Page 42 of Talk Birdie to Me

“Nope. Animals still have to eat,” he said. “But I think the zoo is closed to visitors, so I’ll be out early enough to come over for dinner.”

“Good. Bring someone… maybe not someone from that random date thing, though.”

She meant a dating app. His mom made it no secret that she hated his casual dating. Dropped hints about him getting married and settling down nearby.

Not exactly an enticing conversation to bring a date to.

“Probably just me.” He caught sight of Mitch a few yards away, coming out of the jaguar enclosure. “I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“Hey, Mitch,” he called out.

Mitch turned and waited for Cody to catch up. “Whatcha need?”

“Did you replace that lock on the meal prep room yet?”

“I was just heading over there.” Mitch nodded toward the front of the zoo. “You need something else?”

“Nah, that’s it,” Cody said. “Got another bird I need to set up in there, and I want to make sure we can lock it up tonight. You know. Just in case.”

Mitch nodded. “Gotcha. I’ll have it done in a bit.”

“Perfect. Thanks, man.”

Mitch made a weird expression. “It’s been bugging me, though.”

“What?”

“That break-in,” Mitch said. “None of the locks on any of the other buildings were messed with. Just that room.”

Cody’s stomach sank. “I was wondering if y’all found signs anywhere else.”

Mitch shook his head. “Nowhere else. It was like they knew exactly where they were going. How would anyone know there was a bird in there?”

“They wouldn’t,” Cody said. “Unless someone told them exactly where to go to find it.”

And there went his backup theory that maybe someone just stumbled on a parrot to steal. Anyone else would have gone straight to the aviary. Or wandered through random buildings until they stumbled on something valuable.

But no other signs of entry meant that room was the target. And since there was nothing else of value in there, Gary had to have been the target. It also meant someone was tipped off on exactly where to find him.

“Keep an ear out for me, will you?”

“Will do.” Mitch nodded toward the front. “I’ll get that lock changed this afternoon.”

“Thanks.”

Cody stood on the pathway while Mitch headed to the main building. He chewed over the knowledge that someone at the zoo had to have tipped off the birdnapper.

Birdnapper.

He couldn’t believe that was a word in his vocabulary now. But someone had tried to steal Gary.

Specifically Gary.

And the only people who knew where Gary was in the zoo were the people working there.

A shiver trailed its way up his back with the thought that maybe that same person might have overheard something about where Gary was now. Cody had tried to keep Geena’s name out of conversations about the bird, but the thought was nagging him that maybe someone could piece together where he’d stashed Gary.

Which meant maybe Geena and Gary weren’t as safe as he’d believed.

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