send him to the conservatory when he got tired of playing at my ‘other direction.’”
    â€œHe betrayed you,” Natalie said. “It broke my heart, but Alex did betray you, Daddy.”
    â€œHe claimed he didn’t,” Kaskov said sadly. “But there was proof, and there were the rules. I couldn’t spare my son when I spared no one else. It would have toppled me.” He looked back at Cara. “But it was lonely not having anyone else who really understood. I’m glad you’re here, Cara.”
    â€œAnd that’s enough of all this sad talk,” Natalie said. “If you’re set on having her play for you, she has to get settled, then get a little rest.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll see you at dinner. I’ll take Cara over to the gatehouse. Will you send Ivan Sabak to be her personal guard? I remember him as being very competent.”
    His brows rose. “I thought perhaps Nikolai. Sabak’s one of my best men. You think the threat is that serious?”
    â€œHow do I know? I’m only a woman. But I’d feel better about it.” She smiled. “Please?”
    â€œWhatever.” He turned away. “I’ll send Sabak. Now get out of here. I have phone calls to make.” He glanced back at Cara. “Welcome to my home, Cara.”
    â€œThank you. I’ll see you at dinner.”
    Natalie almost shoved Cara out the door and onto the driveway. “I didn’t like the way you handled those questions, Cara.” She was walking quickly, her high heels clicking on the stones. “You were far too pushy, and you made me look less than I am.”
    â€œI didn’t say anything about you. He did. And I only told the truth.”
    â€œIt’s a truth I prefer to avoid at present.” She didn’t speak for a few moments, then burst out, “That damn music. I should have known it would get in the way. It always did. That’s why I didn’t tell him about it myself.”
    â€œIt’s sad about his hands.”
    â€œIt’s not sad. He’s far more powerful now than he would ever have been as some piddling musician.”
    Cara turned and stared at her. Natalie truly didn’t understand, and she could see how that would have hurt her father.
    â€œStop looking at me,” she said sharply. “That’s how Alex would always look at me. And then he’d exchange glances with my father, and I knew that they were closing me out. No one