The Bargain.

That’s the spot, he thought to himself as he strode toward to the pool of blood across the room and crouched down. 

“Here!” He exclaimed. “This is where the crime happened. This is where the carnage took place. We will need to conduct a full investigation.”

She rolled her eyes. “Or you could just accept that buying a large cat from a strange man at the pub was a big mistake.”

He frowned. “It was a bargain for such a big house cat.”

“But not,” she countered, “for a small bobcat which is now locked in our kitchen because it’s too wild for us to catch on our own. That, and it’s eaten your pet cockatoo. How much did the cat cost?”

“$300. She’s pure bred though… a bargain…”

“The cockatoo cost you $500.”

An angry howl of protest rose up from the kitchen as more plates sounded like they were crashing to the floor. 

She dialled her phone and held his gaze as she spoke. “Hi. My husband is an idiot and bought a bobcat from a guy at the pub… Ah yes…. Right… $200 removal and a $2000 fine for having a wild animal without a license.”

She hung up without breaking eye contact with him and waited.

“You know I can’t resist a bargain.” He said quietly as something else smashed in the kitchen before adding even more quietly, “It was a pretty good bargain.”