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Gal’s face was white. Her petrified eyes zeroed in on a particular place. Following Gal’s stare, Dafna spotted Erez, right in front of the stage, planted in front of his frozen daughter. Shit, the louse couldn’t keep away and was making Gal mute.
“We’ll never get in,” Nurit muttered.
She phoned him. He didn’t pick up. She texted Eitan.
Tell your brother to get lost. He’s hurting his daughter by being here.
She couldn’t walk there and move him. Under no circumstance should she show herself.
“No worries. From the top, try again from the top,” she heard a familiar voice from the crowd, Eitan cheering on his niece. He bumped his brother’s shoulder, making Erez stumble.
The next time she glanced in their direction, Erez and Eitan were gone. Gal still stood voiceless, her chest rising and falling in fast breaths. If Gal failed, she would never recover. Dafna made a beeline through the crowd, showing herself to the stage, and to anyone else who might look her way. If Menni spotted her, they were done, but Gal’s mental health was more important than taking down a corrupt CEO of a startup.
“Gal,” she called softly. Gal’s frightened green eyes found her. “You’re marvelous. You can do it. Don’t look at the crowd.”
“Dafna! Hide!” Nurit’s loud hiss reached her from behind the large potted plant. “Menni will see you!”
Dafna ignored her. She smiled reassuringly at Erez’s daughter.
“Look at the pianist, Gal. He’s your conductor. Nothing else matters. Concentrate on him, and only him. Breathe.”
The young woman took a deep breath. And another one. She nodded.
“From the top,” she croaked, then cleared her throat. “From the top, Baruch, please.”
“Yeah, go, girl,” someone shouted from the crowd. Scattered clapping ensued. Gal took another breath. Dafna smiled at her and nodded.
“Yeah, you can do it!” another shout.
Baruch raised his hands, and the crowd silenced. He played the short introduction, and then the most famous line in opera, ‘L'amour est un oiseau rebelle’, ‘love is a rebellious bird’ sounded in Gal’s beautiful voice. Clear and defined, with a certain hoarseness that was arresting, and jazzy.
She tore herself from the singing siren and walked briskly to Nurit. They retreated towards the back staircase’s safe darkness, and climbed it silently, ready to bolt or to explain their presence. They reached the offices undetected and found the glass doors locked. It was the responsible thing to do, but since when did Kisharti become this responsible?
“I was supposed to give my keys back, but I never did. I have them with me. I’m sure. Somewhere,” Nurit whispered, rummaging in her backpack.
Steps sounded around the corner, and they bolted back into the darkness.
“Shit!” Dafna said. She took out her phone. “I’ll text Daniel to let us in, somehow.”
“No, wait.” Nurit brandished the keys in triumph. “Let’s go!”
“You’re a genius,” Dafna said with fervor. Nurit flushed in satisfaction, her onyx eyes shining.
They raced through the silent spaces, passing by Dafna’s office. She missed this place. The interactions with the workers, the quiet, productive mornings, the excellent coffee. She had so many plans for Kisharti’s future, she itched to be back here.
Menni’s office door wasn’t locked.
“Where is the laptop hidden?” Dafna asked.
“Right here,” Nurit pointed to the closet in the wall, “and the key is supposed to be in the second drawer of Menni’s desk.”
Dafna willed her hands not to shake as she opened the first drawer, just in case, and then found the key where Nurit said it would be. Nurit took out the computer and nearly dropped it.
“Shit, I’m never ever doing this again,” Nurit said, and Dafna agreed wholeheartedly.
“Come on, let’s get the books and get the hell out of here,” Dafna said. They turned on the computer. A lock screen with a four-letter password presented itself.
“You know the password, right?” she asked Nurit, who shook her head.
