The Uneven Score by Carla Neggers Page A

musicians. I could be wrong, of course, but my instincts tell me otherwise.”
     Smart man, Yoshifumi, Whitney thought.
    “What you’re saying,” Daniel said, “is that you think Dr. Paderevsky is cracking.”
    “We’re just alerting you to a potential problem,” Angelina replied, businesslike. “There is one other incident you should be aware of. I’m not sure it means anything myself, but ... well, at this morning’s practice, Dr. Paderevsky told us that Whitney McCallie, Harry’s replacement— We think she’s replacing Harry a little prematurely, but never mind that. Anyway, Whitney’s supposed to be arriving this afternoon, and she—Dr. Paderevsky, that is—was actually nice. I don’t know how to explain this. Lucas, you were there.”
    “The lady described Whitney as her ‘one true friend,’ which just isn’t how the doctor talks, you know?”
    It certainly wasn’t, Whitney thought. Paddie was cracking up! Whoever was trying to drive her crazy had already succeeded.
    “Dr. Paderevsky and Miss McCallie know one another?” Daniel asked.
    “Certainly,” Bradley Fredericks said.
    “That’s right,” Yoshifumi added. “The only senior performance recital Dr. Paderevsky ever attended was Whitney’s. They were great friends.”
    Passing acquaintances, Yoshifumi, Whitney thought, straightening up and preparing to make her escape. But to where? She could not let Daniel pick her brains before she’d talked to Paddie. They would have to confide in him, but that wasn’t a decision Whitney could, in good conscience, make alone.
    “I see,” Daniel said tightly. “Do any of you know Miss McCallie?”
    “Oh, sure,” Yoshifumi said, adding another nail to her coffin. “She’s a great horn player—not a Harry Stagliatti, you understand, or Paddie would have gotten her in the first place. But a few more years with Harry and she’ll be right up there with him. Even he says so, and he doesn’t have much good to say about any of his students. It’s her tone.”
    “Any of his students?” Daniel asked sharply. “What do you mean?”
    “You didn’t know? I figured Paddie would have told you. Whitney is Harry’s top student. They’ve been together— I don’t know, ten years?”
    “I see,” Daniel said again, even more tightly.
    “Daniel,” Matthew Walker said, “after consulting with a few representatives of the orchestra about Dr. Paderevsky’s odd behavior, I decided perhaps I should talk to Whitney before she arrived. I called the airline and learned she’s already here in Florida. She arrived yesterday. It seems to me there’s something going on around here that I haven’t been told about. Would you happen to know anything about it?”
    Whitney could hear Daniel’s heavy, irritated sigh through the solid door. “I don’t know any reason beyond overwork and Harry’s apparent walkout for any change in Dr. Paderevsky’s behavior. It seems to me we’re all on edge. Give her the weekend to relax and see what happens. As for Miss McCallie, she did arrive unexpectedly yesterday”—to say the least, Whitney thought—”and is staying here as my houseguest. I thought since she was coming on such short notice she might need a place to stay. Other than that, I don’t know what to tell you. I had no idea she and Dr. Paderevsky were friends.”
    Whitney winced at the condemnation in his tone. Thanks to her comrades, she had more explaining to do than ever. She didn’t blame Daniel for being angry. He was sitting in there putting all the little pieces together and realizing just how much lying Whitney had done. But what choice had she had?
    She uncrooked her back and stretched painfully. And what choice did she have now? This was no time for Whitney to abandon Paddie. Whitney could function without the respect and support of the CFSO; Paddie couldn’t, no matter what she thought.
    Someone suggested Daniel fetch Whitney in to talk to them. She didn’t wait to hear his answer, but