The Crime System

Who is Lila Davis?

"Emily's face tightened as she rubbed her temples, trying to recall long-forgotten memories. "Officer Sullivan, it's been so long," she muttered. "The competition was stressful enough, and I was just a teenager. I don't remember much. I haven't even touched a piano in over fifteen years!"

Luke nodded, hiding his disappointment. Still, her struggle to remember looked sincere. After a pause, she asked, "Anything and anyone linked to the competition is relevant, right?"

"Of course," he said, hoping for a breakthrough. "Sometimes the smallest details c***k a case."

She bit her lip, her brow furrowed in thought. Finally, she said, "Officer Sullivan, I think I vaguely remember... something strange."

What was it? Hearing Emily mention strange things sparked Luke's curiosity, so he pressed for details.

"Um..." Emily began to recall. "I remember, during that year's preliminary competition, our Phoenicia had an amazing student. I can't recall her name clearly, but she was definitely a girl. Even before the competition, she was famous in our country. Apparently, she passed the tenth piano level when she was only twelve, studying under the best instructor in the capital. She was extraordinary."

Emily leaned in, her voice carrying an edge of nostalgia. "I saw her once during the rematch. Her clothes were old, patched even. Clearly, her family wasn't well-off, but her piano skills? Insane. We were all at the tenth level, but she made us feel like beginners."

"And?" Luke asked, leaning closer.

She squinted, as if the effort of remembering was weighing on her. "Right... the weird part happened here in New York City! She crushed the competition with a record-breaking score. But her name didn't appear in the list of final competitors. They said she retired from the competition the night before! Isn't that weird?"

Her story felt like a jagged puzzle piece. Luke tilted his head. "Are you sure she made it to the finals?"

"Mm..." She scratched her head, exasperated by the fuzziness of her memory. "I think so. Maybe I heard it from parents of other students or even my mom. Oh, wait! My mom would know. That year, she almost reached piano level ten herself! If it's about piano, she'll remember everything!"

Without hesitation, Emily grabbed her phone and called her mother. Putting it on speaker, she explained the situation in rapid-fire detail. To guarantee cooperation, she lied and said she was being interrogated at the police station.

Her mother's panicked voice crackled through the phone. Even as Luke smirked at Emily's audacity, he leaned in, listening closely.

Her mom's account was surprisingly vivid. The rumors from that year resurfaced like ghosts. The piano prodigy was indeed from Phoenicia, a child genius who defied the odds of her poverty-stricken family. Her parents had sacrificed everything, even selling their farm to support her dream. She rose to prominence quickly, winning accolades that seemed to secure her a brilliant future.

But then, the night before the competition finals, she withdrew. Just like that. The why remained a mystery, though theories swirled like dust in the air. Some said she overexerted herself practicing and collapsed. Others whispered of kidnappings or a romantic elopement. Afterward, she and her parents disappeared, leaving no trace. Her withdrawal caused the competition organizers to bump the eleventh-place competitor into the finals, erasing her name from the results.

Even years later, people still mentioned her as a cautionary tale of brilliance lost too soon.

"Child prodigy? Girl genius..." Luke muttered. Something about her abrupt retirement felt connected to the case he was working on. The Maimed Case had him chasing shadows, but this story tugged at his instincts.

If he could find her, maybe—just maybe—he could uncover new evidence.

"Mom!" Emily asked her mother urgently, "Do you remember her name?"

"Lila Davis!" The old woman didn't miss a beat. "From the Davis family in Phoenicia. She even had the same name as your second aunt. If the police need anything, tell them to come to me. I'll confess everything I know. Just don't stay at the station too long! Don't let people think you're doing bad things."

Emily flushed and cut the call quickly. "That's my mom. Once she starts talking, there's no stopping her!" She looked at Luke hopefully. "Did this help your investigation, Officer Sullivan?"

"Phoenicia, Davis family, Lila Davis..." he repeated, letting the name settle in his mind. "I'll have to dig deeper, but if this helps the case, I'll make sure you get a Good Samaritan award."

She waved it off. "Keep the award. I owe you for saving me, anyway! But next time you jump to my balcony, give me a heads-up!"

"There won't be a next time!" Luke promised.

Their banter was short-lived as the mood shifted. A pause hung between them, and he could see the awkwardness mirrored in her eyes.

"So... we..." he gestured vaguely between them, unsure of what to say.

"It's fine, I get it," Emily cut him off with a small smile. "You've got more important things to handle. If we can't enjoy ourselves, what's the point? You saved me, and I'll never forget that. My one-time free service promise is long-term!"

"Great!" Luke gave her a thumbs-up and grabbed her phone. "Here, give me your number and w******p. Once I c***k this case and get a reward, I'll take you to a four-star hotel!"

He didn't know why he saluted her before leaving, but he did.

"You're just leaving like that? You can't go to the station dressed like that! Let me find some clothes—"

Luke didn't wait to hear the rest, closing the door behind him.

"That guy," she muttered behind him, her words tinged with concern.

As he stepped out into the early morning light, Luke repeated her words about Lila Davis in his head.