donât know what I could tell her that would do any good.â
âJust make sure she investigates my uncle.â
I tugged on my left ear as I thought over his request. There really wasnât any reason to say no. Salnikova might not listen to me, but I could at least talk to her to appease Jordan. There was no harm in that.
âAll right,â I said. âI canât promise that it will make any difference, but Iâll talk to her.â
Jordanâs shoulders relaxed. âThanks, Midori.â He stood up. âIâd better go find my mom.â
âSee you tomorrow,â I said as he headed for the sidewalk.
Once heâd disappeared from sight, I returned to my studio and checked my phone. Aaron had texted me, wanting to know when he could see me next. A big lump of dread lodged itself in my stomach. What was I supposed to say?
With relief I realized I wouldnât have a chance to see him for two days. I had another concert that night, and the next night weâd both be busyâÂAaron with band practice and me with a rehearsal at the theater. That meant Wednesday was the earliest option. Guilt adding to the weight of the dread in my stomach, I sent him a quick reply to tell him that.
As I slipped my phone into my purse, JT tapped on the open door of my studio.
âHey, do you have a few minutes?â
âSure. Why?â
âIâve got a pot of chili cooking. I thought you might want a bite to eat before your concert.â
My stomach rumbled, reminding me of the fact that I hadnât eaten for hours. âYum. Sounds good.â
I followed JT down the hall to the kitchen, giving Finnegan a scratch on the head as the happy canine trotted along beside me. While JT ladled the chili into bowls, I perched on one of the stools at the granite breakfast bar.
âThanks,â I said when he set a bowl in front of me.
JT sat down next to me and Finnegan settled at our feet, watching with hopeful eyes for any tidbits of food that might tumble down to his level.
âI was thinking I should come to one of your concerts later this month.â
I brightened. âReally? That would be nice. Itâs been a while since you last came to one.â
âAlmost a year, I think. Too long. My mom and stepdad would probably like to come too.â
âCool.â
âHas Aaron been to one of your concerts yet?â
Despite the delicious smell of the chili, my appetite slipped away. âNo, not yet.â
âI bet heâd like to.â
âYou think so?â
âOf course. Like I said before, heâs really into you.â
I was so busy fighting my unpleasant feelings that I wasnât sure if Iâd detected something odd in JTâs voice.
âSomething wrong?â he asked as I slid off my stool.
I shook my head and made my way around the breakfast bar. âJust getting a glass of water. Want one?â
âSure.â
I could sense his eyes on me as I filled two glasses with cold water. Sure enough, when I turned back to the counter, his brown eyes were focused on my face.
âSomething is wrong.â
Hiding things from him was next to impossible, but I really didnât want to discuss Aaron. I set down our drinks and slid back onto my stool, buying myself some time.
âYou know my student Jordan?â Yes, I was deflecting his attention away from the subject of Aaron, but that was something I really needed to do at the moment.
JT thought for a second. âBlond hair? Teenager?â
âThatâs him. He was just here to ask about rearranging his lesson schedule. His grandfather was the guy who died at the reception on Friday night.â
âReally? Thatâs rough.â
I chewed on a mouthful of chili and nodded. Once Iâd swallowed, I said, âAnd it turns out he was definitely murdered. Poisoned.â
Although I hadnât seen Jordanâs uncle set foot inside the reception room