Page 62 of Symphony for Lies

“You did so well, Rex,” she cooed as I finished the last paw.

I carefully collected blood samples from the dog’s hind leg, rewarding him with a treat when he remained relaxed.

“Thank you so much,” the woman said, effortlessly lifting her large Dalmatian into her arms. Despite being so petite, she carried him easily, radiating pure affection for her fur baby.

“You’re welcome. Rex was a champ today.”

Before she left, I handed her an information sheet prepared by Linda. It contained emergency instructions in case of poisoning, something we had been giving out frequently.

She thanked me again before stepping out.

I sighed, gathering up the blood samples to send to the lab and preparing the area for the next patient.

The day had been filled with routine checkups, with no new poisoning cases.

I didn’t know if I should have felt relieved or if it was just the calm before the storm. After all, I had seen a mutilated dog and a hand the night before.

A sick feeling coiled in my stomach. Had the poor thing been poisoned before being—? I couldn’t finish the thought. I hoped none of the victims had suffered too much before their deaths.

Even poisoning was a slow, painful way to go.

Exhaling shakily, I crouched to restock needles and vials from the cabinet.

That’s when I noticed something off. Several packs were missing.

An uneasy chill crept up my spine.

I pulled out my notebook and quickly jotted down the remaining supplies to compare with the inventory list later.

It wasn’t uncommon for some supplies to go missing, but I had just refilled the stock the day prior. There shouldn’t have been so many gone already.

What if the killer had been in the clinic?

What would they even need syringes for? What would they do with the vials?

Images flashed through my mind. Dark, horrifying possibilities I immediately shook away.

Shutting the cabinet, I made a mental note to watch it. If it continued, I’d bring it up with the others.

As I straightened up, the next patient arrived for a nail trim.

After my shift, I grabbed my bag, ready to leave.

“Amelia, you’ve been looking really stressed lately,” Rita said.Her gray eyes studied my face, visibly concerned.

“I-I’ve just had a lot on my mind,” I admitted. “But I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

That was true, but there were some things I wasn’t ready to voice.“I think the poisoning cases are getting to me.”

“They’re getting to all of us. What bothers me is that the police haven’t found a suspect. Maybe they’re not taking it seriously enough.”

I frowned. “I hope they are. Anyone who does this to animals shouldn’t be walking free.”

Rita’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And if they’re doing this to animals, what’s stopping them from doing it to people? A second murder case was published in today’s paper. It’s getting more and more bizarre.”

I hadn’t seen the article yet. “I don’t know…” I murmured, unable to form an honest answer.