Page 89 of For the Birds

Suddenly, Muffy strained against the leash and started barking at the trees. I bent down and scooped her up, and she instantly stopped barking.

“Go away, you wild dog!” Miss Mildred shouted, waving her arm in wild arcs. “You’re gonna scare himaway!”

I was about to ask who when I saw a flash of green in the trees and heard a voice say, “Give me morecake.”

I shot a glance at Neely Kate, whose whole face had lit up. “You found him, Miss Mildred!”

The parrot flew out of the trees and landed on the back of one of the patio chairs. “Cake isgood.”

“I wasn’t sure which kind you liked,” Miss Mildred said, clasping her hands in front of her as she talked to the bird. “I got chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, and red velvet and carrot cakes.”

“Carrots!” the birdsaid.

“I knew you liked the carrot cake I had out, so that’s why I got you anotherone.”

“He likes carrots,” Isaid.

Miss Mildred spun at the waist to face me. “How would youknow?”

“His owner hired Kermit Cooper to find him. He belongs to Mr. Whipple a few blocksover.”

“Kermit the Hermit?” Miss Mildred asked. “Then what are you two doin’ here? Beingnosy?”

I shook my head. “We were worried about you. But now we know why you were buying all that cake.” Well, sort of. It could hardly be a healthy diet for a parrot.

“We’re helpin’ Kermit,” Neely Kate said. “He’s teaching us how to be P.I.s, and our first case is finding Squawker.”

“Squawker!” the birdsaid.

Miss Mildred’s facefell.

“Why are you feedin’ him all those cakes?” Neely Kate asked.

“That’s none of your daggum business.” But she looked like she was about tocry.

“How long has Squawker been hangin’ out here?” I asked.

She frowned. “Since Sunday afternoon. I’d set out my carrot cake to cool so I could frost it for the church dinner, and I found that parrot eatin’ it. I was hotter than a hornet at first, but then he started talkin’ and thankin’ me for the cake. I couldn’t get mad at a bird with such good manners. So I fed him the rest of the cake, and he stuck around.”

“And the cupcakes from yesterday,” Isaid.

“They were goin’ to waste anyway,” she said defensively.

“You were gonna keep him,” Neely Katesaid.

“Not for a pet,” Miss Mildred grumped. “I was keepin’ him outside. He was entertaining.” She waved her hand. “He talks.”

“Someone broke into Mr. Whipple’s home last Thursday night,” I said. “And Squawker got loose in the mess. Mr. Whipple hasn’t seen him since. He really misses him. We need to bring himhome.”

“Well . . . there ain’t nobody stoppin’ ya.” She gave the bird a longing look, then turned around and went in the house.

“Bye,” the parrot squawked.

“How do we catch a parrot?” I asked.

“Well, if Alan Jackson werehere—”

“We want the parrot alive, NeelyKate.”

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