Episode XIV: A New Hope

So, I have been trying to pin down what exactly happened here: was the piano sold twice? Were we stalling while waiting for an emergency repair job? I am glad to have the $45k back, but I want to know what has been going on for the past month and a half.

So what I thought was: since SC offered to re-sell me the piano, the only way to learn anything more would be to follow that up and try to re-buy it. (Or at least go through the motions until I saw the thing again with my own eyes. Also, it's a gorgeous, gorgeous piano, so maybe I wanted to see it again for... sentimental reasons or something like that.)

And there was always the possibility of cashing in with a civil suit. Generally not a fan of opportunistic lawsuits, but the chances are pretty good that I really was wronged here, and if nothing else, I'd like to give the guy something to think about the next time he gets a clever idea...

But as noted, I haven't been able to get hold of him this week -- until today he finally returned my call and said that:

1) The piano was badly damaged weeks and weeks ago;
2) But the drivers were trying to conceal it from him; (!)
3) And so he only found out yesterday night;
4) And so he is going take the insurance money and buy me a new Strauss-case 225.

The new one lists at $122,000 in Larry Fine's book. Which, a) figure $90k in real life, and b) it's not like I would be able to flip it and pocket the difference, but c) DANG!

And obviously everything I hear from Harris County, Texas, these days I take with a grain of salt. But this would certainly compensate me generously for the pain-n-suffering. And while waiting to see if this is another fish story, I agreed to let the thread die a natural death on PW. Told him I'd start a new one in a couple of weeks, once I have the shiny new piano.

Which, I have mixed feelings about coming back to say "Scotty's okay!", because I really wish there would have been something on PW to tip me off about him back in July.

But on the other hand, DANG.