The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Thanks to the police briefing her, Nina quickly put the pieces together about what had happened earlier that morning.

At exactly 7:23 a.m., the zookeeper had arrived at the tiger enclosure to release the animals for their morning routine. Instead, he was met with a grisly sight: a woman lying on the grass, her head severed, blood pooling beneath her in a dark, spreading stain.

The zookeeper immediately called the authorities. When the officers arrived, they identified the victim by checking her student ID—it was Zoey, a second-year student at Jelasburg Medical College.

Nearby, Zoey’s father, Bobby, stood frozen, his face etched with heartbreak and disbelief. As a construction worker, Bobby had poured every ounce of effort into supporting his daughter’s dream of becoming a doctor. Now, after receiving that shattering call and having to identify her body, he was utterly broken.

The usual crowd of onlookers had already begun whispering wild theories, insisting it was a “tiger attack.” With the zoo director nowhere to be found, Bobby was convinced the tiger was responsible, certain the director was avoiding accountability.

At that moment, the zookeeper wheeled out the tiger’s cage to let the animal bask in the morning sun.

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. The tiger looked emaciated—nothing more than skin stretched over bones. It was a far cry from the fierce predator it was supposed to be.

Nina thought to herself that this tiger probably couldn’t even manage a bone, let alone bite off a human head.

Bobby wiped a tear from his cheek as he gazed down at his daughter’s lifeless form, then turned toward Nina. “I’m sorry, miss. I jumped to conclusions. I owe you an apology.”

Nina struggled to find the right words, finally managing, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Two officers looked exhausted. “We’ve searched every corner of the Tiger Enclosure,” one murmured, “but no murder weapon, no clues left by the killer. Honestly, this might not even be where the crime happened. We don’t know how the body ended up here.”

The other sighed heavily. “And to make matters worse, the zoo had a blackout yesterday, so the security cameras didn’t capture a thing.”

Nina’s gaze drifted across to the giraffe enclosure opposite the tigers.

Two giraffes stretched their long necks, clearly curious about the commotion. But the moment Nina caught their eyes, they quickly averted their gaze and nervously munched on leaves, as if pretending they had more pressing matters.

The shorter giraffe whispered anxiously, “Uh-oh, she’s looking our way!”

The taller one kept chewing and muttered, “See? I told you not to stick your neck out so far. Now she’s noticed us.”

The smaller giraffe was so flustered she wasn’t even really eating—just inhaling air. “Is she the new zoo director? I hope she’s not too strict with us.”

They continued their hushed gossip, unaware that Nina understood every word.

Nina was stunned. Not only could she understand squirrels now, but apparently giraffes too. ‘Could it be that I can actually communicate with all the animals here?’ she wondered excitedly, clenching her fist with hope. If that was true, maybe one of them had witnessed something about the killer.

When Alex was working, his commanding presence was undeniable—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and the sharp lab coat made him look every bit the professional.

Nina had once idolized him, but now she realized Simon was the one who truly deserved that admiration.

“Look at these ragged tissue flaps,” Alex said, calm and clinical. “The killer hacked at this spot at least twenty times. This isn’t the work of a professional… more like…”

He peeled off his gloves and continued, “The murderer was getting some sick satisfaction out of this.” His eyes then caught a peculiar crescent-shaped wound on the victim’s left shoulder. “That mark…”

Alex swiped through case files on his phone. “It matches the pattern from a headless victim found in College Town last year—same repeated blunt-force chops.”

He turned to one of the officers. “Have you found her head?”

“No, nowhere in Forest Isle Zoo so far,” the officer replied.

Just then, another cop hurried over. “Professor, we checked the security cameras along the zoo’s side paths, but most were down. We only caught a blurry shadow, about 5’7”, but no face or clear details.”

Alex’s expression darkened. “Search every inch. Don’t stop until we find her head. It’s the only way to confirm if this is the same killer from last year.”

Nina blinked, stunned. ‘Wait—are we dealing with some kind of serial killer who gets off on decapitating victims and hacking them apart?’