Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 58: The Vanishing Star

Ryan nodded immediately. "The last time Jonas was seen was yesterday evening at 8:00 PM, right outside the main gates of the training center."

Nancy returned to the dormitory to pick up the Squirrel Bros before heading to the swimming base with the officer and the coach.

Inside the police car, Officer Shaun, who was leading the investigation, turned to look at Ryan with an inquisitive gaze. "Ryan, what is Jonas usually like? Any trouble in his personal life?"

Nancy leaned in, ears perked.

Ryan lowered his gaze and sighed. "That boy... he comes from a very poor background. His talent was actually discovered by accident while he was saving people from a river."

He paused, his voice dropping an octave. "When Jonas was sixteen, he was scavenging for bottles by the riverbank to sell for scrap when he saw three people get swept away by the current."

"Without a single thought for his own safety, he dove in and saved all three of them, one by one."

"I was there. I watched him pull the last person out, soaked to the bone and gasping for air. But he didn't even stop to rest; he just turned right back around and went back to helping his father collect trash..."

Ryan gave a bitter smile. "That explosiveness, that speed, that endurance—he was a natural-born swimmer."

Nancy’s eyes widened. Saving three people at once? Water rescues are notoriously dangerous; one wrong move and the rescuer gets dragged down too. Jonas was clearly both powerful and selfless.

"Jonas is the hardest worker on the team," Ryan added. "First one in, last one out. And he’s incredibly grateful. He loves his fans and often visits young swimmers with congenital illnesses to encourage them to keep fighting."

Nancy couldn't help but wonder how such a kind, grounded talent could just vanish. There had to be an emergency that forced his hand.

The car soon pulled up at the training center. Shaun pulled up the surveillance footage for Nancy to review. "Jonas left the base at 8:13 PM yesterday and headed east along the main road."

"He eventually disappeared into a blind spot in the coverage."

Nancy’s eyes were glued to the screen. In the footage, Jonas was wearing a white tracksuit, waiting by the roadside for a ride. Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked up, and as the person on the other end spoke, Jonas’s expression shifted instantly to one of extreme anxiety.

He looked around frantically before bolting toward the east.

"He vanished into a blind spot about a mile away at the mouth of an alley," Shaun explained, pointing toward the eastern horizon.

"We need to find out who called him and what was said," Nancy muttered, rubbing her chin. "That phone call changed everything."

She summoned the Squirrel Bros from their carrier. "Alright, little ones, go find out if there are any mice nearby."

To assist with the search, Shaun had provided color prints of Jonas’s photo. Nancy took two copies and gave them to the squirrels.

Last night would have been prime time for mice to be out and active. Since there weren't many tall trees near the entrance, but plenty of lush hedges, the local mice would likely be scurrying through the greenery. Squirrels and mice were distant cousins, after all—they usually have plenty to talk about.

"Just hang tight, miss!"

The Squirrel Bros split up. One ducked into the cracks of a brick wall to ask around, while the other darted into the hedges to search for tracks.

Shaun and Ryan watched in amazement as Nancy expertly coordinated her "witness search." Although Sam had briefed them on the "Animal Detective," seeing her in action was a different level of shock.

As Nancy waited for a report, the glass doors of the training center were suddenly thrown open with a loud bang.

Five or six tall young men in national team tracksuits rushed out, bringing a gust of warm air smelling of chlorine. Nancy blinked; she had never seen so many elite athletes in one place.

The leader stood nearly six-foot-three, his wet black hair still dripping, with a post-training flush on his tanned skin. His brows were knit tight, and his sweat-soaked shirt clung to his defined chest, rising and falling with his ragged breathing.

"Ryan! Someone leaked the news that Jonas is missing!"

The teammates behind him were equally impressive—tall, muscular, and clearly distressed. Some hadn't even bothered to dry off properly.

"The news is trending at number one."

"The comments people are leaving are disgusting!"

"They have no proof. How can they be so malicious?"

Nancy quickly opened her phone. The top trend on social media was: #JonasMissingFromTraining and #JonasSkipsSponsorshipEvent.

Apparently, the team had a mandatory training session early this morning, and Jonas had a high-profile pre-race promotional event for a major sports brand at 11:30 AM. His absence from both had set the internet on fire.