Chapter 344: And Two More Were Stolen
Chapter 344: Chapter 344: And Two More Were Stolen
Renee ate lunch, then headed out with Blueberry.
She had already arranged it with Blueberry: once they reached the pet shop, it would be Blueberry’s job to communicate with Bella, the Golden Shorthair from Riverflow.
Renee drove to pick up Michelle Fuller, and the two women, along with the cat, went to Cherish Pet Shop, the one Riverflow had mentioned.
It took them nearly an hour to reach the street where Cherish Pet Shop was located.
As soon as they parked, Michelle Fuller got out to buy two bubble teas.
The bubble tea shop wasn’t busy at that time of day, so their drinks were ready in under ten minutes.
Renee was holding Blueberry, so Michelle stuck a straw in one of the cups and handed it to her. "Let’s go."
Sipping their bubble teas, the two of them walked toward Cherish Pet Shop.
A roll-up banner stood at the entrance of Cherish Pet Shop, advertising a special promotion.
As the two women entered the pet shop, a receptionist stood up and greeted them enthusiastically. "Good afternoon, ladies. Is this your first time here?"
"Yes," Renee said. She was wearing a pair of black-framed glasses. Surveying the shop, she added nonchalantly, "I’m looking to get a Golden Shorthair. Do you have any?"
"We do," the receptionist said. "We have a one-month-old Golden Shorthair kitten you can look at. By the way, how did you two hear about us?"
Renee replied, "I saw online that you were having a promotion."
"Does your kitty need a bath?" the receptionist asked, her gaze falling on Blueberry in Renee’s arms. "She’s gorgeous. Is she a girl?"
"She is."
"She must have been expensive, right?"
Renee arched an eyebrow slightly and smiled. "I didn’t buy her."
Hearing this, the receptionist’s smile grew even wider. "Then she must have been a gift from a friend."
Renee didn’t respond, her gaze falling on the Golden Shorthair kitten in the enclosure. "This one’s too small."
"It is?" the receptionist asked. "How old of a cat are you looking for?"
"My blue cat here has a bit of a temper," Renee explained. "I’m looking for one that’s just a little smaller than her, so she won’t get bullied as easily."
The receptionist nodded. "I understand. A lot of our customers looking for a companion for their cat will specifically pick out a bigger one."
Renee smiled. "So, do you have any older Golden Shorthairs?"
"We do," the receptionist said, her smile radiant. "We happen to have one that’s about the same size as your little one. The price is a bit higher, though. May I ask what your budget is?"
Renee looked down, as if considering. "Anything under 8,000 is acceptable."
The receptionist’s eyes instantly lit up. "Oh, that’s perfect. This Golden Shorthair is priced at 9,999, but with our current promotion, you can buy a group discount voucher. That would bring the price down to just over eight thousand."
Michelle couldn’t resist cutting in. "My friend said *under* eight thousand."
"It’s just a little over eight thousand," the receptionist said apologetically. "It’s impossible to get it exactly right."
"Let’s see the cat first," Renee said, her tone unhurried. "What if we don’t feel a connection?"
"This way, please." The receptionist led them into a private room. "I’ll go get the kitty for you."
A few minutes later, the receptionist returned to the room carrying a cat carrier. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Renee looked at the timid Golden Shorthair in the carrier, then reached up and stroked Blueberry’s head.
Blueberry immediately got the hint and meowed to the other cat, "Hi, I’m Blueberry. Are you Bella?"
Bella, cowering in the corner, heard this. Her round eyes widened in astonishment. "You... how do you know my name?"
Blueberry asked, "So you *are* Bella, then?"
Bella nodded her fluffy little head. "Yes, I’m Bella."
Seeing this interaction, the receptionist said happily, "Look at that! The two little ones seem to be getting along great."
A faint smile played on Renee’s lips. "This Golden Shorthair is so beautiful. Why don’t you have her out in the main display area?"
"We don’t have enough room," the receptionist explained. "Besides, most of our customers are looking for kittens."
"I see," Renee said with a nod.
Blueberry was still talking to Bella. "I heard that Cecilia and Rio were the ones who found you, is that right?"
"Yes!" Bella stopped cowering and rushed forward, pawing at the bars of the carrier to get closer to Blueberry. Her meow was filled with excitement. "How do you know about that?"
"They’re the ones who sent me to help you," Blueberry explained calmly. "You’re the cat at the center of all this, so you must know what’s been happening for the past two days, right?"
Bella meowed anxiously, "I know! Bad people locked me in here! They won’t let me go home with Cecilia and Rio!"
She stared at Blueberry, her eyes filled with immense hope. "Are you here to rescue me?"
"You could put it that way," Blueberry said. "You said you were locked up here by bad people. Does that mean the person who claimed you wasn’t your former owner?"
Bella declared, "My previous owner was an old lady, not that nasty woman!"
At this, Blueberry blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Since you’ve been locked up here for the past two days, have you overheard them say why they’re doing this?"
"Yes!" Bella nodded her fluffy head emphatically. "That nasty woman and the owner here are in it together! And I’m not the first cat they’ve locked up!"
Hearing this, Renee’s slender brows slowly drew together.
Blueberry’s little face scrunched up, and she looked very serious. "What do you mean? Tell me everything!"
Bella nodded obediently. "Well, before, when Cecilia and Rio brought me here for a bath, the bad people here all said I was beautiful and must have cost a lot of money."
"Cecilia told them that they just found me on the street! When the bad people heard that, they started plotting to steal me!"
"Then, a few days ago, when they brought me back for another bath, a nasty woman suddenly showed up and said I was her cat that she’d lost and that she was taking me back!"
"Cecilia and Rio refused and told the nasty woman to show proof that she was my owner. But the woman said she didn’t need to, because the owner of this shop was her witness."
"Then the owner stepped in and said the nasty woman really did have a cat just like me that went missing. He said the more he looked, the more he thought I resembled her missing cat. And then he mentioned how convenient it was that Cecilia and Rio had just found me..."
Bella sighed as she finished her story. "At first, I just thought the woman had the wrong cat. I had no idea it was all part of their plan!"
"I get it!" The clever Blueberry had already figured it out. "They’re trying to get cats for free so they can sell them to other people at a high price!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Bella nodded furiously. "That’s exactly it!"
Renee reached her hand through the bars of the carrier and gently stroked Bella’s head. She asked softly, "How many other cats are here like that?"
She was asking Bella how many other cats had fallen victim to the same scheme.
The receptionist, thinking Renee was asking her, brightened up. "Are you looking to buy several?"
Bella answered, "There’s one more that they tricked the same way, and two others that they just stole."
"What? They steal cats, too?" Blueberry’s voice rose in indignation. "That’s horrible! They’re tearing cats and their humans apart just to make money!"