Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 111: The Guardian In The Dark

The moment Errol saw his grandfather’s final words and the entry for "dance knee pads" on the receipt, his tears fell like a string of broken pearls.

Simon squeezed his shoulder firmly. "We will find the truth for you. You have the word of the police."

Nancy handed Errol a pack of tissues and a steam-heated eye mask to soothe his tired eyes. "One of our officers will drive you home shortly."

"Get some rest, and good luck with the recording tomorrow," she added, giving him an encouraging thumbs-up. "We saw your rehearsal video back at the station with the other guys. Even to a layperson, it looked incredible!"

"You’re going to blow the world away at the championships!"

Errol took the tissues and the eye mask, his eyes red as he looked at the siblings. "I..."

His grandfather had been brutally murdered, and he had been treated as the prime suspect, enduring Jack's relentless psychological torment. Now, faced with the genuine warmth and encouragement of Nancy and Simon, the young man felt as if he had met a pair of angels. He could no longer hold back his sobs.

Simon helped Errol up from the chair. "Go on. Get a good night’s sleep. Your grandfather is rooting for you."

Errol gave them both a deep, solemn bow. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"I’ll find a way to repay you both," he vowed. Wiping away his tears, he hurried out of the interrogation room.

The lights in the room were dim, and Nancy couldn't help but let out a long yawn. A flicker of concern crossed Simon’s eyes. He checked the time; it was already 2:30 AM.

Because Simon was only on temporary loan to the department, he hadn't settled into permanent housing yet and was staying in the bachelor dorms. It wasn't a suitable place for Nancy to rest. He placed a large, gentle hand on top of her head. "Go home and sleep. I'll drive you."

But Simon still had a mountain of paperwork to organize for the case, and Townsville Headquarters was over ten kilometers from Loren Zoo. Nancy didn't want her brother making a round trip in his exhausted state. She was about to suggest crashing on a recliner in the police lounge for the night when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Who would be calling at this hour?

The caller ID read "Barry."

Since signing the contract with him, that annoying man had been relentless—harassing her about her three meals a day and monitoring her daily exercise. He was like a taskmaster with a whip, ready to dock her bonus if she slipped up even slightly. Consequently, Nancy had changed his contact name to "Big Trouble."

Nancy frowned. Why was he calling now? Had Star suffered another relapse? She picked up immediately.

"Where are you?" Barry’s voice sounded slightly strained. "I brought Star to Loren Zoo, but you aren't there."

"I'm at Townsville Headquarters," Nancy replied. "I just finished a case." She quickly added, "Is Star having an episode?"

"It’s not severe," Barry said, his voice husky. "Just... exhausting."

Nancy recalled what Jacob had said—if Star didn't sleep well, Barry didn't sleep well either.

"Are you coming back tonight?" Barry asked suddenly.

Nancy stifled another yawn. "I was just about to."

"Wait there. I’m coming to get you," Barry said, hanging up before she could protest.

Nancy clutched her phone and turned to Simon. "You should get some rest. Barry said he’s giving me a lift back to the zoo."

Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew about the contract, but he didn't want to nag and risk annoying her. "...Send me a message when you get back to your room."

Nancy nodded. "Got it! Now go get some shut-eye!"

Twenty minutes later, a black Cullinan pulled up in front of the Townsville Headquarters. Barry lowered the window and scanned the empty steps. Unsurprisingly, the little brat hadn't checked her messages again. His text telling her to be out front in three minutes had gone unanswered.

"Tsk." He swung the car door shut and headed inside with long, purposeful strides.

In the lobby, Barry spotted Nancy curled up on a long bench. Her bun was lopsided against the backrest and her lashes were sealed shut. She reminded him of the little squirrels in her zoo that slept in tight balls. Except those squirrels had big tails to use as blankets, and Nancy had nothing.

Barry leaned over her. "Nancy," he called out, his voice low and soft, as if he were biting into a marshmallow. He was afraid a louder tone might startle her out of her dreams.

Seeing she wasn't budging, he frowned and reached out an index finger to poke the messy bun on top of her head. "Get up. Go sleep in a real bed."

Nancy blinked her eyes open, meeting Barry’s sharp, piercing gaze, and felt instantly more awake. Barry’s eyes drifted to the bulging backpack sitting beside her. He cocked an eyebrow. "Yours?"

Still hazy from sleep, Nancy nodded. A stray tuft of hair poked out from her loose bun, twitching slightly like the crest of a night heron.

"Let’s go." Barry reached down to grab the bag with one hand, but he paused the moment he lifted it. Something inside shifted with a suspicious thump and the sound of sloshing water. It was ridiculously heavy.