Page 79 of Talk Birdie to Me

He didn’t want her staring at that empty cage all night, but in all fairness, he’d probably do the same.

Geena shook her head. “I don’t know what to do. It feels like I should be doing something.”

“There isn’t anything to do,” he said. “Not tonight, at least.”

Tomorrow was another matter. He was already running through a mental list of things he could do tomorrow. People he could talk to. Leads he could track down.

But tonight, his only concern was Geena.

“I feel so helpless.” She looked at Gary’s cage, then at the doorknob that still had fingerprint dust on it. “I’ll never forgive myself if someone does something awful to him.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. This wasn’t your fault,” Cody repeated. “And I don’t think anyone will hurt Gary. Whoever stole him probably did so because he’s valuable.”

It was just a matter of tracking down who that bird was most valuable to.

His previous owner was the obvious answer. Although Cody couldn’t think of any reason other than sentimental value in that case.

Anyone else would be looking for a payday.

It had to be someone who knew Gary was being kept here. And someone who also knew that Geena wouldn’t be home that afternoon.

Someone could have been following them, but they would have had no way of knowing how long Geena would be gone. That they had enough time to override the security system and get Gary out of there. He imagined the bird must have put up a fuss, judging from the larger-than-normal amount of feathers in the cage and just outside of it.

“Thanks,” Geena said. “I don’t believe you, but thank you for being so kind.”

“It’s the truth, not kindness,” Cody said. “Kindness is me taking care of you tonight. What can I do for you? How about you come and stay at my place? I don’t like the idea of you hanging out here alone.”

“They already got what they wanted,” Geena said.

“Maybe.” He was pretty sure she was right on that, but that wasn’t quite what he meant. “I don’t want to leave you here to stare at that empty cage all night.”

“Why not? I don’t deserve to sleep.”

He could see that she meant it. Regardless how far off the mark she was on that statement, right or wrong didn’t matter. It only mattered what she believed.

He didn’t think he could make her believe any differently. But maybe he could distract her.

“Come on.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. “We’re getting out of here.”

“I can’t just leave.”

“Why not?”

“Because my stuff is here, and I have to work tomorrow,” she said. “Besides, I don’t think we’re at the sleeping-over stage of whatever this is.”

“Give me some credit, Bourque.” He grinned to let her know he was mildly teasing.

“Didn’t you show up here with a one-night-stand, Brasseaux?”

She was fighting a smile, but there was genuine doubt behind her statement.

And she wasn’t wrong.

“That was completely different,” he said. “I don’t know for sure what this is, but it isn’t what that was.”

Geena narrowed her eyes at him. “One thing I’ve learned is that people don’t change.”

Her ex. Of course. She had obviously learned to believe people when they showed her who they were.

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