Irina Malekoviec can hardly believe her good fortune as her fingers fly along the Steinway baby grand piano, bringing Rhapsody in Blue to life. True, the Gershwin composition is far easier to play than the Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos that propelled her to fame as a concert pianist. But, it’s progress. A long-time sufferer of a particularly aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis, Irina’s career as a concert pianist is a dim memory. Four years ago she stood at the pinnacle of her career, but extensive joint damage to all her fingers and failed treatment after failed treatment have left her earning a meager living as a piano teacher. That is, until this latest treatment. The second dose of the injection was administered just a few hours ago after much counseling by her doctor on the risks of the procedure and its unpredictable results. Nothing much happened after the first dose, or in the first hour after the latest treatment. But as the day progressed, Irina’s miracle began to unfold.
Gone was the interminable pain in her fingers that dogged her waking hours. Indeed, her fingers look less swollen and are more mobile than they have been in years. Irina glances at the antique clock on her coffee table. A gift from her great-grandmother from the old country, it still keeps excellent time after all these years. Ten minutes until her next appointment. It’s just enough time to enjoy the rest of ‘Rhapsody.’
For the next nine minutes, Irina’s spirit soars as she glides along the piano, speeding up, slowing down, infusing the piece with her long pent-up emotion as she drives the music toward its climactic finish.
Then it happens.
The moment her killer longed for arrives.
Hemorrhages erupt on her arms and legs. The pain in her fingers and hands roars back. By the time Irina clutches her temples with the worst headache of her life, numbness has spread throughout her left side. She glances at the antique clock and the salvation that lies next to it. If she can only slide across the piano bench, reach her phone, there’s still hope.
But it is not to be. Irina’s head comes crashing down on the piano keys, playing the last and most dissonant notes of her life.