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“Alright, let’s go.” José rose and reached for his car keys. “How about we stop by Valerie’s?”

“Hmm …” Leaf had lost his appetite for days, but he knew he couldn’t perform on an empty stomach. So it was a necessary step.

37

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Soundcheck

Tristan traced the rim of the empty beer glass with his finger, his gaze fixed on the lingering foam at the bottom. His notebook lay open beside him, next to a pen borrowed from Cindy, the bartender. Sensing his need for solitude, she left him in peace, refilling juices and prepping the bar for the evening shift. The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” hummed softly in the background, adding a layer of gritty nostalgia to the atmosphere, while Andrej and Iggy were still setting up the drums. Accustomed to the interminable waiting of tour life, Tristan relaxed and let his thoughts drift. He had learned to manage these quiet moments, though they sometimes weighed heavy on his mind.

He didn’t know whether to be worried or hopeful. When he met José at Leaf’s place at noon, he sensed it wasn’t a good sign. Hearing what had happened erased any doubts he had about his conversation with Carol the previous day. He kept watch over Leaf for a while as José took a nap for a few hours.

Tristan was still trying to figure out what Leaf meant when he claimed he was responsible for Milo’s death. Was it because he had gotten Milo the job? That didn’t make sense, given the situation. Milo had gone to pick something up, and then a deal had gone bad. It wasn’t like Leaf had pulled the trigger.

Tristan was surprised to find he could think about it again, even if only in small doses. Shortly after Milo’s death, he had completely shut down. Carol had dealt with a lawyer about the matter, and Tristan didn’t even know if it was the same one handling the Frank Chelsea case now.

“They’re here!” Chris, the sound technician, shouted. “Let’s start.”

Tristan glanced over his shoulder. Behind Andrej, José got up on the stage and settled in at the drums.

“Want another one?” Cindy asked, pointing at his empty beer glass.

Tristan cleared his throat and briefly glanced around. The club didn’t open until eight, so he sat alone at the bar, passing the time. He had intended to jot down a few lines, but his thoughts kept intruding.

“The calm before the storm, huh?” Cindy said as she placed a new beer in front of him.

It was only his second drink, and the glasses were small. Nonetheless, he was aware he would need to eat something later. He forced a friendly smile and took a sip.

“Okay, start!” Chris called from the mixing console.

Tristan turned on the barstool to face the stage and watched José steadily beat the bass drum.

“Okay!” Chris gave a thumbs-up. “Now the snare!”

José hit the snare, and Tristan turned back to the bar, drinking his beer and waiting for the next instruction.

“Toms!”

Always the same. The calm before the storm is really just noise.

He rested his elbows on the counter and waited.

“Hi-hat!”

The hard, metallic hits echoed in his ears.

“Cymbals!”

It clattered and clanged as though all the bottles behind the bar had crashed to the floor at once.

“Okay, go for it!” Chris shouted, and José went all in.

Tristan glanced back to the stage just as Leaf appeared next to him, eyes glistening, lips trembling. Tristan knew that look. As much as he tried, he couldn’t withstand it. There was so much love and longing in it, like he hadn’t seen in a long time. Leaf didn’t need words to show how much he loved him.

When Tristan lowered his gaze, Leaf gently touched his forearm and stroked his hand.

“Want a drink?” Cindy asked.