The Bengal Identity (A Cat Groomer Mystery, Book 2)

The Bengal Identity

The Bengal Identity
(A Cat Groomer Mystery)
by Eileen Watkins
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ISBN: B073NNGRN3
(Kindle)
ISBN-10: 1496710584
ISBN-13: 978-1496710581

Summary

As summer arrives, another of Cassie’s customers involves her in a web if deadly intrigue. A nervous young man arrives at her shop begging her to keep his large, athletic brown cat for a few days; he says his house burned down and he needs to find another pet-friendly living situation. After he leaves, Cassie and her assistant Sarah notice a strange texture to the cat’s coat and decide to give it a free bath…at which point some of the dark brown color swirls down the drain, revealing traces of leopard spots. Cassie suspects the female cat, named Ayesha, might be a show-quality Bengal, and the young man might have stolen her from a breeder. But before anyone can question him, he’s found dead on a rural road, the victim of an apparent hit-and-run. Cassie wonders if Ayesha could possibly be valuable enough to kill for. With her exotic genes, the Bengal might be worth a fortune to an “underground” hybrid breeder—and someone heartlessly exploiting animals for profit might also capable of murder. Cassie resolves to protect Ayesha, and to find and expose the black-market operation before she becomes its next victim!

Cat Writer's Association - Certificate of Excellence - Winner


What Reviewers Are Saying

“It doesn’t take a cat lover to fall in love with this perfectly crafted cozy series.”
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“I enjoyed this book so much that I’ll be going back and reading the first in the series soon.” – Cozy up with Kathy

“The debut novel in this series was one of my favorite books of 2017, and I love the sequel just as much, if not more!”
Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

“A great read, and I look forward to the next book in this wonderful series.”
Dru’s Book Musings

The Bengal Identity has a well-developed, exciting plot…You want to read it in one sitting, because you cannot predict what will happen next.”
Bookworms Corner

Novel Excerpt

 I toted the black carrier back to the condo area. The lean cat’s weight surprised me, and when I unzipped the bag and lifted her out, I noticed again how muscular she was. Before putting her into her new quarters, I hesitated. Although Ayesha had short, sleek fur, in some areas it looked matted.

“I want to deal with her coat first,” I told Sarah. “It’s kind of sticky or something.”

My assistant followed me into the grooming studio. “Maybe from the house fire?”

“Could be.” I let the new boarder out onto my stainless-steel grooming table and gave her fur a sniff. “Definitely has an odd, perfume-y smell.”

Though lively, restless and strong, Ayesha didn’t fight the grooming process. Sarah was able to hold her by the scruff while I started working with a slicker brush.          

“What breed do you think she is?” Sarah asked. “She’s an unusual color—such an even, dark brown.”    

“There is a Havana Brown breed,” I told her, “and Burmese are brown. But those are valuable purebreds. Rudy said he got her as a kitten from a shelter.”

I switched to a comb, which glided through the hair more easily, but then noticed something else weird. In some areas, the dark brown color went a little deeper. In others, like her belly, the light, golden shade showed up more. But it didn’t follow any typical, natural pattern.

When I paused, perplexed, Sarah asked me what was wrong.

“Forget grooming,” I said. “This cat needs a bath.”

We put Ayesha in the big bathing sink, filled it partway with warm water and squirted shampoo over her. Again, she was a surprisingly good sport, as if she’d been bathed before. Wearing thin latex gloves, I massaged the soap deep into her coat and scrubbed gently with my hands. Sarah held the sprayer close to the cat’s skin to rinse her.

Dark brown began to swirl into the shallow bath water.

“What on earth--?” Sarah gasped.

“There’s a reason we couldn’t tell what breed she was,” I guessed out loud. “And maybe a reason why Rudy claimed he didn’t know. She’s been dyed.”

In spite of our efforts, only a little of the stuff washed out. But enough that we could just make out a faint pattern of leopard spots over her whole body.

“That’s so bizarre!” my assistant said, with a shake of her head. “Why would anyone dye such a beautiful coat?”

“Maybe to hide the fact that she’s worth thousands?” I flashed back on Rudy’s anxious and secretive behavior. “I’m betting Ayesha is a purebred show cat. And possibly stolen.”

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