The Silent Cello
A touring orchestra backstage in a provincial concert hall
The briefing
You arrive as the musicians crowd the corridor in concert black. The tour manager has locked the stage door and wants the culprit named before the audience arrives. Four people had access to the cello. Each has a story, and the clock is running.
The soloist's 300-year-old cello, the centrepiece of tonight's sold-out gala, was found damaged beyond use at 6:15 p.m., ninety minutes before curtain. It had been left in its case after the afternoon rehearsal.
The suspects
- Marguerite Doyle, Principal second violin
- Tobias Lund, Stage manager
- Priya Anand, Tour manager
- Felix Okafor, Timpanist
Places and items in the file
Places: Green Room, Instrument Van, Rehearsal Hall, Wardrobe Room.
Items: Wire Cutters, Solvent Bottle, Tuning Hammer, Luthier's Scalpel.