Page 36 of Symphony for Lies

“That must have been terrifying.”

She wiped her nose with her sleeve and looked at me. “We were in the park. I let him off the leash for a second to let him run. T-then… he just started screaming and limping toward me.”

She had already told me the same thing multiple times. But I kept listening. No interruptions.

“I didn’t even look around. I just panicked and carried him straight here.”

I nodded, going to the counter to get her a glass of water.

“Someone must have put something there,” she muttered.

When I handed her the cup, she gulped it down desperately, and I refilled it.

She looked utterly wrecked; clothes stained with blood and dirt, red and puffy brown eyes, a pale face, and red hair that had tangled into a mess.

When her gaze fell back on her dog, her entire body trembled.

“I shouldn’t have taken him to the park.”

Her guilt was palpable. And it broke my heart.

“This isn’t your fault. It’s just not safe right now. He’s going to be okay. And soon, the police will catch whoever did this.”

She didn’t look convinced.

“When he wakes up, the vet will check on him again. If everything looks good, you can take him home.”

She nodded weakly, clutching the glass in her hands, but seemed calm enough.

I stepped out of the room.Leaning against the door, I exhaled slowly, trying to pull myself together.

The entire shift was chaos.Another emergency case came in.

Linda was furious. She couldn’t wrap her head around how something so horrifying kept happening.

Determined to raise awareness, she pushed to get the case on national radio and news.

We updated our clinic website, ensuring the warning was the first thing people saw.

Before my shift ended, I quickly checked in with Jeff to ask if he had installed the cameras.

With a wink, he assured me that everything was set.

After work, I stopped by a flower shop for Tristan.

I picked up white, red, and orange chrysanthemums, which the florist arranged into a beautiful, refined bouquet.

I hoped Tristan would like them. They were a symbol of respect and admiration.

My grandmother was waiting for me at home.

She immediately handed me some black fabric and eagerly ushered me upstairs after I slipped off my shoes. “Go get changed.”

Laughing, I went upstairs and slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water washed away the day’s stress, relaxing my tense muscles.

After drying off, I picked up my grandmother’s creation. It was an elegant V-neckline dress with thin straps, and the garment hugged my curves just right.

Since it was cold, I layered it with black tights and a blazer for a classy yet practical look.