The envelope from the conservatory lay at the center of the table in Harriet’s office later that evening.
Everyone was exhausted, yet no one wanted to leave. The sentence kept echoing in Harriet’s mind: “Now find who refused to play the final note.” She wrote it on the investigation board beneath Edward’s last recorded words: “Look for the decision that moved it.”
Harriet suddenly noticed something. Both clues focused on a person’s decision, not an object. The investigation had spent months searching for hidden places. Now every clue pointed toward understanding one individual’s choice.
Rose researched the last documented event held in the Blackthorn Conservatory before the Fire of 1823. She uncovered invitations, guest lists, and newspaper announcements. The evening was advertised as a
