Death Tidies Up by Barbara Colley Page B

straight. Are you inviting me to eat supper with you, or are you offering me leftovers?”
    Louis chuckled. “Since I haven’t eaten either, there are no leftovers yet, so I guess that means I’m inviting you to eat supper with me.”
    â€œIn that case, give me about ten minutes and I’ll be over. I should check my answering machine,” she explained, “and I promised Sweety I’d let him out of his cage for a while tonight.”
    â€œSure, no problem. I still need to warm the French bread and heat up the gumbo anyway.” Louis shoved out of the swing and stood. “And speaking of that bird, how is the savage little beast?”
    A smile pulled at her lips. “Aw, come on now. You’re not still holding a grudge, are you?”
    â€œNope, but it will be a cold day in—Let’s just say I won’t be sticking my finger back inside his cage again any time soon.”
    Louis’ remark made her grin. The first time he had been introduced to Sweety Boy, the little bird had taken an instant dislike to him. To Charlotte’s acute embarrassment, Sweety had attacked the detective and tried to bite a plug out of his finger. The only excuse Charlotte could come up with for the bird’s behavior was that something about Louis must have reminded Sweety of his previous owner, a deadbeat tenant Charlotte had rented to. The tenant had not only mistreated the little parakeet but had trashed the place before skipping out on Charlotte without paying the two months’ back rent he’d owed her.
    Louis snickered. “I’m tempted to buy a cat and let him loose inside, just to aggravate the little sucker,” he continued.
    Charlotte gave him her sternest look. “That would be grounds for immediate eviction.”
    â€œHey—” He threw up his hands. “Just kidding.”
    Charlotte nodded. “Good. Now, is there anything I can bring over when I come?”
    He shook his head. “Nope. Just bring yourself.”
    â€œBe there in ten then,” she said. With a parting nod, she walked briskly to her front door, and Louis headed toward his side of the double.
    As she unlocked the door, she wondered if she had time to take a quick shower. After working all day, then tramping through the dusty Devilier house, she felt as if she were carrying around half the dirt in the world.
    All of her life, Charlotte had been blessed with the ability to accomplish a lot in a short space of time. Some called it having good organizational skills, and most of the time she considered it a plus, especially in her line of work. But at other times, like now, when she was dog tired, she considered it a curse, simply because her mind never stopped categorizing and organizing.
    She’d told Louis ten minutes. Would that be time enough? “Why not?” she muttered. Since she didn’t have to wash her hair, she could be in and out of the shower in five minutes…if she hurried. Checking her messages could wait until after supper, she decided. That way, once she’d checked them, she could go straight to bed.
    The moment she entered the house, Sweety Boy burst into a series of chirps and whistles as he pranced back and forth on the perch in his cage. It was his usual routine, one meant to attract her attention.
    â€œAs for you”—she shook her finger at the little bird—“just be patient a few minutes longer, and I’ll let you out when I leave again.”
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    â€œWhen you say ten minutes, you mean ten minutes,” Louis told her at the door. “And you changed clothes—” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you took a shower too—not in just ten minutes.”
    Charlotte shrugged. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”
    With a chuckle, he motioned for her to come inside. “That has to be a record of some kind, especially for a woman.”
    Charlotte was able to bite back the sharp retort that