Prologue
“I’d say that’s a keeper, Terry,” Jack said as the band finished the 12th take of Full Moon Following.
Terry glanced at the recording engineer who nodded his approval. “If I waited until everybody got it exactly right, this CD wouldn’t come out till our fans were all dead or in nursing homes,” Terry replied.
Ten songs down, four to go. “Take fifteen while I check my notes for the next song,” Terry said. “And, don’t get lost.”
As the band members exited the studio, Terry turned again to the recording engineer behind a wall of soundproof glass and asked, “Do you need a break?”
“No, I’m gonna review that last take, just to be sure,” he replied.
“Good man.”
Terry set his guitar on its stand and carried a red nylon bag to a small table a few feet away. He removed an iPod, a set of headphones and a custom-made audio recorder. He plugged in the recorder and inserted the iPod into its dock. Then he put on the headphones, which were a heavy-duty model, guaranteed to eliminate almost all external noise. Terry hated when his concentration was interrupted by roadies making equipment changes or other musicians tuning up for the next song.
He took a deep cleansing breath and assured himself that the last take was fine. It was time to move on. The next song would probably be the #1 track on the CD. Cerise Records had already signed an accomplished director for the video. When the band returned from their break he would give them one of his infrequent compliments to set the tone for the making of their next blockbuster. But first he needed to review his audio notes.
After one more deep breath Terry pushed the Power button on the recorder and both of the cups of his headphones exploded. Terry died instantly. Blood and brain matter spattered his white guitar.