“Did something happen?” I whispered close to her ear.
She nodded and lifted her rounded gray eyes to mine, saying in a hushed rush, “Yes. The first one came in and everything was fine—Allyn, very nice, kind of kooky but sweet—and then Leo noticed his sister wasn’t anywhere. He opened the door, and then we all kind of heard this screaming sound, and—”
“Screaming?” I sat up, alert and alarmed. “Is she okay? Was she hurt?”
“No, no. Not hurt. Actually, it was more like yelling or growling, not screaming.”
I frowned, confused. “What?”
“She was standing on the path to the house, yell-growling.”
“At what?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. A bear, maybe? No explanation was offered. Anyway, it kind of killed the mood and freaked everyone out. And then Leo went outside to get her.”
My eyes drifted to the piano keys, trying to make sense of the story. “Did she stop yelling?”
“Yes. As soon as she saw Leo, she seemed to stop. And then she came inside with him and he introduced her to everyone. One by one. All twenty-one of us. And it was awkward, so awkward, because clearly everyone was still thinking about the loud yelling, she was very . . .” Kaitlyn paused here, now she was frowning, and she turned her attention back to the piano, switching to a new key, no longer the existential angst of D-sharp.
“What key is that?”
“D minor,” she said, sounding thoughtful, pensive, just like the music she was playing. “It’s actually Requiem in D minor by Mozart.”
My eyes flickered between her and the room full of people quietly talking. Everyone seemed to be whispering, still on edge.
“Why D minor?” I asked.
“Because Mona DaVinci seems like a D minor kind of gal.” Kaitlyn’s response sounded distracted.
The piece she played was growing in intensity, louder but strangely restrained. The song frustrated me. It was like riding a rollercoaster that only went up, building anticipation with no foreseeable payoff.
Swallowing against the aggravation making my throat tight, I covered her treble clef hand, forcing her to stop playing. She glanced at me, giving me a questioning look.
“What?”
I swallowed again, and then cleared my throat, letting my hand drop from hers. “Leo introduced her to everyone?”
She nodded and, still looking at me, began softly playing “Chopsticks.” She replied, “He did. And it was weird.”