Read Cliffhanger (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book One) for Free Online Page A

Belinda
Kittridge is a now an automobile."
    "No. Belinda
Kittridge is a socialite. A socialite who could offer vital information to our
cause." Not to mention attractive and single as far as he could tell.
    "I wouldn't
describe her that way. She associates with these people but I'm not sure she
belongs with them."
    Jonas laughed.
"You've watched that footage of her a lot today, haven't you?"
    Bennett turned
blood red and glared at his keys. "I can't help you."
    "Oh, yes you
can. And you will. Investigating is still in your blood, I can smell it. You
made a terrific PI so I'm sure you can find a way to casually run into her
somewhere. Then you do your little conversation thing and whammo she tells you
something invaluable."
    "You do
realize I know why you're actually doing this?"
    Jonas shrugged.
"It'll be good for you. And it beats staring at an aerial view of her
walking back and forth in a hallway all day."
    Bennett gripped
his keys. "We'll see."
    Jonas hung up,
satisfied that he'd done what he set out to do. If Bennett didn't find her
patterns and fall into step with them within two days, Jonas would take an
early retirement and go flip hamburgers for the rest of his life.
    Bennett returned
home about an hour later with his lunch. He sat out in his yard in the shade,
perfectly content to sit there and eat his lunch in peace. Perfectly content.
His mind didn't wander to Belinda Kittridge and what she might be doing at that
moment. Not even for a second. He held his plastic fork straight into the air,
his lunch poised on top of his other palm. Not. For. A. Second. Bennett
growled, cursing Jonas under his breath, and marched back into his office. It
would be a lunch while working kind of day.
    By the time the
last piece of fish met its destiny, Bennett had spent an absurd amount of time
reading the press Belinda and her family got for their benefits and other
community work. Though they were mentioned in conjunction with other Portside
families, it did seem to be as Bennett thought. They moved in their own circle,
getting along but separate from the other families to a certain extent.
    Belinda
volunteered for various activities when she was in town, and she and her family
contributed to an assortment of places and events in Portside and beyond, especially
when it came to the arts and boating. In fact, Belinda and her grandmother had
recently led an exclusive art-related fundraiser.
    Where could he
"naturally" run into her though? Bennett ran his fingers through his
dark hair, contemplating the common denominators. There wasn't much of a way
around it, he would have to watch her and create his own natural meeting place.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
    True to his word,
Kyle had bought no food of interest to her, but he had developed a sudden
craving for all things homemade now that he had her captive. Belinda smiled to
herself while strolling through the small downtown market. Kyle had started a
list of things he wanted her to make while she was in town. Incredible. The man
who couldn't keep track of his keys had made her a list—a legible one, mind
you, with stars for bullet points, stuck on the fridge front and center. Oh
well. He certainly appreciated her cooking by letting none of it go to waste,
and her nana had advised her to use her skills for all they were worth. So she
would. Besides, she'd learned that Jeff had been murdered, which she'd as much
as told that detective, and it would help her de-stress to bake.
    Rounding out the
vegetables for the evening, Belinda headed for the baking aisle. Checking her
list to make sure she didn't muse her way out of the store without something
important, she glanced up to see the storm cloud eyes of That Guy from the
party staring straight at her over the boxes of organic granola. Startled and
embarrassed for no good reason, Belinda quickly averted her eyes and booked it
to another aisle.
    Just when she
thought she was safe with the flour and semi-sweet chocolate chips,