The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Chapter 134

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A woman’s body was sealed tight in a shell of white plaster from the waist down. Both arms were gone below the shoulders, the wounds jagged and brutal, like someone had really taken a blade to her.

The whole thing had clearly been set up on purpose, and at first glance, it looked like some creepy homage to that famous broken-armed Venus statue.

Nina felt her stomach flip at the gruesome scene. Swallowing back the nausea, she tore her eyes away and tried to focus on the details around her instead.

Outside the window, a few tall camphor trees stood in silence, their thick branches almost reaching into the hallway.

Just then, Pearlie, perched on her shoulder, reached out his soft little paws and gently cupped Nina’s cheek. His dark, shiny eyes sparkled with concern as he thought, “Don’t worry, Nina, I’m right here with you.”

The furry touch and Pearlie’s clumsy but sincere attempt to comfort her washed over Nina like a wave of warmth, instantly melting away the shadows inside her.

She couldn’t help but smile, softly rubbing Pearlie’s little head with her fingertips. In a low voice, she said, “Yeah, with you here, I feel much safer.”

Just then, Simon walked over, already suited up in shoe covers and a protective suit.

He gave Nina a reassuring pat on the back and started explaining, “The victim’s name is Hannah. She’s 22, a senior in the sculpture department at Jelasburg University’s School of Art, working on her graduation project.

“She’d been granted the use of Art Studio 01 as her own personal workspace.”

Simon paused for a moment. “Hannah was a cheerful person with a simple social circle. No one’s heard of her having any enemies. When she was found this morning, she’d already been dead for over 48 hours.”

Nina stared at the striking clash of white and dark red, giving a small nod.

She frowned and asked, “Hannah was missing for more than two days, and nobody thought anything was off?”

Simon grew serious, explaining, “Her roommate and advisor both reported that Hannah had mentioned wanting to get away for a bit. She wants to take a short trip before the new semester starts to find some inspiration for her art.

“She was the type to sketch and wander outside solo, and it wasn’t uncommon for her to spend nights away, So when she didn’t show up, everyone just assumed she was off chasing ideas somewhere.

“Plus, with the new school year starting soon, the campus was crowded, and people were caught up in their own stuff. It wasn’t until this morning, when the janitor came in to clean up, that he finally found out…”

Nina let out a soft sigh. The murder was unbelievably savage, but she wasn’t a trained detective. There was no way she could pull useful evidence straight out of a scene like this. She glanced over at Simon. “Simon, did you notice anything?”

12:23 Wed, Dec 31 M

Chapter 134

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Simon’s eyes calmly scanned the room before landing on the body sealed up in plaster. He spoke up, “From the way this so-called sculpture was thrown together, I’d say the killer had no clue what they were doing.

“See here? The plaster’s all uneven. The surface is rough, and you can even spot actual fingerprints and scratch marks along the seams.

“Whoever did this obviously isn’t a real sculptor. It looks like they’ve never been formally trained.

“But even if the killer’s a total amateur at this, you can tell they’ve still got some skill and an eye for art.

“Look at how they set up the body, especially the legs and hips. It’s a straight-up copycat move, imitating that iconic Venus statue. Pulling something like this off? That’s not something just anyone could dream up.”

Nina looked at Simon in awe, her eyes lighting up like stars. “Simon, you’re incredible.”

A couple of the younger officers couldn’t help crowding closer, clear admiration in their eyes.

One of them couldn’t help but ask quietly, “Mr. Reed, how do you even know if someone’s actually a pro at sculpting or not?”

Simon kept his composure and explained in a steady tone, “When I was in college, I actually took a few weeks of life sculpture classes at the art school. It was so I could better analyze wound patterns and human anatomy.”

His gaze swept over the plaster figure, voice still unwavering. “It was only a surface-level introduction, but it’s enough to tell the difference between someone who’s had formal training and an amateur just figuring things out.”

Simon angled himself toward the sculpture, pointing out a few obvious seams and rough scratches. “Look here, the way these spots are handled is awkward, the pressure uneven. It’s clearly beginner’s work.”

Before he even finished speaking, the young officers standing nearby were already caught off guard. One of them whispered in amazement, “Wow, Mr. Reed even understands all that.”

Simon paused briefly, then decisively issued a directive. “Let’s start our search inside the art school. Pay close attention to anyone, students or faculty, who isn’t in the sculpture program but has an artistic background.”

The officers nodded right away, quickly marking this new approach down as a main focus for the investigation.

After carefully checking out the art studio and the area around it, Nina slowly stepped back into the hallway.

Just then, the forensic team gave their initial update. The scene was almost unsettlingly clean. Although the victim’s arms had been severed, there wasn’t any obvious blood splatter anywhere.

Preliminary toxicology tests came back negative for common poisons in her blood or urine, so poisoning was basically ruled out. But nobody knew yet how she’d actually died.

After hearing the forensic team’s update, Simon frowned and turned to Nina, his voice heavy. “Right now, the real headache is that her arms are nowhere to be found.

12:23 Wed, Dec 31 M.

Chapter 134

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“Those missing limbs are our best shot at new clues. We need to track them down asap if we want to move this investigation forward.”

Nina nodded without hesitation. “Leave it to me.”

Nina gave the fluffy Pearlie a gentle pat on her shoulder. “Pearlic, check out the area near Building Two and help us track down some leads.”

“On it, Nina!” Pearlie chirped in her head.

With a swift “whoosh,” the little ferret darted out like a streak of white lightning.

His tiny nose was twitching nonstop, determined to catch even the faintest trace of blood in the air. In a blink, he disappeared around the corridor corner.

Next, Nina headed to the back of Building Two with Tabby King and the Squirrel Bros in tow.

Behind it was a little courtyard that looked totally wild and abandoned. The weeds were nearly waist-high, and everything was eerily silent and forgotten.

She turned to Tabby King, who was sitting with regal elegance, and said earnestly, “Tabby King, time to put your turf advantage to good use.

“Help me ask the local cats and sewer rats if any of them have spotted a human arm lately. In the trash, down a drain, and the usual haunts.”

Tabby King lazily licked his paw, flicked his tail with a cool confidence, and said, “It’s child’s play. Just sit tight.

got this.”

I’ve

The Squirrel Bros squatted side by side, huge round eyes staring straight at Nina, totally unblinking.

“What about us, Nina? We wanna help too!” the Squirrel Bros piped up, practically bouncing with excitement.

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