Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 47: The Missing Child

The guard respectfully returned Nancy's credentials and lowered his voice. "This is the situation—"

He led Nancy toward the third floor, briefing her as they walked.

"About twenty minutes ago, one of our room service staff was making a delivery on the third floor. She noticed the door to suite 306 was standing wide open. Following protocol, she went to knock and remind the guests to keep their door secured."

As he spoke, thunder rumbled outside, the sound heavy enough to make one's heart race. Nancy pulled her squirrels a little closer as they approached the suite.

"When she reached the threshold, she saw bloody footprints on the floor. The victim was in the bathtub... there was so much blood the water had turned crimson." The guard stopped outside 306, his expression grim. "We're only security; we have to wait for the police to arrive before we can touch anything. We don't even know the official cause of death yet."

Nancy caught a glimpse of the chilling scene. The bloody prints appeared to belong to a man's dress shoe—a large size, based on the length. The blood was still fresh, trailing from the bathroom, through the bedroom, and ending at the window.

It was obvious. The killer had jumped.

"Would you like to step inside the bathroom and take a look?" The guard offered her a pair of gloves and shoe covers.

"No, definitely not." Nancy shook her head vigorously. She knew her limits; she was an animal communicator, not a forensic scientist. If she went in there, she’d likely just contaminate the scene. And she certainly wasn't going to admit she was terrified of what she might see.

Steadying herself, Nancy asked, "Has the victim been identified?"

"The deceased is Faye, the daughter-in-law of the Neil family patriarch," the guard replied.

The Neil family? Nancy’s heart skipped a beat. They were real estate titans in Townsville.

"The situation is incredibly delicate." The guard’s voice dropped to a heavy whisper. "Faye was here for the birthday banquet with her three-year-old son. They were staying in 306 together. Now... the child is missing. We suspect the killer took him."

Nancy felt a cold knot form in her stomach. "You mean the killer was after the boy all along?"

The guard nodded. "That's our working theory. He’s Norman Neil's only grandson—the apple of his eye. Norman has been in the game room with Mr. Goodman all night and hasn't heard the news yet, but there's no way to keep this quiet for long..."

Before he could finish, the elevator chimed. A set of hurried, furious footsteps echoed down the hall.

"Errol! Is the security at this place just for show?" An old man in black silk pajamas stormed out of the elevator. It was Norman. Errol Goodman followed close behind, looking frantic as he tried to de-escalate the situation.

"If my Coco isn't found today, Neils Corp will sever every single business tie we have with the Goodman family!" Norman was shaking with rage.

The guard stepped forward to block the entrance. "Mr. Neil, the scene is cordoned off. You can't go in yet."

"Wait for the police? The mountain road is buried! By the time they get here, it'll be too late!" Norman sneered. "My grandson’s life is hanging by a thread and the killer is gone! Of course, it’s not your grandson who's missing, so you're not in any hurry, are you?"

Errol sighed heavily. "How could I not be worried? I've already dispatched a helicopter to pick up a criminal profiling expert. The rain is just making the flight difficult, so it's taking a bit longer."

At that moment, Ginnie, who had been hovering near Errol, spoke up. She seemed surprised to see Nancy there but quickly turned her attention to Norman. "Please, try to calm down. My brother is Jack Summers. He’s a professor of criminology at Townsville University and a special consultant for the police. He’s solved numerous high-profile cases and has a stellar reputation."

Norman seemed to settle slightly at the mention of Jack's name.

Ginnie checked her phone. "I just got word from him—the helicopter is in the air. He should be here in fifteen minutes."

With Jack’s reputation on the line, Norman didn't push any further. "Fine. I’ll wait for Professor Summers to find my grandson and hunt down the person behind this."

He glanced at Ginnie and added, "You’re a Summers, aren't you? From the family that runs the Summers Corp veterinary hospitals?"