Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 351: The Secret In The Chimney

The old woman’s withered fingers clamped onto Faylin’s sleeve, her breath hitching as a look of sheer terror washed over her.

"Grandma, let me take you back to your room," Faylin said softly. "The police are going to get to the bottom of this."

As Faylin led her away, Nancy remained, her eyes narrowed as she focused on the rhythmic tapping. "Do you think they set up some kind of timer or a delayed mechanical trigger before they left?"

A Cloudtopia officer nearby overheard her, his face darkening with anger as he reached for his radio. "These people are scum. I’m calling the station. We’re going to squeeze every single trick out of them if it’s the last thing we do."

It wasn't long before the officer returned, looking frustrated. "Those frauds are talking in circles. Not one of them will admit to rigging the chimney."

Realizing they weren't going to get answers quickly through interrogation, Nancy made a call. "Forget it. We have a faster way. We’ll send a scout in."

Back in the main hall, Nancy gave Chunk a gentle pat. "Hey, little guy, can you do me a favor and fly up the chimney to see what’s going on?"

The hall’s vintage fireplace and winding flue looked like something straight out of an old noir film. At Nancy’s request, the little bat beat his wings and shot upward, disappearing into the dark.

A few minutes later, he flitted back down, his head dusted with a layer of soot.

"It’s pitch black up there, and I didn't see any machines," Chunk reported. "But the noise hasn't stopped, and there’s a section of the chimney wall that sounds completely hollow. I’m going back in to keep watch. I’m going to catch whatever is making that sound."

Before he’d even finished his sentence, he dived back into the flue.

Suddenly, a piercing, cackling shriek erupted from deep within the chimney, sounding like a banshee straight out of a horror movie.

The sound sent a jolt through Nancy, and she instinctively grabbed Simon’s arm.

Sensing her fear, Simon placed a steadying hand over hers. "It’s okay, Nancy. Listen closely. Doesn't that sound like an animal?"

Nancy took a breath and tilted her ear toward the fireplace. "Wait, you’re right. Is that a gecko?"

She rubbed her nose, feeling a bit sheepish. The haunted atmosphere had been so thick she’d let her professional instincts slip for a second.

Geckos were vocal creatures, and depending on the species, they could produce an eerie range of sounds, from faint clicking and bird-like chirps to noises that mimicked crows, frogs, or even a crying baby. Some even sounded like a pot of water coming to a boil.

Chunk’s second trip proved fruitful.

He flew back out with a struggling gecko clamped in his tiny jaws, the lizard still shrieking its head off.

"Let me go! Help! I'm being mugged in broad daylight!"

Chunk set the creature down gently and gave it a reassuring pat on the head with his wing.

"Relax, relax. We just need some help. Answer a few questions for my human, and it'll be worth your while."

Chunk leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do this for us, and I’ll take you to an all-you-can-eat insect buffet. My treat."

At the mention of a buffet, the gecko stopped thrashing, its tiny eyes widening.

"For real? You’re not pulling my leg?"

With the cold weather setting in, mosquitoes were a rarity and bugs were scarce. The poor thing had been starving.

"Word of honor. I know all the best spots."

With the deal struck, Chunk proudly led the gecko over to Nancy.

Finding itself the center of attention for so many human, the gecko looked incredibly nervous, its tiny feet twitching.

Nancy crouched down, her voice warm and inviting. "Little one, you live in that chimney, right? Have you seen anything strange in there? Anything that makes a tapping sound against the walls?"

The gecko tilted its head, thinking, then suddenly lashed its tail with excitement. "Oh, yeah! Inside that big stone tube, near the wall on this side, there’s a little crack. There's a two-legged giant living back there, but she doesn't move. At night, when the wind blows down from the top, her foot swings and goes tap against the wood where I usually hunt for bugs. I thought she was a new roommate at first, but she never tries to steal my food. She's pretty boring, honestly."

The gecko's casual explanation sent a wave of ice through Nancy’s veins.

She grabbed Simon’s sleeve, her voice trembling. "Simon, the gecko says there’s a hidden crawlspace in the chimney. And there’s... there’s a body inside."

"What?" The Cloudtopia officer’s face went white.

They’d come here expecting a simple fraud case; nobody had prepared for a murder.

Simon moved toward the fireplace to inspect the masonry, his jaw set. "The flue is too narrow to get a good look. We need the fire department down here with demolition tools immediately."

It didn't take long for the sirens to cut through the silence of the estate.

The arrival of the heavy rescue equipment and the swarm of personnel shattered the stillness of the old house. The commotion drew the old woman back out, and when she saw the firefighters unloading ladders and power tools, she began to panic.