Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 358: The Breaking Point

Faylin was scheduled to arrive in Cloudtopia that very night.

In a state of panic, the old woman remembered the chimney partition, a space only she had the key to. She and Rudolph worked together to hoist the body inside. The crawl space was so narrow that they had to suspend the corpse just to get the cabinet door shut.

When Faylin returned to Cloudtopia that evening, she heard the rhythmic thumping coming from the partition. Seeing her suspicion, the old woman pivoted and claimed the house was haunted.

Faylin was so worried about her grandmother that she insisted on staying at the villa to keep her company, which meant the pair never found an opportunity to move the body. As the wind blew through the ventilated chimney, the corpse swayed, creating that eerie, persistent tapping sound day and night.

To keep Faylin from growing suspicious, the two decided to use the noise to spread rumors of a haunting. They brought in a group of people to perform rituals, attempting to brand the property as a death house so they could sell it quickly. This would allow them to offload the house to a middleman, handle the body in secret, and bypass Faylin to pocket the profit from the price difference.

They never imagined that Faylin, out of genuine concern, would bring in Nancy. Faylin only wanted to find the source of the haunting so her grandmother could live in peace, but she had inadvertently exposed the entire conspiracy.

To prove that Rudolph had nothing to do with Almond’s death, the old woman finally produced the key piece of evidence. She reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a velvet pouch, pouring a translucent emerald necklace into the hands of the Cloudtopia police.

"This was the birthday gift you gave me last year," she said.

The old woman usually wore the pendant whenever Faylin visited. She looked at Faylin with deep guilt. "I lied and told you I sent it away for maintenance. I was actually hiding it."

The old woman gripped the jewelry until her knuckles turned white. "Before Almond fell, she grabbed this pendant and struggled. There should be skin cells in the metal clasp. Maybe even blood."

Having confessed everything, the old woman let out a long breath as if a massive weight had been lifted, though her back seemed to slump even further.

"Faylin," she said, her voice raspy and weary with resignation. "Your cousin isn't like you. He has no talent, he can't make money. I had to look out for him."

Faylin listened to the confession in a daze, feeling the world spin beneath her feet. The kind grandmother from her memories, the woman who tucked her in with fairy tales and patted her back after nightmares had become a stranger who plotted behind her back and was now entangled in a death. Her entire world was fracturing before her eyes.

The police handcuffed the grandmother and Rudolph and led them to the patrol cars. Nancy watched them go, feeling a deep sense of pity.

Simon noted that the old woman was facing charges of negligent homicide, harboring a fugitive, and destruction of evidence. Given her advanced age, the court might show some leniency in her sentencing. Rudolph, however, had not only participated in concealing the body but had masterminded the entire haunting scam. Facing charges of fraud, harboring a criminal, and potential status as a co-conspirator, his punishment would be far more severe.

Before the Cloudtopia police finished clearing the scene, Nancy held up the glass tank and asked quietly, "This little turtle... can I take him home with me?"

The officer in charge of evidence nodded readily. "Of course! we were wondering what to do with him anyway. He's in the best hands with an expert like you."

Chunk flew over, chirping excitedly. "Nancy, bring the gecko too! I promised him a mosquito feast!"

Nancy smiled and lowered the little gecko from her shoulder. "Of course he's coming. He’s the hero who found the evidence today."

Chunk circled the living room, his wings flapping happily. "Great! Now I have a permanent dining partner! We can be a duo!"

He swooped down and landed on Nancy’s shoulder, making a solemn announcement. "From today on, I’ll only eat as much as the gecko. This time, my diet is going to be a total success!"

The little gecko stood there with its mouth hanging open, its long tail freezing mid-air.

"Wait, hold on," the gecko squeaked, holding up a tiny paw. "I get full after just three bugs a day. Are you sure you want to eat like me?"

Chunk immediately dissolved the partnership. "Three? Forget it! I’d go from a bat to a flat at that rate!"

As the group prepared to leave, Faylin sat alone on the sofa, her figure looking incredibly small in the empty hall. She stood up and walked toward Nancy. "Ms. Nancy, I’ve arranged a driver to take you to your hotel to rest."

Faylin bowed deeply, her voice exhausted but sincere. "I’m sorry. I was so unable to accept the truth that I was rude to you and the police. Please accept my formal apology. I will uphold my end of the agreement regarding the krill algae supply."

She raised her reddened eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "And thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would still be in the dark."