Page 21 of Symphony for Lies

I had expected him to ask how I found the body and not why I was there.

“I was on my way to work…” I started, testing my voice.Once I was sure it wouldn’t fail me, I continued, “I walk through this park sometimes. The wind chimes… they caught my attention. They weren’t here before.” My stomach twisted.“I just wanted to see them up close, and then I saw—”

I covered my mouth, fighting back another wave of nausea.

Wilson waited patiently.“So, do you often pass through this park at this time?”

“No.”

His brown eyes flicked down to my clothes before locking his gaze onto mine, sharp and unwavering.“You have blood on your hands and clothing. Is it yours?”

I stared at my shaking fingertips, which were still stained red. I shuddered violently.“No… It’s not mine.” Tears spilled down my cheeks. Hot. Uncontrollable.

“Did you touch the body?”

“The wind chimes were strange, so I stepped closer… The columns were numbered. It was all so weird. I don’t know. I don’t know why I walked up there.” My voice broke as my breathing hitched. “Arms were hanging from the ceiling. A dead cat. It dripped on me. I didn’t touch anything.”

A firm, steady hand settled on my shoulder. Warm and Reassuring.“Breathe,” Wilson ordered gently. “These are just routine questions. We have to ask them.”

I tried to breathe. I really did. But the images wouldn’t leave my head.

“You know what?” His voice softened. “Let me take you home. Give me your contact information, and we’ll call you if we have more questions.”

I looked up at him.

A small, encouraging smile tugged at the corners of his lips, half-hidden by his stubble.

I hesitated.“I-I need to go to work. The police were supposed to come today. My boss wanted me there for the interrogation.”

Frantically, I reached for my phone, but Officer Wilson stopped me. He gestured around us, the chaos, the crowd, the dozen police officers swarming the crime scene.

“You work at Paws & Tails?”

I nodded.

“I was supposed to handle the questioning today,” he admitted. “But as you can see, we’re all here instead. The interview was about the poisoning cases, wasn’t it?”

I gave another nod. A second later, my eyes widened.“The cat hanging from the ceiling… it looks exactly like the one that died in our clinic!” The words spilled out in a rush before I could stop them. “And she went missing yesterday!”

Wilson’s expression shifted, and he turned toward the pavilion, calling over a colleague.“Check into that.”

The new officer, an older man with a serious expression, nodded and turned to me. “You should go home and rest.” His tone was gruff but not unkind.

“Let’s go.” Officer Wilson led me away from the pavilion. Away from the wind chimes. Away from the crime scene.

The further we walked, the easier it became to breathe.And when we finally stepped out onto the street, I felt the crushing weight begin to lift.

“It’s better if you stay home today. You don’t look well. I’m sure your boss will understand.”

“Is it okay if I make a quick call?”

Wilson nodded, sweeping his eyes over the crowd.

Some tried to approach, but he shut them down with a simple flick of his hand.It was strange how quickly he took control of the space around him. How effortlessly he kept people at bay.

I swallowed hard as I looked at my phone. The screen lit up with missed calls from my boss, grandmother, and friends.

I had been so caught up in everything I hadn’t noticed.