Casebook 4: A Score Settled - 4.8[index]

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“The morning was spent in practice. At noon, he took lunch with the orchestra in the hotel dining room. His companions found him in good spirits. He returned to his room. Within half an hour, he had thrown himself out of the window. The room was locked. There was no note.” He said it casually, then flashed another twinkling glance. “Artistic temperament.”

“May I see the room?”

“Natürlich.”

We rose in silence and walked back into the dark.

*      *      *

The hotel room was ordinary: a bed, a small writing desk and chair, dresser and so on. The only noteworthy items were a violin case, which sat on the bed, closed, and a plain, metal music stand placed in the centre of the room, upon which rested a few sheets of music. I picked up the top sheet from the music stand and examined it. It was the beginning of a composition – 14 notes in all: