Page 156 of Symphony for Lies

My teeth clenched so hard I thought they’d break.

“This person wanted her from the very beginning.”

“But why now? Why today?”

Spencer swallowed hard. “Perhaps… because she was always being watched. Maybe Amelia realized it too late.” His voice darkened. “She disappeared right after she sent me that text message… it’s possible her phone was hacked.”

I ran a hand down my face, rubbing my temples.“The labyrinth. Could it be the school again?”

Before Spencer could respond, I had the engine roaring back to life.

The car door slammed shut behind me as I stepped out onto the school grounds. It was silent.

No movement. No voices.Just the eerie whisper of the cold night wind rustling through the empty branches.

Spencer followed close behind, eyes scanning the empty school as we approached.

I was the first to climb through the same basement window Amelia had used to save me.

There wasnothing but dust, old crates, and police tape that still marked the remnants of a crime scene.

There were no signs, no clues, no Amelia.

A guttural roar tore from my throat.

Without thinking, I kicked one of the crates, sending it crashing to the floor. My fist slammed into the wall, and pain shot across my knuckles as the skin split open.

But it was nothing. Nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

I had to find her.

I had to find her.

I had to find her!

“Let’s keep searching.” Spencer tried to sound composed, but even he didn’t seem convinced.

I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.

I couldn’t think straight.

The silence was suffocating.

I needed a sign.

Anything.

My vision blurred as my thoughts spiraled. I felt useless.

“An aster flower… was this here before?” Spencer’s musing cut through the haze.

I blinked.

He crouched and plucked a nearly wilted blossom between two crates.“Aster flowers… they were present at almost every crime scene.”

Amelia had mentioned aster flowers in her notes.

Wind chimes. Classical music. Flowers. A performance. A carefully crafted arrangement.

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