Page 7 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

Blue lights. Sirens. The eerie melody of the wind chimes.

And a loud voice cutting through the chaos. “Do not enter the park!”

Despite the order, a crowd had gathered beyond the barricades, and the curious faces were illuminated by the flashing police lights.

All of the sensory stimulation made my head pound.

A paramedic draped a blanket around my trembling body.

I wasn’t sure when everyone had shown up.

I hadn’t noticed much of anything as I remained curled up on the ground, retching over and over again, too overwhelmed to process the chaos.

The jogger stayed, helping me inch further away from the pavilion. And then there was the flood of people. Police officers. Paramedics. Onlookers. Maybe the crowd had arrived before the police. Or perhaps they had arrived first.

I didn’t know.

“Can you try to stand up?” the paramedic inquired gently.

I nodded weakly, and with his help, I managed to get to my feet.

“Are you injured? ”

I shook my head. “No. I’m…” I swallowed, my voice raw from screaming and vomiting. “…just… shocked.” Every word scraped against my throat like sandpaper.

“We can arrange for you to speak with a counselor.”

I shook my head again.

No. I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to forget what I had seen.

“Excuse me, miss.” A young officer with slicked back black hair stepped beside the paramedic. “My name is Officer Spencer Wilson. We have a few questions for you. Are you able to answer them?”

I wasn’t sure if I could, but I needed to try. I took a deep breath and nodded.

The paramedic exchanged a glance with the officer before stepping away.

Officer Wilson opened his notepad and clicked his pen when we were alone.“Your name?”

“Amelia Walker.”

His pen scratched against the paper. “Can you tell me why you entered the pavilion?”

The question caught me off guard.

I had expected him to ask how I found the body and not why I was there.

“I was on my way to work…” I started, testing my voice.Once I was sure it wouldn’t fail me, I continued, “I walk through this park sometimes. The wind chimes… they caught my attention. They weren’t here before.” My stomach twisted.“I just wanted to see them up close, and then I saw—”

I covered my mouth, fighting back another wave of nausea.

Wilson waited patiently.“So, do you often pass through this park at this time?”

“No. ”

His brown eyes flicked down to my clothes before locking his gaze onto mine, sharp and unwavering.“You have blood on your hands and clothing. Is it yours?”

I stared at my shaking fingertips, which were still stained red. I shuddered violently.“No… It’s not mine.” Tears spilled down my cheeks. Hot. Uncontrollable.

“Did you touch the body?”

“The wind chimes were strange, so I stepped closer… The columns were numbered. It was all so weird. I don’t know. I don’t know why I walked up there.” My voice broke as my breathing hitched. “Arms were hanging from the ceiling. A dead cat. It dripped on me. I didn’t touch anything.”

A firm, steady hand settled on my shoulder. Warm and Reassuring.“Breathe,” Wilson ordered gently. “These are just routine questions. We have to ask them.”

I tried to breathe. I really did. But the images wouldn’t leave my head.

“You know what?” His voice softened. “Let me take you home. Give me your contact information, and we’ll call you if we have more questions.”

I looked up at him.

A small, encouraging smile tugged at the corners of his lips, half-hidden by his stubble.

I hesitated.“I-I need to go to work. The police were supposed to come today. My boss wanted me there for the interrogation.”

Frantically, I reached for my phone, but Officer Wilson stopped me. He gestured around us, the chaos, the crowd, the dozen police officers swarming the crime scene.

“You work at Paws she just let me be.

After changing into comfortable clothes, we sat in the living room. Grandma had made me a sandwich, which I forced myself to eat while she crocheted a scarf.

As I chewed methodically, I told her everything. She listened without interrupting. But when I finished, her hands shook slightly as she reached for the remote to turn on the TV.

And there it was. Breaking news.

A live report from the pavilion.

The moment I saw the park on the screen, my stomach twisted painfully.

To my surprise, the jogger who had found me was being interviewed.

“At first, I thought she was some lunatic lying on the ground. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was screaming so loud I thought my ears would burst. It was terrifying. She was ghostly pale, and her lips had turned blue like she couldn’t breathe.

And then… she pointed to the pavilion. Of course, I was in shock when I saw it.

But I didn’t lose my composure like she did. ”

Liar!“He also fell to the ground,” I muttered.

“Men,” my grandmother huffed, clicking her tongue and patting my leg. “But he’s right. You look awful.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She chuckled softly and went back to crocheting. The TV droned on in the background until she sighed and turned it off.“Enough of this nightmare.”

I curled into myself, hugging my knees. “It wasn’t just a nightmare, Grandma. It was horrifying.”

“Don’t think about it right now.” She reached over, gently running her fingers through my hair.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.” With those words, my eyes finally closed.