Page 92 of For the Birds

Chapter18

We neededto talk to Mr. Whipple again. And soon. The phrase Squawker had been repeating was the same one the older man remembered from Wednesday night—and it matched Anita’s memories too. If it was about Scooter’s blood, it didn’t bode well for his safety.

We decided to leave the parrot in Miss Mildred’s backyard until we could reach Mr. Whipple—who unfortunately didn’t have an answering machine. Miss Mildred agreed to keep an eye on him as long as we gave her part of the reward money.

“We don’t know if we’re even gettin’ reward money,” I said as we got back into the truck. “Any money goes to Kermit, and I doubt he’s payin’ us. I can’t believe you agreed to shareit.”

“Exactly,” Neely Kate said, strapping in her seatbelt. “If we get nothin’, then she gets thirty percent ofit.”

“She’s gonna be steamed.”

She gave me a smug look. “I think I know something she’ll like better than a reward.”

I couldn’t imagine what that could be, and she refused to tellme.

We headed out to the farm next, and Neely Kate sent a text when she thought I wasn’t looking. Probably toJed.

“Well, we need to talk to Mr. Whipple and Jeanne,” I said, “but we can’t reach him, and we have no clue when she’s offwork.”

“Look on the bright side,” she said, “we’ll have time to talk to Witt. And grab some lunch.” She turned in her seat, wearing a satisfied grin. “Rose, we solved our first official P.I. interncase!”

“Well . . .” I said. “We found Squawker, but we still haven’t handed him over to Mr. Whipple.”

“Don’t jinx it,” she said. “Next time we look for a bird, let’s bring acage.”

“Let’s hope there isn’t a nexttime.”

Muffy was glad to get home after her eventful morning, and after the Walmart incident, Neely Kate and I agreed to leave her home the next time we headedout.

After letting Muffy roam and sniff around for a few minutes, we headed inside. I started a pot of coffee, then went upstairs to find my gun and holster.

I’d tucked them in a drawer with my yoga pants and leggings several months ago. The self-defense and shooting lessons Jed had given us a few weeks ago hadn’t been enough. I wasn’t close to being ready to defend myself.

I heard a car coming down the drive from the county road to the house, and I quickly loaded my gun with the clip and hurried down the hall to Neely Kate’s room, which overlooked the front yard. My farmhouse had a great view of any cars driving in, but it was also secluded and hidden from the county road by a thick hedge of trees. Considering I might have someone after me, being on guard seemed like a goodidea.

“Neely Kate,” I called out from her doorway. “We’ve got company.”

“I know. It’sWitt.”

Witt? That must have been who she was texting on the wayhome.

The smell of bacon drifted up to me. Had she bribed him with breakfast? Whatever ittook.

I went back to my room to get more clips, strapped on the holster, then grabbed a backpack out of my closet. For all the supplies I wanted to carry, a Walmart purse wasn’t going to cutit.

I came down the stairs and found Witt sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee cup in his hand. The table was already set for breakfast.

Witt turned his gaze toward me with half-open eyes. “I hear you have a job forme.”

Nothing like cutting to the chase.

I dropped my backpack on the floor and grabbed a cup of coffee, wondering how long it would take to get used to wearing a gun on my thigh. “I hear you’re lookin’ forone.”

He lifted his shoulder into a half-shrug, then took a sip from hismug.

I sat down across from him, realizing Witt looked pretty rough, like he’d been on an all-night bender. “How’re you doin’, Witt?”

“I’ve been better.” He set his cup down. “You got some kind of pity job for me at the landscaping business?”

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