Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 255: The Flaw In The Evidence

Neil held up a hand to quiet the room. "Look, I get it. But we found the evidence on this truck. We have to follow the trail."

He turned back to Nina, his voice losing its edge but remaining firm. "We aren't calling you a suspect, but you and your team were in charge of this cargo. We need to know how that handle got in there. Work with us, and we can put this to bed."

"But I’m supposed to talk business with Nancy," Nina said, her eyes fixed on her watch in a panic. "I have to be in the capital for a meeting tonight!"

Neil looked apologetic but didn't budge. "That’s exactly why we need to move. This truck is a crime scene. Everyone stays put until we finish the sweep. That’s the way it works, Nina. I need you to understand that."

Before the argument could go any further, a calm voice cut through the noise.

"Wait."

Simon had been watching from the edge of the crowd, but now he stepped forward. He walked past the officers and looked directly at the evidence bag.

He looked at Neil, his voice quiet but heavy with authority. "Neil, finding this handle doesn't prove their guilt. It proves they were set up."

"What?" Neil frowned.

Simon pulled on a pair of gloves and carefully lifted the handle from the bag. He pointed a gloved finger at the exact spot where the string met the plastic.

"Look at the cut," he said, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "It’s all wrong."

He looked up, his gaze moving across the confused faces before settling on Nina’s hands, which were still shaking.

"Nina is a world-class expert. Her hands are trained for the most precise lab work on the planet," Simon said slowly. "If she had slashed this string in a panic to hide the evidence, it would be a clean, sharp break. It would show the angle of someone moving in a desperate hurry."

He held the handle up to the light, exposing the frayed edge of the string.

"But look at these fibers. They’re chewed up from repeated friction. This wasn't cut with a knife. This was someone using a dull tool, like nail clippers or a pair of blunt scissors, slowly grinding through the line while they were perfectly calm."

The warehouse went dead silent. Simon’s conclusion hit like a hammer.

"An arsonist who just torched a forest doesn't have the time or the nerves to sit down and slowly saw through a kite string. There is only one explanation."

Simon’s eyes narrowed. "This handle was prepared long before the fire ever started. It was planted."

Neil’s brow furrowed. "Why go to all that trouble just to frame Nina?"

Simon didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Nina. "You said you came here to talk about a partnership?"

"Yes," Nina nodded. "I came to ask Nancy to be the lead animal language consultant for our base."

"A consultant?" Nancy was stunned, but the surprise was quickly replaced by a chill. "So someone wanted to kill the deal?"

"It looks that way." Simon’s gaze was sharp. "This fire wasn't just an attack on the zoo. It was a strike against the relationship you and Nina were building."

He let the weight of it sink in. "Two birds with one stone. Both targets are you."

He turned back to Nina. "Who else knew you were bringing this shipment to the zoo today?"

Nina exchanged a look with her students, her shoulders slumping. "We prepared a full truck of premium feed. Everyone at the base knew it was happening."

Simon zeroed in. "On your way here, or right after you arrived, did you run into anyone specific?"

Nina looked at the badge on Nancy’s chest, and a memory suddenly clicked. "Actually, right before we pulled out, we ran into Chandler, the chairman of Summers Corp. He was there with his daughter, Ginnie."

Simon’s focus sharpened. "What did they want?"

"A partnership," Nina said, thinking back. "They were trying to source nutrient raw materials for their new dog food line."