Page 47 of Symphony for Lies

His words were gentle and meant to be comforting, but they only made my stomach twist.

That was impossible. Not with my job, not with my life.

Still, I forced a slight nod.“I’ll be careful.”

For a long moment, our gazes held, and even though we didn’t say anything, there was something quietly reassuring in that silence.

Something unspoken.

Eventually, Spencer cleared his throat and stood up.“Thanks for your time. I’ll reach out to you again if that’s alright.”

“You already have my number.”

Spencer chuckled, shaking his head.“That’s true.” He glanced at his watch.“Alright, I gotta go. Still have a ton of work to do. Also, this is all off the record. You’re not officially involved. But thanks for helping me out anyway.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. I’m glad to help. Take care, Spencer.”

He gave a short nod and walked toward the door. As soon as it clicked shut, I collapsed.

Another murder.

Another message.

How many more victims would there be?

And why did it feel like this wasn’t just about the music?

As much as I appreciated Spencer’s trust in me, the thought of leading him in the wrong direction gnawed at my conscience. It was a huge responsibility.

I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration tangling in my nerves. I could only hope that this would all come to a good end.

Chapter 13

After my shift, I went to the tutoring session at school.

The kids were anxious about their upcoming exams, but I tried to calm them down. They understood the material well. Only their nerves were holding them back.

To relieve the pressure, I ran a small practice session to go through the exercises together. There were some gaps here and there, but overall, their grades were decent.

I clapped my hands and stood from my chair.“That’s it for today, everyone! You all did amazing.”

A loud sigh swept through the room.Some of the kids even let their heads fall dramatically onto their desks.Simon and Jade were the only ones still smiling and looking confident.

“I don’t want you studying anymore tonight. You’ve all done enough, and you’re more than capable of passing these tests. I’ll take you all out for something fun after the exams are done.”

A chorus of cheers broke out.

I grinned and reached for a stack of small gift bags. Each one was filled with candy and a personal note.“Before you head out, grab one of these. My grandmother and I made them for you.”

The kids sprang up immediately, stuffing their books into their backpacks and lining up excitedly. Each thanked me as they took their gift, and some hugged me quickly before running off.

“You’ve got this!” I called after them.

“I finished the book,” Simon announced proudly, setting it down in front of me along with some loose sheets of paper covered in notes. “My mom read it with me. She said she remembered it from her childhood.”

I blinked, caught off guard.

“She was happy about it,” he added.