Page 6 of Symphony for Lies

I hesitated. “But who would do something like that?”

“That’s what we need to find out!”

I nodded and went to find the maintenance manager.

Jeffrey Stone—or Jeff, as he preferred—was already waiting for me. He was a warm-hearted elderly man who habitually slipped bits of wisdom into nearly every conversation.

But given the situation, he looked just as serious as I felt.

We settled into the small surveillance room and started going through the footage.

Seconds passed. Minutes. Hours.

Our eyes stayed glued to the screens, searching for any movement, shadow, or hint. But it was as if the universe was working against us.

“Nothing,” I muttered, disheartened.

Jeff let out a long sigh. “We’re not exactly trained for this.” He rubbed a hand over his bald head. His fawn skin looked paler than usual.

I leaned back in my chair. “The police should be the ones reviewing this.”

“Should, would, could… But honestly, who would install a camera in a storage room for dead animals?”

I wanted to agree, but the sinking feeling in my chest wouldn’t disappear.

“I’m installing one anyway,” Jeff stated after a brief pause.

My gaze flickered back to the screens.“Do you think it will happen again?”

He was silent for a moment. Then, with another deep sigh, he said, “I wouldn’t rule it out… Maybe it’s just the beginning…”

That made a chill creep over my skin.

Jeff and I spent hours combing through the footage, but by the end, we were no closer to an answer than when we had started.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to stay any longer—I had a tutoring session.

Linda wasn’t happy when I reported the day’s failure, and her suspicion grew with every passing second. We didn’t have many workers, but sure as hell, no one would have taken a dead cat.

“Angela and Jenny will be handing out flyers tomorrow,” she informed me curtly. “People need to keep a closer eye on their pets. No eating food from outside, no long stays in public parks, etc.”

It was hardly a solution, but it was a start.

“Have we gotten the lab results yet?”

She shook her head. “Still waiting.”

I nodded and left the clinic when my shift finally ended.

Something about the situation didn’t feel right.Not at all.

The Coles’ villa cast long shadows over the pristine gravel path, and in the distance, the soft trickling of a water fountain echoed through the quiet estate as I stepped out of the taxi.

I had seen the property many times from afar. But every time I stood in front of it, it felt colder.

A small sigh left my mouth as I gathered my patience for the upcoming lesson. As I raised my hand to ring the bell, the door suddenly swung open, and someone stepped out.

Automatically, I took a step back.

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