Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 253: The Arsonists Tool

"You fly it on a long string," the magpie explained. "That thin triangle just hit the wind and took off."

Nancy’s eyes narrowed. "A kite."

She leaned in, her voice urgent. "What color was it?"

The magpie tilted its head, thinking back. "White. Totally uncool. Not like the bright ones you see the kids playing with in the park."

Nancy quickly relayed the info to the group. "It was a plain white kite. That’s a deliberate choice—it’s designed to disappear against the sky."

Simon’s face hardened. "So the bastard rigged a kite with fuel and an igniter, then flew it over the back woods to start the fire from above."

Captain Terry of the fire department nodded grimly. "That’s smart. They didn't even have to step foot in the zoo. Dropping in from fifty feet up keeps them completely off the ground cameras."

Nancy felt a wave of relief that her bird-eye security was on the case. "Once the thing burned up, the frame should have survived, right?"

Terry didn't waste a second. He turned to his crew and barked, "Listen up! Sweep the area for kite fragments. Look for thin wooden strips with char marks!"

"The arsonist must have timed the wind and cut the line at the perfect moment," Nancy added. "To hit that specific spot in the trees, the operator had to be close."

Simon pulled up the weather data on his phone. "Southwest winds today. We’ll start the sweep northeast of the park. We need to find anyone who saw a white kite in the air... or any birds that might have been watching."

The magpie’s eyes darted toward Master Crow. "Anyway, I'm out of here! I'll let you know if I see anything else!"

"Wait, little guy!" Nancy reached into her pocket for a treat. "I wanted to…"

Before she could finish, the magpie lunged. With a surgical snap, it plucked several of the glossiest feathers right off Master Crow’s back.

In a black-and-white blur, the thief vanished into the sky.

Master Crow stood there, stunned for a heartbeat before he absolutely lost it. He started hopping in place, shrieking at the clouds.

"Aaargh! That prick stole my feathers! My hair!! Magpies are just a bunch of low-life thugs! I knew I shouldn't have worked with him!"

Magpies were the master architects of the sky, and they loved decorating their nests with high-end feathers from other birds. It was basically a custom-made down duvet for the winter. Of course, they never paid for materials. They just waited for someone to look away and then went in for the heist.

It was the first time Nancy had seen the usually sharp Master Crow get played so badly. Seeing the bird look so pathetic with a bald patch on his back, she didn't know whether to laugh or feel bad. She reached out and smoothed down his remaining feathers.

"Come on, it's just a few feathers. Once we crack the case, you'll get another medal for your collection."

That did the trick.

Master Crow perked up, puffing out his chest. "You're right. I'm heading northeast. I’ll find those witnesses if it kills me!"

He took off, flying a bit lopsided because of the missing plumage. He looked ridiculous, but his grim determination was enough to make Nancy smile.

By now, the tourists had been cleared out and the area was cordoned off with yellow tape. Even though no one was hurt, Nancy made a public announcement to the crowd. Anyone who had booked a ticket for today would get a free pass for any day in the future.

The crowd loved it.

"Nancy’s amazing! Watching that Fire Ape in action was worth the price of the ticket anyway!"

"Seriously. Between the fire damage and the restoration, this is going to cost her a ton of money."

"We’re definitely coming back! We’ll buy extra tickets next time just to help out!"

The wave of support was a huge weight off Nancy’s shoulders. Order was finally returning to Loren Zoo. As the Goodman Corp medical team finished tending to the staff, Barry stayed right there in the thick of it, his white coat a stark contrast to the soot-stained trees.