Henry wondered if he hadn’t said too much this time. He wanted to tell Kirsten everything, of course, but knew that he couldn’t. The girl would be too shocked if she found out what it was he really wanted from her. And he couldn’t have that. No, better to ease her into it. Gain her trust. And once she trusted him, hemight take things one step further. But not now. Not yet. Not when she was still so innocent and naive. All he had to do was to be patient. It had taken him this long to get her to confide in him. To tell him what it was that was bothering her. He couldn’t go and spoil everything by simply blurting out his big secret—his big reveal.
The most important thing was that he had found her. His heart had rejoiced when he had, and when she had started showing up in his room every day, and accepting the small attentions he liked to bestow upon her.
The watch had been too much, probably, but he simply couldn’t help it. He had to make her see how much he cared. How much he loved her and wanted to be near her. All his life, all these years, and now when he was so close he wasn’t going to spoil everything by rushing into things.
No, he was going to play it cool—take it easy. And then when she was ready, he was going to lay it all out for her. Tell her the truth, and hope she wouldn’t run away screaming.
8
It had been a while since Harriet had been tasked with the important missions the Poole family seemed to have specialized in of late. Mostly they seemed to pick Max as their go-to feline to solve their most complicated puzzles and work out what was going on. Now, though, since they were actually on a double mission, and Max was only one cat and couldn’t clone himself, even if Odelia would have wanted to, they had recruited Harriet and Brutus to take on part of the burden.
Theirs was the task to ascertain whether Brian Brooks, the general manager of the retirement home where they were currently ensconced, was in fact being unfaithful to his spouse of long years Sara Brooks.
“And with his personal assistant, no less,” said Brutus as they traversed the halls of the home in search of Brian’s office, where presumably these acts of adultery had been taking place.
“It’s very common for humans to cheat on their wives with their secretaries,” said Harriet. “You might even call it a time-honored tradition.”
“It seems a little strange,” said Brutus. “I mean, aren’t they supposed to be working for the good of the home? And instead they’re playing hooky and conducting nookie in his office.”
“It could also be her office,” Harriet said, not wanting to limit the scope of their investigation before it got started. “Both offices will do for the purpose of cheating on the man’s wife.” She could have added that it might also be a broom cupboard, a conference room or even the empty room of one of the residents. Men like Brian Brooks were presumably creative when it came to indulging in the sins of the flesh.
Gran had shown them the way, and now stood watch as the cats slipped into the office.
“Good luck!” the lady loud-whispered.
“Thanks!” Harriet whispered back. “I think we’re going to need it!”
And that’s how their mission began. It seemed like an ignoble mission to her, but then Gran had explained that no missions were better than others. And even though it appeared to her that Max had gotten the easiest task: trying to figure out whether this Henry Kaur guy was actually a menace to Kirsten Williams or not—according to Gran the large blorange cat’s mission was in no way either superior or easier than theirs.
“I still think they should have asked us to keep an eye on the sleazeball,” she grumbled as they carefully ventured into the outer office of Happy Home’s mogul.
“So we’re tackling the young sleazeball and Max is tackling the old one,” said Brutus. “Big difference.”
“No, but there is a big difference,” said Harriet. “The difference being that in Mr. Kaur’s case the life of a young woman is in peril, while in the young sleazeball’s case no life is actually hanging in the balance, only a potentially tricky divorce.” She had to admit that Odelia had apoint when she told them she wouldn’t have accepted this divorce case if it hadn’t offered her a way to insert Gran into Happy Home. Divorce cases could get nasty, and Odelia had a feeling this one would be no exception.
“Okay, so let’s see what this Brian is up to,” she said now as they traipsed through the office where presumably Miss Dee Phillips had made her home away from home.
There was no Dee Phillips in evidence, though, and judging from the cries and moans coming from the inner office, the PA was currently busy entertaining her boss.
“I think we’ve hit the bull’s eye,” said Brutus, gesturing to the door where a sign indicated that behind it Brian Brooks, General Manager, resided.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she said, her face displaying a look of utter distaste. “And in the middle of the day, no less.”