Page 6 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

Six a.m. The morning had arrived too quickly.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. My brown eyes were glassy, with dark shadows beneath them. My skin looked pale, and my lips were slightly swollen from sleep.

I let out a yawn and stretched before splashing cold water onto my face. The events of the previous night pushed their way back into my sluggish mind.

The Cole family. On the outside, they were perfect, wealthy, and untouchable. But behind that flawless facade hid loneliness, control, and unspoken tension.

Simon was afraid of being alone. Mrs. Cole was caught between ambition and bitterness. Mr. Cole just did what he liked. And then... there was Zane.

I squeezed my eyes shut as his gaze resurfaced in my thoughts. “I thought you were taller.” It had been such an odd remark. Casual, yet deliberate.

Why did he…? No. I shouldn’t care. He shouldn’t matter.

With a sigh, I shoved those thoughts away.

After getting dressed in comfortable jeans and a black sweatshirt, I pulled back a few strands of my dark brown hair, pinning them out of my face. The length was too short to tie up properly, but at least it wouldn’t fall into my eyes.

Ready for the day, I quietly snuck downstairs, careful to not wake my grandmother, and slipped out the door without breakfast.

There was a bakery right next to the clinic, and just the thought of getting hot, fresh coffee after the police interview made the morning slightly bearable.

The early morning lights stretched over the rooftops in golden hues, and the neighborhood was quiet, calm, almost peaceful. And motivating. I could hear the birds chirping, the gentle rush of the wind, and the distant hum of cars passing by on the streets.

To wake myself up and mentally prepare for the interrogation, I decided to walk to work instead of taking the bus.

I didn’t have a driver’s license, and honestly, I never wanted one. My family history weighed too heavily on me.

Taking a shortcut through the park, I stepped carefully over the small twigs that snapped beneath my feet.

A few cyclists rode past, speeding down the bike path, and I let the feeling of nature surround and ground me.

And then I heard a soft sound… like wind chimes, delicate and distant.

My steps slowed as the music lingered in the air.

My phone vibrated, and I fished it out of my pocket, glancing at the notifications from my friends’ group chat.

I had missed multiple girls’ nights between work, the investigation, and everything else. But I knew my friends too well. They would never blame me. They knew how much I had going on. And despite everything, we always had each other’s back.

I tapped on the chat. My three friends, Layla, Tiana, and Stacy, were engaged in a heated debate over where to meet next. Every time, it always ended the same way: Cozy Corner.

A small smile spread on my face as I read through their playful bickering until I reached the latest message.

Tiana:

Are you coming this time?

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I could make it Thursday. I really wanted to see them again, but I tutored the group after my shift. By the time I got home, my social battery was usually completely drained.

Honestly? It was already empty.

I barely had the energy to go through all the other unread messages, let alone respond.

Still, I typed a quick reply.

Amelia:

I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.

I made a mental note to catch up on the chat after work and shoved the phone back into my pocket, focusing on the path ahead.

As I walked, the sound of the wind chimes grew louder.

It was coming from the small, round pavilion on the hill. The structure, with its elegant white columns and domed roof, had a classical, almost ancient charm. It was surrounded by beautifully maintained flower beds and tall trees.

Inside, a raised platform served as a stage for small concerts, performances, and public speeches that anyone could enjoy.

On sunny days, the golden light filtered through the trees, casting long, elegant shadows against the stone. But as I walked by, something felt off.

The pavilion seemed darker, even though it was well-lit.

And… there were wind chimes everywhere.

They hadn’t been there the morning prior.

I stopped in my tracks.Something wasn’t right.

The blowing wind made the chimes sing in disharmony, sending a shiver down my spine.Each tone sounded different.

As I stepped closer, I realized that was by design. Each one was crafted to play a distinct note.

I memorized the sound, wondering if it was for an upcoming event. Sometimes, the pavilion was decorated for performances, with a sign posted nearby listing event details.But I couldn’t see one.

The sound was louder. More intense.

And I noticed something new.

Numbers were engraved into the columns.

“Three, six,” I read aloud, frowning.

I circled the pavilion. The numbers weren’t in order. Two. Four. One. Five. Three. Six.

A strange, uneasy feeling twisted in my gut, and I stopped at the entrance steps.

A weight settled on my chest.

The moment my foot touched the final step,the breath left my lungs. My jaw went slack, and my entire body was locked in place.

Scattered across the floor of the pavilion were deep blue Aster flowers. And resting in the middle of them was a body.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

A frigid chill rushed down my spine, numbing my limbs. My stomach turned violently as my eyes took in the horrific sight.

The corpse… had been cut apart. The arms and the legs were placed in a surreal order. The hands were missing entirely.

The head was placed on large, bloodstained sheets of music as if it were on display. His eyes were shut. And his lips… were sewn together.

A wave of dizziness slammed into me. My vision blurred.

This isn’t real. This can’t be real. I am dreaming. This is a nightmare.

But the damn wind chimes rang again.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, yet I couldn’t move.

Panic flooded through my veins, but my legs refused to obey my internal demands. My shaking body gave out, and I collapsed against one of the columns.

The sickening sound of the insistent wind chimes made my head spin.

The stench of blood, mixed with the sweet scent of the flowers, thickened the air.

I wanted to look away.

But I couldn’t.

A young boy… dismembered. Mutilated.

I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

I forced my hands to move, grasping for my phone, but it slipped from my trembling fingers and rolled right toward the body.

A strangled gasp left my throat. I had to get it back. I had to call for help.

I stepped closer, and something wet dripped onto my neck.

I froze again as horror hollowed out my chest.

I didn’t want to look up. I didn’t want to.

But I did.

Hanging from the ceiling were a pair of severed hands holding a conductor’s baton. And next to them was a cat. A dead cat.

It looked exactly like the one that had died in our clinic.

Am I seeing things?

Was my mind playing tricks on me?

With the wind making the chimes ring, it looked like the cat was dancing to the music, and the hands were directing.

This was too much. Too bizarre. Too terrifying.

Another drop fell… onto my face.

Instinctively, I wiped it away. My finger came back red.

Blood.

Something inside me snapped.

I dropped to the floor and let out a piercing scream. A raw, desperate, terrified shriek.

Scrambling backward, my body slid down the steps.

This isn’t real.

This can’t be real.

I landed hard on the pavement below, and the pain grounded me just enough to look away. Just enough to see a jogger running down the path.

I waved my arms frantically, trying to get his attention. “Help!” My voice was hoarse and trembling.

He sprinted toward me.“Are you okay?”

I couldn’t speak.I could only point.

My finger shook violently as I directed his gaze toward the pavilion. After a second, his face went pale.Knees buckling, he collapsed beside me.

“Oh my God.”

I looked down at my hands. At the blood on my fingers, and then, I broke.

I turned away from the scene, heaving violently into the flower bed.

Even though there was nothing inside me, I dry heaved until my body gave out.

Unlike my attempt, the jogger managed to handle his phone with shaking hands.“We need the police. Now!”