The Crime System

The Lost Notes

"Don't joke!" Luke snapped, shaking off his initial shock. It wasn't every day someone dropped a bizarre claim about a piano competition like Emily Harper just did. "You can't lie to an officer of the law," he told her, his voice firm. "The largest piano competition for high school students in New York, the tenth annual? Are you kidding me?"

"Why would I lie about this?" Emily replied, clearly annoyed. "This is the only thing I've ever been proud of in my entire life. How could I get it wrong? It was definitely the tenth year!"

"Alright then," Luke countered, still skeptical. "Where was this grand competition held?"

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled with sudden confidence. "Riverside Heights High School. That's right! It was at Riverside Heights High School!"

Luke squinted at her, his disbelief still intact. "Oh?" he said, his tone oozing doubt. "The Tenth Grand Piano Competition was fifteen years ago. Participants were sixteen and fifteen-year-old high school students. Tell me, Emily, how old are you now? Thirty? Thirty-one?"

She frowned, half-offended. "I can't tell if you're complimenting me or insulting me, Officer Sullivan." She gave him a playful shove before fishing something out of her bag and holding it up with a flourish. Her ID.

When he saw it, Luke couldn't hide his shock. Thirty-two?! Emily was eight years older than him!

"Holy sht!" he blurted out, staring at her in disbelief. "You really know how to keep it together. I thought you were, like, a twenty-something!"

Her lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. "Well, if you're into pretty young things," she teased, "I can introduce you to my housemate, Jessica. She's twenty-three. Interested?"

Luke waved her off quickly. "No, no, that's not what I meant!" He couldn't afford to get distracted. His mind was already spinning back to the Maimed Case, and something told him Emily wasn't a random piece of this puzzle. No, this wasn't a coincidence. He needed to dig deeper.

"Hey, you've got nothing else to say besides compliments?" she teased again, leaning closer. "Want me to show you a good time, handsome officer?"

Any other day, he might have flirted right back, but not now. Not when there were pieces of a gruesome mystery dangling just out of reach. Instead, Luke grabbed her phone and leaned in with intensity. "Emily," he said, his tone serious, "do you know Mary Nelson, Yara Voss, or Lisa Mendes?"

Her face twisted in confusion. "Who?"

"These three competed alongside you," he explained, his voice heavy with urgency. "They placed first, second, and third in the same competition. Does that mean anything to you?"

Emily let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, so they were finalists? Then of course I wouldn't know them! I didn't even break into the top twenty! I do remember that the guy who I met there was good-looking."

Luke sighed, his frustration mounting. "Fine. What about anyone else? Other contestants? Judges? Teachers?"

Her teasing demeanor shifted into something sterner. "Officer Sullivan," she said with a frown, "what exactly are you after here? Do you even play the piano? Or are you just wasting my time?"

"Hmmm..." Luke thought for a moment, weighing his options. If he wanted Emily to cooperate, he'd have to turn in his best performance. Leaning in, he gestured for her to be quiet, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Listen to me very carefully. Do not tell anyone what I'm asking you today. Understand? If this leaks, you'll end up in court."

Her eyes widened with panic. "Why? I don't even know those people! Is that a crime?"

"Ever hear of the Maimed Case?" he shot back, keeping his expression grave.

Her mouth fell open, her face paling. Everyone in New York knew about it. Last year, a series of horrifying mutilations had shaken the city, and this year, the nightmare had started again. Victims had been kept anonymous, but Emily clearly connected the dots.

"You mean..." she stammered, "the Maimed Case is linked to the piano competition? Oh my God..."

Seeing her reaction, Luke pressed on. "The victims," he said, lowering his voice further, "all participated in the Tenth Grand Piano Competition. They were all women. They've all stopped playing the piano."

Emily's hands flew to her face. "Why am I so unlucky? First the rapists target me, now this? Am I cursed?"

Luke wanted to laugh but kept his act up. "The culprit has only gone after the finalists so far. You should be safe for now."

She let out a shaky sigh. "Thank God! Officer Sullivan, you have to catch this maniac. Having my hand chopped off is worse than..." She trailed off, too horrified to finish.

"Then help me," he urged. "Think hard about anything unusual from that competition."