Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 258: The Critical Break

Nancy didn't waste a second. She shielded the kestrel in her lap as she gunned her electric scooter back toward the zoo. She practically burst through the doors of the medical center, her voice echoing off the walls as she called for help.

Elsa, the vet on duty, dropped everything the moment she saw Nancy’s face. Together, they rushed the dying bird into the sterile suite. Using the high-end equipment Director Garrett had left behind, they fought against the clock to clean the wound and get the bird on life support.

Three hours later, the heavy doors finally swung open. Nancy and Elsa stepped out, looking like they’d been through a war. Their hair was matted with sweat and their scrubs were speckled with blood. Autumn, the assistant, moved in immediately to monitor the bird’s vitals.

Nancy collapsed onto a hallway bench, wiping sweat from her forehead with a trembling hand. The adrenaline that had carried her through the afternoon was gone, leaving her completely drained.

She heard fast footsteps approaching. Simon was there in seconds, his face tight with worry. He knelt in front of her, pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket to gently wipe her face.

"How did you end up like this?" he asked, his hand lingering on her hair. "What happened?"

Nancy leaned into his touch, the tension finally breaking as she told him everything. "We found a witness. A kestrel. But someone shot it with a steel ball from a slingshot."

Her hand balled into a fist. "It has to be the Summers family. Kestrels are a protected species. For someone to take a shot like that, they had to be hiding something massive."

"You’re right," Simon said, his expression darkening. "The Summers family knows you can talk to animals. The shooter probably spotted the bird while they were flying the kite and realized it could lead us straight to the truth. They were trying to tie up a loose end."

Nancy frowned, trying to make sense of the scene. "But why leave the body? If you're going to kill a witness, why leave it in the park where anyone could find it?"

Simon’s eyes sharpened. "Because something interrupted him. He had to run."

He stood up, his voice tight with sudden energy. "Maybe someone walked by. Nancy, animal testimony is a lead, but a human witness is a conviction. If someone saw the shooter, that is the key to burying the Summers family for good."

The exhaustion vanished from Nancy’s face. "They’re going to pay for touching my zoo."

She looked up at Simon, remembering the investigation. "What about the stops the truck made? Did you find anything?"

Simon nodded. "The gas station was too busy and had too many cameras for them to risk it. But the convenience store has a blind spot. It only covers the front of the truck."

He pulled a folder from his bag and spread a dozen surveillance screenshots across the bench. He had marked each one with colored pens, drawing a precise line of movement through the grain.

"I found a guy in a grey hoodie," Simon said. "He shows up in multiple feeds around the store. Based on his path, he’s the one who approached the truck to plant that handle."

Nancy stared at the map. The level of detail was staggering. "Your spatial analysis is insane. Now we just wait for the kestrel to wake up and confirm if the guy in the hoodie is our arsonist."

Simon placed a hand on her head, his palm warm and steady. He looked through the glass at the unconscious bird.

"Don't put this all on yourself," he said firmly. "The truth isn't going anywhere. You need to sleep. No matter what happens, I'm right here behind you."