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

Chapter 13

You can buy this book and all the books in The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries at Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, and Smashwords. 

Early the next day, Belinda was in the middle of taking care of her new project, because she didn't have nearly enough going on already. The kittens. They'd passed inspection at the vet, and now Belinda needed supplies to keep them alive.

She walked into Posh Pets and into the middle of a tense conversation between Mr. Sykes and someone on the phone. She tiptoed forward, thinking it might be best to come back later. She had hoped to get advice on what to get, but forgot Mr. Sykes had been manning the boutique.

Mr. Sykes sighed dramatically and hung up.

"Yes?" he said brusquely. "How can I help you?"

It was a good thing she knew the situation well enough to not be completely offended, because right then and there, he would have lost her business. Forever. But from the look on Mr. Sykes' face, Belinda didn't think he was even remotely concerned with luring in new customers.

Instead of feeling flustered like she did at the runway show when he showed up, Belinda walked forward calmly and set her purse on the counter. He looked up at her from the paper he was reading in surprise. Maybe he assumed she'd just walk out. Or hoped.

"I have a box of kittens," she said. "Four of them. I'm told their British Shorthairs. In any case, I rescued them from abandonment on the side of the road, but I've never had pets and frankly, I don't know what they need exactly. Can you help?"

She truly expected him to interrupt her in the middle—or start—of all that, but he listened and slowly straightened up from his bent double position at the counter. "Can't get rid of you, can I?" Mr. Sykes said more normally.

So normally, in fact, that it took Belinda a second to respond. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard him speak that way. "I could say the same of you."

He gave her a wry smile, aligned his papers with a smack on the counter, and stood up from his stool. "I think I underestimated you, Ms. Kittridge. But then again, I underestimate most people." He shuffled out from behind the counter. "This way." He led her a few feet to what looked like litter boxes. Belinda followed, glad she wouldn't have to waste time leaving Portside for supplies. 

"How's Felicia?" he asked while gathering a few basics in his arms as they crisscrossed the shop.

"Um...she's good." Belinda was afraid to touch that subject, so she opted for the vaguest possible answer. Anyway, she hadn't seen Mrs. Sykes since crashing their fight.

"I know you have a very definite impression of me, Ms. Kittridge. But I'm not all I seem to be."

She really didn't expect conversation deeper than, let's say, what type of kitten food to buy. But people were full of surprises. "Then what are you?" she said. Perhaps a dangerous question, but one too tempting to resist.

"Frustrated, Ms. Kittridge. Very frustrated."

Well, that she could see from the way he'd reacted at the show and cocktail party. Of course, she would have used a stronger adjective.

"I know what's whispered in the clubs about how I am about the money." He set the first pile of products down on the counter. "Specially what's gone around with the divorce. But very few understand that I trusted Felicia. I always did."

Belinda felt the awkwardness coming. Was he going to spill all their dirty laundry to her? Now? In the pet boutique over the kitty litter?

"I bet you think we're getting divorced because she had an affair." Mr. Sykes faced her, which made all of it worse. "Isn't that the rumor?"