Chapter 74

“What’s your phone number?” he asked, “starting with the area code.”

She rattled off a series of numbers.

“I’m afraid that’s too fast for my helper to write,” he said. “Start slowly, with just the area code.”

“Eight two eight,” she said clearly. Noah wrote the numbers on the poster board and quickly assigned the notes A D# A below the numbers.

“Good,” Tom said. “Now, the next three numbers, please.”

The girl complied, and Noah repeated his steps.

“And,” Tom said, “the last four numbers.”

She said them slowly and clearly, and Noah did his thing.

Tom turned and looked at the poster. “All right,” he said, “I’m going to make up a little tune from your telephone number using the notes shown. I will use all ten of those notes, but not necessarily in that order.”

While he’d been talking, Noah had written the ten notes down on a yellow pad and had placed it on the music rack.