As his eyes followed the ropes that once held, and controlled, the chandelier, he noticed something that brought back the chilling words that Rose had whispered that day, and his blood run cold.
He moved from his spot, trying to seem casual and not draw any attention to himself as he walked over to what now remained of the torn rope. Upon his initial frantic assessment of the rope, when the theater staff had fought vainly to keep the chandelier in place, Daniel had thought that the rope had been entirely frayed.
Now, upon closer inspection, he could see that the counterweight rope was only frayed on one side and had only been frayed by the strain of the chandelier falling. The other side of the rope had broken smoothly, without a single fray or blemish. This rope was cut, he realized with horror.
Daniel’s heart began to race and pound, but he used his acting talent to keep his facial expression entirely unchanged. He even smiled brightly at a couple of fellow actors who waved at him as they walked by, even though smiling was the last thing he felt like doing.
His mind was racing, trying frantically to figure out how to tell Rose what he had discovered. Her stress was already so great, as was her father’s, and knowing that someone was intentionally trying to cause them, and their theater, harm would only make things much worse. However, he knew that they must know. Before something much worse, and much more tragic, happened.
He made his way through the backstage area, which was largely undamaged, to slip into his Specter mask. As he walked, he noticed something on the ground. He looked down and saw that it was something red, alongside a piece of parchment with scribbled writing, lying on the ground.
At once, he recalled the note about which Allison had been screeching just before the chandelier fell. Slowly, Daniel walked over to it, an inexplicable dread forming in his stomach. He glanced around, checking to see if anyone was looking, and he quickly grabbed it. His heart stopped as he read the poorly scrawled words:
Leave this theater now, while you still can, little actress. Otherwise, you will die.
The fear Daniel now felt was palpable. It was apparent that, not only was the incident intentional, and there would certainly be more to come, but that Rose, and likely her father, were in grave danger.
He could feel anger rising within him, but he knew that blind frustration would not serve him well. As he slipped away and grabbed the small bag containing his mask, which he had hidden when he first arrived at the theater that morning, he forced himself to remain calm and think as rationally as he possibly could.
He would soon be able to talk through everything with Rose. She was very clever, and quite intelligent, and perhaps, the two of them together could figure out what was going on in the theater. Before anything else happened.
He still had about an hour before he was to meet Rose when he slipped into the veranda. He felt exposed, as though the perpetrator might be lurking in, or watching from, any part of the theater, with him completely unawares. He hoped that was not the case. Rose would be there at any moment, and an unexpected confrontation just then would put her directly in harm’s way.
Once he reached the veranda, he searched every corner and crevice, and hid among the darkest shadows to wait for Rose.
When she arrived, he moved gently but quickly from his hiding place. She gave a start and a gasp.
Daniel felt instant remorse, but he needed to ensure that no one had followed her, and that the door was locked, so that no one could stumble upon them. Once all was clear and secure, Daniel turned to Rose and gave her a warm, apologetic smile.
“Forgive me for startling you,” he said, dipping into a low bow.
Rose returned his smile and gave him a nod that told him she understood.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” she said. Daniel thought she looked sheepish or ashamed, and he wanted more than anything to embrace her and tell her that everything would be alright. Instead, he kept his charming smile.
“Any opportunity to meet in secret with Lady Rose is one I cannot miss,” he teased.
Rose laughed, a hearty, genuine laugh, and Daniel compared it to the lovely songs she sang Earlier that afternoon.
Alas, the pleasant moment was not to last. Her face grew serious, and her eyes saddened, to a greater degree than they had looked that afternoon. She seemed to come to a decision about something and gave a small nod of firm resolution.
“What happened with the chandelier was no accident,” she said bluntly. “And I believe that I can prove it.”
Daniel felt his heart stop once more. Hearing Rose say it aloud made it feel more real even than his own discoveries. His own smile dissolved, and he nodded grimly.
“As can I,” he said.
Rose looked at him, surprised.
“What have you found?” she asked.
Daniel cleared his throat and tried to calm his racing heartbeat.
“I examined the counterweight rope, just before we met here,” he said. “The rope did not break because it was old and worn. It was cut, nearly in half, with something quite sharp.”
“It was supposed to fall some time during the performance,” Rose whispered.
Daniel gave another nod.
“I believe you are correct,” he said. “And it was by luck alone that it fell much sooner, before the auditorium was full, and that no one was killed.”
Rose blinked rapidly, and Daniel saw that her eyes were filling with tears. However, rather than succumb to her emotions, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Daniel felt a great admiration for her.
“Well,” she said after she had regained some composure. “I have what appears to be an important clue, as well.”
Daniel struggled to keep his face neutral, but his heart was beating faster by the second. If the first piece of evidence found was the cut rope, what other proof could there be? Moreover, how bad could it be?
“I saw a man skulking about backstage, only moments before the chandelier fell,” she said.
Daniel stared at her in shock.
“Why did you not alert someone?” he asked. He flinched at his seemingly accusatory tone, but Rose seemed unphased.
“He vanished almost as soon as I spotted him,” she said. “I tried to follow him for a little while, but he was gone in a matter of moments. Had I left to fetch anyone, I would have been almost certain that I had imagined him.”
Daniel started to protest, but he knew that she was right. No one could have reached the place where she had spotted him in time to catch him.
“Do you believe that this strange man is the one behind the incident?” Daniel asked.
Rose nodded feverishly.
“Of that, I am certain,” she said. “But that is not all.”
Rose fished around in her dress pocket for a moment, before pulling out something red. Before it was in his hand, Daniel’s sinking stomach told him that he knew what it was. He forced himself to remain calm as he read the threatening message, but he felt the color drain from his face. He thought carefully before speaking.