Page 27 of Symphony for Lies

That night had been pure torture. Nightmares haunted me as the line between reality and hallucination blurred, the scenes from the pavilion replaying repeatedly.The wind chimes held a message, a cryptic melody, a deadly clue that led me straight to a pile of corpses.

I woke up with a sharp headache, my body heavy with exhaustion. Every time I blinked, I thought I saw blood on my bed and on the floor. When Iturned around, I was convinced a shadow was moving in my room. It was too much, so I dragged myself into the kitchen to grab some painkillers.

Surprisingly, my grandmother was already there, rummaging through the medicine cabinet.

“Good morning. Is everything okay?” I asked, instantly on edge.

She looked tired, but her face lit up in a warm, familiar way when she saw me. “Morning, my sweet girl. Didn’t sleep well?”

Grandma had ignored my question, so I pressed again, “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

“It’s nothing, sweetheart,” she reassured me with a soft laugh. “The doctor just prescribed me some new vitamins. I need to get used to waking up earlier and exercising more.”

I searched her face, trying to determine if she was telling me the truth. But the pounding in my temples blurred my vision, so I let it go.

“Okay… just listen to your doctor. We both want you to stay healthy.” I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her cheek. “I’ll only stop by the clinic to speak with the police, then take the rest of the day off and come help you at the shop.”

Her eyes softened. “That sounds wonderful. I’d love that.” Grandma squeezed me tighter, then leaned back to study my face. “But you, my dear, desperately need some rest.” Her warm palm cupped my cheek, and the gentle touch soothed me.

“I’ll take care of myself. And you, please do the same,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand before finally heading out.

By the time I arrived at the clinic, the entire staff and two police officers were already there. Among them was Officer Wilson, who greeted me with a polite nod.

We were questioned one by one, and my turn took much longer than the others.

I told them everything, what I’d found at the pavilion and the strange occurrences at the clinic. Then, my worst fear was confirmed. The dead cat at the crime scene was the same one that had died and went missing.

“The owner has been notified,” Mr. Wilson informed me, his voice steady. “They filed a complaint against the clinic when the body went missing. That may no longer be necessary, but we must investigate further.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why was the killer targeting both animals and people? What was the point?

After a long pause, I gathered my courage and told them about my suspicion that the music sheets might contain a message. Officer Wilson and his colleague, Jonathan, took meticulous notes and paid close attention. That alone made me feel a little better.

After the interrogation, I spent some time at my grandma’s tailor shop. It was exactly what I needed. Peace and comfort. A break from all the darkness. But eventually, I had to leave for tutoring.

I was relieved to see Simon at the tutoring session with the group. His father had personally dropped him off and discussed the formalities with me.

The boy had been nervous initially, but to make it easier, I sat him next to Jade, a lively, friendly girl who I knew would bring him out of his shell.

Once we got started, the lesson went smoothly. The kids were energized. Friday was approaching, and I helped them finish their work early so they’d have more free time.

As a reward, I handed out chocolate bars at the end.

Most of the kids left quickly, but Simon lingered.

He packed his bag slowly, sneaking nervous glances at the clock.

“Everything okay?” I asked, watching him closely.

His gray eyes flicked to me. Then he rubbed his neck, hesitant. “Yeah. Today was just… really nice. I didn’t even realize how fast the time was passing.”

His words warmed my heart.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Jade was kind to me.”

I smiled. “She’s a great girl. Not just her, though. The whole group is awesome. I’m sure you’ll make some good friends here.”

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