An announcement in both English and Japanese played in the lobby, informing the guests of Mito’s upcoming violin performance. Those around them began to gather near the model sailboat.
The staff had apparently decided not to set out a bunch of chairs this time. There were only a few near the front, for those who needed them. Touko Hasekura and Yuudai Soga were seated right in the middle.
Hinata’s group decided to hang near the back so as not to draw attention.
Soon, Mito took her position in front of the model ship. She was wearing the same dress as the day before, her hair tied into a ponytail. A round of applause welcomed her. The tulle dress was a bit wrinkled from being stuffed into her suitcase, and she was holding only her bow.
She bowed and addressed the crowd. “My name is Mito Sugisaki. Mr. Soga has generously provided two violins for me to perform with today, so you can compare their sound. One violin was made by a master luthier named Guarneri, while the other is a Stradivarius—a different one from yesterday. Please enjoy the unique sounds of these master instruments.”
One of Soga’s bodyguards walked up with a violin. Mito took it, tucked it under her chin, and glanced at the audience, careful to maintain her pose.
“My first song will use the Guarneri. It is Kreisler’s ‘Beautiful Rosemary.’”
She raised her bow, took a deep breath, and began to play.
After her second piece was finished, the audience streamed out of the lobby in waves. Mayuka looked at Hinata and asked, “Could you tell the two apart?”
“Y-yeah. I don’t know how to explain it, but I could tell that they were different.”
“I had the same thought,” Kobayashi said, stroking his chin.
“Really?” Mayuka asked him skeptically.
“I’m glad that we got to hear ‘Beautiful Rosemary,’” said Hinata. “It’s a really bright and pretty song.” He recalled the sad expression on Mito’s face after her silent performance on the deck.
✦ ✦ ✦
I’m glad you got to play it, Mito. I can tell you really love the violin and its music with all your heart…
Soga and Touko caught up with Mito at the model ship and spoke intently with her. It appeared the bodyguard had already taken both violins back to the room.
Reo stood next to Touko, desperately trying to hold back Kotarou, who was getting excited at the sight of Chris. Chris, meanwhile, shot Kotarou a sidelong glance and growled.
At last, Mito broke free from Soga and Touko and rejoined the group.
“Ahh, it’s over! Those were very nice violins… I wish I could’ve played them longer…”
She smiled with great satisfaction. Mayuka was happy to see her in such a good mood.
“Great job, Mito,” she said. “That was an amazing performance. I couldn’t tell the difference between the violins…but thanks for playing ‘Rosemary’ for us.”
“Yes, I suppose you wouldn’t know what sort of song it is without hearing it,” Mito said, pulling out her ponytail and letting her hair down. “I have to say, though, Miss Touko’s perfume is horrible!”
After they left Chris at the kennel and ate dinner at the restaurant, Mayuka and Mito split off, deciding to go see the musical being performed on board.
“Since you’re here on this fancy cruise ship,” Touko had advised Mito, “you might as well enjoy the entertainment.” She’d offered to take her along, and Mito had extended the invitation to the others.
Hinata and Kobayashi chose to refrain, however.
“I need some quiet time to think…,” Kobayashi said with a smile. “Us boring boys have had enough excitement.” Hinata felt the same.
Mayuka suggested they bring bathroom towels to counteract Touko’s perfume, which made Mito cackle. Kobayashi watched them go and remarked, “You wouldn’t think so watching Mito perform, but those two really are the same age…”
So am I, thought Hinata ruefully as he sipped at a glass of mango juice.
“Everything’s so fuzzy in my head,” he admitted to Kobayashi. “There are so many things that don’t quite add up. It’s obvious why someone would steal the violin, right? For money, or the desire to own a famous instrument… But why would they want to trap us on the ship? I’m curious about the Hasekuras, too, and I don’t understand Chris’s recent behavior…”
“What’s he been doing?”
“The way he acted around the captain’s bag earlier, for example. Plus, there’s something I haven’t mentioned to you yet…”
But just then, Hinata was interrupted by a man plopping himself down in Mayuka’s former seat. It was so startling that he nearly spilled his juice.
“Sorry about earlier,” he said. It was Numata, the owner of the tarantula. He removed his glasses and used a handkerchief to wipe them off before putting them back on. “I’ve come to realize that it was you all who found Mary for me.”
Oh, right. Mary is the tarantula’s name, Hinata realized belatedly.
“O-oh, no, that was just an accident…”
“People don’t understand why I would have a pet like that. But she’s so cute and fluffy.”
I don’t know that I’d call her “fluffy.” Maybe hairy? Or bristly?
“But the lady at the dog kennel understood. She really knows her stuff.”
Ah yes. Liz seemed to love all living creatures.
“And she doesn’t have that much venom. Just enough to hurt if she bites you.”
Kobayashi, sitting across the table in his wheelchair, leaned away from Numata, though he was able to manage a polite smile. “Oh, so do you like weird, uh…I mean, rare pets?” he asked. “Do you have any others?”
“Yes! I like reptiles and amphibians, too, but spiders are my favorite. Did you know they aren’t bugs? Arachnids are a type of arthropod, technically speaking. Mary is a Mexican redleg—a fairly common type of tarantula. It’s nice, though, right? You look at her and say, ‘Now that’s a tarantula.’ But the type that’s really popular among enthusiasts right now is a species called the Gooty sapphire ornamental. They have a brilliant blue coloration that enchants everyone who sees it.”
Kobayashi’s smile froze. The blue spider that had just popped into his mind was even more horrifying than he’d anticipated.
Numata continued, “You’d be surprised how easy they are to take care of. They’re quite docile, and they don’t need to eat every day. That’s why the number of collectors keeps growing. The thing is, the Washington Convention makes some rare species very hard to come by. That means the competition is fierce, and the industry is under quite a lot of strain…”
He stopped briefly to wipe the sweat he’d built up in his excitement. This gave Kobayashi the chance to ask, “S-so is that what you do for a living?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I wouldn’t call it a ‘job’ or anything…”