SHORT FICTION

Saturday, 23 February 2019

SWEET SHOP-CHAPTER 7

Happy Saturday! I'm a day late here but I guess better late than never right? Hope you enjoy and if you want to support this story, you can leave some green tea money in the tip jar or check out my Patreon. Click on the tab above. Happy reading!

Chapter 7

 

The rest of the day went quiet. Gingersnap finally got his nap in. When he got up he slipped down the stairs to his bowl. There was fresh water waiting for him. As he lapped up he could hear voices in the kitchen.

He trotted around to see maybe if there would be any treats for him. James and Sophie were talking quietly together. Gingersnap went in and rubbed up against Sophie’s leg and then James. They both looked down. “Well, you got up finally,” said James.

Gingersnap sat and looked up at both of them. James grinned. “You are looking for some treats, aren’t you?” Gingersnap let out a quick mew. James laughed. “Okay, I’ll get some.”

“So, Sophie what do you think about Mr. Fifer looking after both businesses?”

Sophie shook her head. “I don’t think those men are the best of friends and now that Mr. Grant is the one that is missing, I think these two are at odds with one another.”

“I think so too but what it is, is the big question.”

Gingersnap mewed. James quickly gave him his treats. “Oh well, said James. I guess we will see how this plays out. But we better get the cakes made.”

“Oh yes,” chirped Sophie. “We are behind now.” Sophie bent down and petted Gingersnap. “You have to go into the outer part. See what is going on out there.”

Gingersnap licked his paw and then left to go to the front desk to see if there were any customers to give him some more treats. They knew he was here and some of the regulars would keep some treats in their pocket. Karen was cleaning up some of the little tables where patrons could eat their sweet along with some tea or coffee of their choice. Karen looked at him and grinned. “On the prowl are we?”

He walked past her and surveyed the guests but did not see any of the regulars. These were all new people that he hadn’t seen before. As he studied each one, he knew there was not one lick of cat treats in their pockets. Gingersnap picked out one right away as dog person. He sniffed and was about to turn around when a customer came in smiling. “Karen smiled back at her. “You look like you got good news Susan.”

She was beaming. “I do. You know the old tool shop that burnt right behind you?”

Karen nodded. “Well. I bought the lot and I’m going to build my dress shop.”

Sophie squealed. “That’s so exciting. I can’t wait for that but Mr. Fifer isn’t going to rebuild his tool shop?”

“Nope he is going to be running the garden center now.”

“Where is Mr. Grant? I thought he was the new garden center owner.”

Susan shrugged. “I’m not sure what happened between the two but now Mr. Fifer is operating the garden centre and sold me his old property to me.”

Sophie smiled. “Well, I hope it is all on the up and up. Those two have a strange relationship. Sometimes I think dangerous.”

Karen made a face. “Dangerous?”

Sophie nodded. “Yeah, we were the ones who made his cookies for Mr. Grants opening and he came in here hours before demanding that his order better be made on time.”

“Really, that’s interesting. Mr. Fifer was all nice to me. He was in a big hurry to get rid of that property for some reason. You don’t think there is anything there do you?”

Sophie shrugged. “Who knows with Mr. Fifer? He was always a strange one and never smiled hardly at all.”

“Well, when my name is signed on the dotted line, it will be mine then.”

“I’m sure everything will be fine. It will be so exciting to have a dress shop this close.”

“I can’t wait either. I thought I would tell you the news. I will keep you updated on the situation with Mr. Fifer.”

When Karen left, Sophie was a bit concerned about the situation. Why did Mr. Fifer sell his property so fast? Things were more confusing than ever.

Gingersnap liked Karen and was glad to hear that she would be across the street now instead of that mean looking Mr. Fifer. But he too wondered why Mr. Fifer sold his property so fast. He decided to go outside and maybe walk around the old property before it was all taken down. Maybe he could sniff something out.

When he got out the wind had picked up and Gingersnap didn’t like wind but he stayed out anyway and padded his way across to the burnt building. It wasn’t going to be hard to take this place down thought Gingersnap. It was almost collapsed as it was. Very carefully he started sniffing about. Most of it smelled like gas and oil and dirt. Mr. Fifer was not a clean organized man. Gingersnap decided that was why the place burnt down so easily. He continues around the building and came across something that looked round. It reminded Gingersnap of the night Mr. Grant and Mr. Fifer were carrying out these round boxes. He padded over to and sniffed it. His nose wrinkled as he got closer. He hovered is paw above the round box. The wind gusted up and whipped around the building and blew off the top of the box scaring Gingersnap. He dived under a nearby bush. The lid blew down the back alley but the box stayed in place.

Gingersnap came out from the bush and went over to the box. It was full of something. He sniffed and finally looked in. It was full of money.

 

 
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