Auf'd (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book Two)

Chapter 18

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Belinda appreciated why Victoria was worried about telling Dan about their inn adventure. Telling Kyle, on the other hand, was a completely different situation. He laughed. And laughed. And laughed. He laughed so hard for so long that Belinda rolled her eyes at one point at the sheer ridiculousness of how long it was taking him to get it out of his system. He finally did, wiping tears from his eyes, his cheeks a nice rosy pink.

And then he put her on lockdown.

Lockdown!

Every once in a while, Kyle unwrapped his Mr. Bossy Boots persona and refused to put up with her crap. For some strange reason, it worked pretty well most of the time. It was so rare for him to tell her what to do, that she just obeyed in stunned silence.

And by lockdown he meant she couldn't leave or do anything work-related in the house either.

So the next day, instead of editing her blog post or viewing the shots the photographer just e-mailed or practicing her moves for the flash mob dance, Belinda sat with legs crossed in the middle of her bed, her bum nestled in the dip her body had carved out in the mattress, and stared at the wall in her loft.

The kittens napped downstairs. The construction workers had left for the day. Kyle texted and said he was going to the Portside Harbor Marina after work.

And that was the last sound she heard—when her phone blipped from Kyle's text.

That was exactly nine—no, ten—minutes ago. She'd heard the last evidence of human life ten minutes ago.

What was her world coming to?

No sanders blasting or hammers hacking. No cats meowing. No TV blaring.

Perfect silence for ten minutes. Eleven now. Eleven minutes.

Is this what silent as the grave meant? Or you could hear a pin drop?

She waited for something to intrude. Anything. But fourteen and a half minutes later, she still couldn't hear anything. Just when she thought she was going to make it to fifteen, it happened.

And, no, the phone didn't ring.

There was a rap on the door. Then another. Then several panicked, irritating knocks in rapid succession.

"Yes?" Belinda said while opening the door. She wasn't sure who it could be, but certainly never imagined the person who actually stood in front of her.

Mrs. Sykes' eyes widened and she wrung her hands. "It's you."

"You expected someone else?" Belinda said in surprise. "This is my house."

"I know, I know. I just...I wasn't sure you'd be here." Mrs. Sykes glanced around her. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you."

Belinda wasn't sure if Kyle's lockdown included guests, but she figured she could make an exception.

"I'm sorry about what happened at the inn," Mrs. Sykes said breathlessly. "You surprised me and I was really on edge already."

Ditto. Belinda had also attacked first, which didn't work out so well. If she stayed calm and let Mrs. Sykes in, maybe she'd learn what had become of the suitcase. Or, even better, what was inside it. She directed Mrs. Sykes to the dining table because the couch would take forever to clear off. She swiveled to move a bowl from the kitchen table to the counter. When she turned back around, Mrs. Sykes was in her face with something sharp up to her neck. Her hand shook.