The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 250

Chapter 250

In this spacious mansion with a vintage vibe, the tapping echoed through the halls, hitting their nerves and sending chills down their spines.

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“What, what are you doing?” Elowen’s raspy voice suddenly sounded from behind, making Nina almost jump out of her skin.

‘Jeez, she scared me to death, Nina thought. ‘How does she keep sneaking up on us? She walks without a sound.’

Fiona, holding her grandma’s arm, looked at the three people pressed up against the wall, just as confused. “Ms. Summer, did you guys find something?”

Right as she finished speaking, that faint but distinct tapping from the study reached her ears, too.

Her expression changed in a flash. “That’s the sound. That’s exactly what my grandma heard at night.”

She stared at the wall in disbelief. “But didn’t those con artists already get caught? So why is there still this creepy haunted noise?”

Elowen’s frail fingers gripped Fiona’s sleeve, her breath quickening, fear written all over her face.

Fiona said, “Grandma, I’ll walk you back to your room. The police will figure this out for sure.”

Fiona led her grandma away.

Nina listened closely to the steady tapping, then wondered aloud, “Maybe they set up some kind of delayed trap or timed gadget before, and just didn’t have time to remove it yet?”

The Cloudville cop next to her whipped out his walkie-talkie, sounding pissed. “These people are just shameless.

“I’m calling my team right now. We’re gonna make them confess every dirty trick they used.”

Not long after, the Cloudville cop came back looking frustrated. “Those con artists are full of crap. None of them will admit they messed with the chimney.”

Since they couldn’t get anything out of them anytime soon, Nina made a quick decision. “No worries, we’ve got a faster way. Let’s just send in our ‘scout’ and see what’s going on.”

They all headed back to the first-floor hall, and Nina gave Chunky a gentle pat. “Alright, Chunky, do us a favor and fly up the chimney to check it out, will you?”

The old-fashioned fireplace and its connected chimney in the mansion’s hall really gave off that classic movie vibe. Chunky perked up at Nina’s command, gave its wings a quick shake, and shot straight up the chimney.

It flew back in no time, with dust sprinkled on its head. “Nina, it’s pitch black in there. I didn’t spot any traps or gadgets. But the noise is still going, and there’s a spot on the chimney wall that sounds super hollow.”

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Chapter 250

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“I’ll head back in and keep watch. I’m sure I’ll catch whatever’s making that sound.” Without another word, it darted right back into the chimney.

Not long after, a sharp, chittering noise suddenly echoed from deep inside the chimney, sounding just like the ghostly wails you’d hear in a horror movie.

Nina jolted in fright, grabbing onto Simon’s arm without thinking.

Simon noticed how tense she was and gently patted her hand, keeping his cool. “Don’t worry, Nina. Listen carefully. Doesn’t that sound kind of like an animal?”

Nina took a deep breath and listened closely. “Wait, you’re right. It actually sounds like a gecko.”

She rubbed her nose, a little embarrassed. The creepy atmosphere had almost made her forget her own skills.

Geckos actually make noises, and depending on the species, their calls can get pretty

wild.

Some make faint ticking sounds, some peep like little birds, and some even sound like crows, frogs, or a crying baby.

There are even geckos whose calls sound just like water boiling away in a pot.

Chunky’s efforts weren’t wasted this time.

It flew back with a squirming gecko in its mouth, the gecko still squawking loudly. “Let me go. Daylight robbery. Help, Thieves.”

Chunky gently set the gecko down on the floor and gave its head a reassuring pat with its tiny paw. “Don’t be scared. We just want you to help out and answer a couple of questions for Nina.”

It leaned in close to the gecko, lowering its voice mysteriously. “Once we’re done, I’ll take you to an all-you- can-eat mosquito buffet. You’ll be stuffed.”

The gecko stopped struggling the moment it heard mosquito buffet, its little eyes going wide. “Seriously? You’re not tricking me, right?”

Now that it was getting cold, there were hardly any mosquitoes or bugs around, and the gecko was always hungry.

“Trust me. I’m a pro at finding grub.” Chunky proudly landed in front of Nina with the gecko in tow.

With so many people staring at it all at once, the gecko looked a little nervous, rubbing its tiny paws together uneasily.

Nina crouched down and asked softly, “Hello, gecko. You’re always hanging out in the chimney, aren’t you? Have you ever seen anything weird in there? Like something that goes tap against the wall?”

The gecko tilted its head, thought for a moment, then suddenly wagged its tail excitedly. “Oh, totally. Inside the chimney, near this wall, there’s a little crack, and inside it lives a two-legger who never moves.

“When the wind blows down from above at night, her foot taps the wooden spot where I like to catch bugs.

D

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Chapter 250

“At first, I thought she was a new buddy, but she never tries to snatch my bugs. Not fun at all.”

When she heard what the gecko said, Nina’s blood ran cold.

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She tugged at Simon’s sleeve, her voice shaking. “Simon the gecko says there’s a hidden space in the chimney, and there might be a corpse hidden back there.”

“What?” The Cloudville cop’s face drained of color, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Everyone thought this was just a scam. No one could’ve imagined it would end up involving a dead body.

Simon moved in for a closer look at the chimney’s structure, his brow furrowed in concentration. “The chimney’s way too narrow. We’ll need the fire department’s demolition equipment to break through.”

The fire department showed up in no time.

The blaring sirens and the hurried footsteps of the rescue team pierced the silence of the old mansion.

Elowen was startled by all the commotion and came out, her whole body trembling. When she saw the firefighters carrying ladders and tools, her emotions flared up instantly.

“What are you doing? This is my house. Nobody touches anything here unless I say so,” she snapped.

She pointed at the demolition hammer in the firefighter’s hand, her voice cracking, almost in tears. “This is an old mansion. Are you really going to wreck it?”

She suddenly turned to Fiona, tears streaming down her face. “Fiona, have you forgotten you grew up here? You used to love snuggling by the fireplace, listening to Grandma’s stories when you were little.

“You always said this was the place you loved most. Your parents built it themselves, and your dad designed the chimney. And now they’re going to tear it down.”

Nina and Fiona explained, “Mrs. Lane, we suspect there’s something hidden behind a false wall in the chimney.”

“There’s a hidden space in the chimney?” Fiona had lived in this mansion all her life, but this was the first time she’d ever heard of such a thing.

She held her grandma by the shoulders and said, “Grandma, since the police think there’s something up with the chimney, let them take a look.

“Once we get to the bottom of this haunting, you’ll finally be able to sleep easily.”

Fiona turned to the firefighters, nodded, and said, “Thanks for your hard work. Please get started.”