Or did she?
* * *
Gabriel?‘Gabriel!’
She hurried along the waterfront and took off her sunglasses to be absolutely certain she wasn’t seeing things. But from the smile on his face and the way he opened one arm to her, the other holding his bag, she knew without a doubt that it was him. She’d slowed to watch the ferry come in and disembark its passengers on her way back to the house, wondering which ferry service might travel to Alonissos, which was how she’d seen him in the first place.
‘I can’t believe you came!’ she called out as she neared him.
‘A beautiful girl asks me to visit her in the Greek islands? How could I say no?’
Ella ran into his arms and looped hers around his neck, hugging him before leaning back a little. He kissed her without hesitation, his lips as soft and warm as the sunshine beating down on them. She lifted her hand and touched her palm to his cheek, hardly able to believe he was there. Only moments earlier she’d felt disappointed, wondering if perhaps he didn’t feel the same way about her as she did him, and yet here he was in the flesh.
‘I have so much to tell you! I’ve made great progress on the photo, but—’ Gabriel’s grin stopped her mid-sentence. ‘Why are you smiling at me like that?’
‘Because I think I’ve discovered who your mysterious “B” is.’
Ella planted her hands on her hips. ‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I didn’t come all this way just to have a holiday,’ he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. ‘I’ve spent the past few days asking everybody I know if they recognised the note, and this morning, I finally found someone who could solve at least part of the puzzle.’
19
‘So are you going to keep me in suspense?’
Ella and Gabriel walked side by side along the water, heading back to the house. She couldn’t stop stealing glances at him, finding it hard to believe that he was actually there. So much for thinking she’d gone too far by asking him to join her—why had she even thought to doubt that he wanted to be with her as much as she him?
‘Do you remember I told you that our principal violinist had been away due to illness?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, and you were going to ask him to look over the music when he returned.’
Gabriel grinned. ‘You see, he’s older than many of the other musicians. I think he might be in his early sixties.’ He paused. ‘Do you have the sheet of music with you?’
‘Only the photo. I left the music back at the house.’
‘Well, he believes that the B stands for a very famous cellist from the 1970s and 1980s named Bernard Goldman. He was a member of the London Luminary Ensemble, before moving to the London Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades. He then went on to tutor talented young cellists after his retirement, and he put me in touch with an old friend of his, who confirmed that this was indeed Bernard’s writing.’
Ella stopped walking, holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun as she stared at Gabriel. ‘You’re serious? You believe that’s who this B is? That he was a famous cellist named Bernard?’
‘I do. He recognised both his handwriting and his use of the initial B to sign off his message. He said that Bernard used to write notes on the sheet music of all his pupils, especially if they were preparing for an important audition or concert, and he contacted an old friend who still had a sheet he’d saved that had a personal note in the corner.’ Gabriel grinned. ‘I cross-checked the writing side by side and it was clearly a match.’
Ella knew her jaw was hanging open. ‘I can’t believe it. I honestly can’t believe that you managed to find the link.’
‘Neither can I, but it has to be him, don’t you think? It would be too much of a coincidence to not be him.’
‘And did this person know anything else about him? Where he lived, or about his family, or—’
‘No. He said the last time he saw him was at a party for his retirement, at least ten years ago, in London,’ Gabriel said. ‘The only thing he could tell me was that all of his pupils loved him, that he had a very quiet, encouraging manner, and that when he played no one could take their eyes off him.’
Ella started to laugh. How was it that she’d gone from knowing nothing to suddenly having two solid leads all within a few short hours?
‘I felt like I’d found a needle in a haystack. Can you believe it?’
She shook her head. ‘About as much as I can believe that I’m only a few islands away from the woman in the photo.’
Gabriel’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve worked out who she is?’
She linked her arm in his as they began to walk again, dropping her head to his shoulder. ‘I have. Or at least, I think so, if the locals I’ve spoken to are right.’
