Page 15 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

Tell him to leave.

Tell him—

“Okay.”

A flash of triumph crossed his face.

I opened my mouth to ask why he looked so damn pleased, but before I could, the door flew open.

There was a sob and a sharp, panicked cry.“Amelia!”

My stomach plummeted. Simon?

Tears streamed down his face, and his hands were covered in blood.

“Miss Walker!” Jade shrieked, clutching Simon’s arm. Both of them looked terrified.

When the children rushed toward me, I crouched beside them and grasped the boy’s shaking wrists.

“What happened?!”

Zane demanded, “Whose blood is that?”

Simon hiccupped through sobs, “It-it’s not mine.”

Jade clutched my arm, tiny hands trembling.“Miss Walker,” she sniffed. “Come quickly, please!”

The fear in her voice made my stomach turn, but I stood up immediately. “Zane, get Simon cleaned up,” I ordered, but neither of them listened.

“As if I’d leave you alone now!” Zane exclaimed.

The dimly lit schoolyard stretched before us as we stepped into the cool night air. Jade led us toward a statue in the middle of a flowerbed and pointed toward the bushes nearby.

“I-I was just playing,” Simon stammered. “And when I fell, I felt something…”

There were clear signs of struggle on the ground, broken twigs, disturbed leaves, and footprints. Something inside a gap in the bushes caught my eye. A medium-sized bag partially concealed beneath the foliage.

The smell hit me. The sharp tang of metal and something chemical. Something wrong.

“Step back.” I gently squeezed Simon’s shoulder in reassurance, and Jade clung to my waist, her little fingers digging into my coat.

Every muscle in my body screamed at me to walk away, to call someone else, but I couldn’t. I had to check.

“Zane, could you take them a few steps back?”

“You’re not actually going to open that, are you?”

“I have to.”

“Then let me do it.”

Before he could approach the bushes, the children latched onto him with a whimper, forcing him to take a step back instead.

I could see the conflict in his demeanor, but his arms instinctively moved protectively in front of the children.

His gaze burned into me like he was waiting for me to break, for the fear to overtake me. But I wouldn’t. Not in front of them.

The metallic scent grew stronger as I moved forward, and the chemicals stung my nose.

I glanced toward the statue, noticing faint scribbles. Some looked like they’d been made by children, but there was also a barely noticeable number carved into the stone.

Everything seemed to fade. Zane was murmuring reassurances to the kids, but I barely heard him.“Amelia, don’t.”

I ignored him.

I crouched, my fingers hovering over the zipper before slowly, carefully pulling it open.

My stomach turned immediately.

Inside were tangled wind chimes smeared with dark, dried blood, aster flowers, and beneath them was a grotesquely mutilated dog. Its fur was soaked through with red. And next to it lay a hand.

The world tilted, and I barely registered the gasps from behind me.

With a heavy heart, I slammed the bag shut, shoving a trembling hand over my mouth to fight back a wave of nausea.

The air felt thick, suffocating.

Something about the situation felt different from the other case. Was this unfinished? Was the killer here watching us?

Muffled sobs from Simon and Jade snapped me back to reality.

I forced a breath and slowly stood up on unsteady legs.

“What’s inside?” Zane’s hands landed firmly on my waist, steadying me before I could stumble.

“Call the police,” I whispered faintly.

“Amelia?”

“Call the police,” I repeated in a firmer tone.

Zane exhaled sharply, guiding me toward the children before letting go and doing as I said.

A moment of silence hung between us all, thick with unease.

“What was in there?” Simon asked, trying desperately to sound brave despite his ashen face.

“It looks like someone bad did something terrible,” I murmured.

Jade sniffled, and Simon’s small body shook against me.

My grip on the kids tightened instinctively as I scanned the schoolyard, half-expecting to see a shadow lurking in the distance. But there was nothing.

That didn’t mean we weren’t being watched, though. The thought alone made my skin crawl.

Zane hung up the phone, stuffed it into his pocket, and did something unexpected.He wrapped his arms around me.

Strong. Secure.

I went rigid from shock, and for just a second, everything else faded.

There was no fear. No uncertainty. Just warmth.

“I’m here,” he whispered.His voice was softer than usual. Gentler.

I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to push him away. Not because it was uncomfortable but because it wasn’t.

His warmth unsettled me more than anything else.It made me feel safe, but that scared me, too.

The kids clung tighter to us, and I belatedly remembered Simon still had blood on his hands.

I took a shaky breath and pulled away, ignoring the way my skin tingled where Zane had touched me.

“Come on, Simon,” I said, forcing stability into my voice. “Let’s wash your hands.”

I led him to the faucet in the middle of the schoolyard, and Zane and Jade followed us silently. The poor boy was still terrified, so I guided his shaking hands under the stream of water and watched the dark red stains swirl down the drain.

“Just shake your hands off. Let them air dry,” I instructed Simon before turning to Jade.“Are you getting picked up soon?”

“No. I always walk home alone.”

I frowned.“Your parents must be worried. ”

She shook her head.“My mom works late, and I don’t have a dad.” Her voice was steady, matter of fact. Not sad or bitter, just stating a simple truth.

It struck something in me. She is too strong for her age and too used to being alone. “Okay. I’ll walk you home.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Of course.”

Relief washed over her face as if she had been carrying a silent burden.

The sharp, piercing wails of sirens cut through the night air as two police cars pulled up to the school entrance, their blue and red lights illuminating the area.

Three officers stepped out. Among them was Spencer.

The moment I saw him, my chest instantly felt lighter.