Page 128 of Random in Death
“It was. Meeting you was such a dream of hers.” Julia stepped back again. “Having you hear her music another dream.”
“I did. I mean, the demo you let Dallas copy for me. I listened—we listened. It’s… we’d like to produce it.”
“I’m sorry?”
“We’d like to produce and release it.”
“Avenue A wants to record Jenna’s song?”
“No, ma’am—Doctor—Julia.”
He fumbled a bit, Eve noted, and looked at his bandmates.
“Produce it. It’s a good-quality demo. We can punch it up a little, but it’s hers, and her voice is perfect for it. Pure. This isn’t the time, I’m sorry—”
“I don’t know if you could have chosen a better time. Is this offer… even if it is obligation—”
“It’s not. If this hadn’t happened, and she’d gotten the demo to me? We’d…”
He looked toward his bandmates again.
“We’d have brought her into the studio,” Renn finished. “Done that punching up.”
“She had the magic,” Art added. “The shine.”
“We’ve been around long enough to know when a hit falls into our lap,” Mac added. “Shit, I didn’t mean it that way exactly. I mean, it’s not about the money. It’s hers.”
“Scholarship,” Leon finished. “We talked about how we could, if it’s okay with you, start a scholarship in her name with our part of it.”
“She’s got more. You don’t write something like this and not have more. Maybe she doesn’t have anything as polished.” Jake gripped Nadine’s hand when she slid hers into his. “We could work it. If she didn’t add vocals, we’d record it. Unless you—”
He broke off when Julia held up a hand and turned away.
“I’m sorry. We’re sorry. This is intrusive.”
Swiping at her eyes, Julia turned back. “You’re offering our daughter all of her dreams. All of them. I don’t have words.”
“Thank you’s not enough,” Shane managed. “It’s not even close. Yes. Our answer’s yes to everything. We’ll figure it all out, okay? Thank you.” He worked his way down the band, gripping hands. “Thank you. We need to… We’ll figure it out.”
“When you’re ready.”
Julia kissed Jake’s cheek. “Shane’s right. A gift.”
When they walked out, Mac pressed his hands to his eyes. “Man, I need a minute. Outside. We’ll be outside.”
Jake stayed where he was, looked directly at Eve. “You’re going to get him.”
“Yes. We’re going to get him. You know how I’m so sure of that? I knew when I sent you the demo copy, this is what you’d do. You’d have done the first part even if it was crappy, which it isn’t. I follow my instincts, so I know who you are. I’ll know him, too. Now we have to get back to it.”
“You did a good thing,” Peabody added before she followed Eve out. “Made me cry.”
“Me, too,” Nadine murmured, then turned to face him. “I’ve got good instincts, too, but I didn’t know you were going to do this.”
“I didn’t say anything because…”
“You needed to ask them first. You needed to talk to the group, get on the same page, make sure you all knew what you wanted to do for the right reasons. Then ask her parents. I know how you work, Jake.”
“Guess you do.”