walked over and lowered the volume on the television. “I can probably take care of that for you, too.” It was Natalie Wood and some guy I can’t remember singing in West Side Story . I thought it an odd choice for the junkman but pretty good programming since we were coming up on Valentine’s Day.
“Got nary a feather.”
I turned back to look at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Lindy. Got nary a feather.”
“The bird?”
He nodded. “Plucks ’em all off in spite.”
“In spite of what?”
“Daughter-in-law run off; only one that could stand the bird.”
I thought about it. “Geo, didn’t your daughter-in-law leave a while back?”
“Ten year ago, June 12th.” He evidently felt the need to add. “Parrot can live a long time; could be the spite.”
I crossed to the visitor chair and sat in hopes that he’d settle on the bed so we could discuss recent developments. “Geo, I need to talk to you.”
To my relief he came over and predictably beat me to the punch of my visit. “Not making a charge.”
I smiled at him. “I’m glad to hear that.”
He sniffed, probably unused to smelling anything but himself. “Perfect right to.”
“Yes you do, but then Ozzie Junior’ll probably bring up the fact that your gun went off.”
“Accidental.”
I nodded. “I agree, but I just wanted to nip any problem we might have in the bud.” I stretched my leg. “Geo, I’d like to ask what that was all about. Do you and Ozzie have something going on I should know about?”
His attention focused on his feet, which were aligned with the legs of his chair. “Nope.”
“Nothing?”
He pushed his welding cap back, revealing the stunning whiteness of his forehead and a perfect widow’s peak.
“Nope.”
I waited a moment and then stood. “All right then.”
“When are you gonna feed Butch and Sundance and the bird?”
It seemed like an urgent request. “Tonight?”
He nodded. “Dog food’s in the garbage can in the mud-room, birdfeed in the urn on the shelf by the cage. They’s cat food on the back porch for the raccoons.”
“Raccoons.”
He nodded. “Make sure they got water in the heated bowl and stay out of the basement, there’s snakes.”
I took a deep breath. It was turning out to be a long day. “You want me to feed them, too?”
“Nope.”
“Snakes, Geo?”
“Yep.”
“In February.” I stood there looking down at him, noting again that he was composed of thin, drawn muscle that displayed every strand and sinew. “Are those wolves of yours going to try and eat me alive when I go back there?”
The smile faltered a little on his lips, and not for the first time I noticed there was an odd elegance to the man. “Nope.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him.
The effects of the drops were gone, and I no longer needed a personal chauffeur, so Dog and I drove the eight miles to the dump in the dark alone.
I cut the motor on my truck but left the headlights to shine on the snack bar/municipal solid waste facility office. I cracked the Bullet’s door open, and Dog looked at me expectantly. I looked at the office and could see them waiting, dark eyes flaring in the window. I grabbed my Maglite from the seat, reached in, and clicked off the headlights. “No, I think you better stay in here.” He didn’t look happy, but I closed the door behind me and slowly made my way toward the patched-together shack.
I shined the beam of the big flashlight onto the Plexiglas and into the two sets of glowing eyes. I placed a hand on the aluminum knob but then thought it best to introduce myself from the safety between us, so I put my other hand against the thick, clear plastic and spoke softly. “Okay, if I open this damn door and either one of you makes the slightest sign of aggression, I’m leaving the two of you to starve. You got me?”
I tried to think of the last time I’d been bitten by a dog and could only come up with a nasty little shih tzu that had nipped my elbow
“Got nary a feather.”
I turned back to look at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Lindy. Got nary a feather.”
“The bird?”
He nodded. “Plucks ’em all off in spite.”
“In spite of what?”
“Daughter-in-law run off; only one that could stand the bird.”
I thought about it. “Geo, didn’t your daughter-in-law leave a while back?”
“Ten year ago, June 12th.” He evidently felt the need to add. “Parrot can live a long time; could be the spite.”
I crossed to the visitor chair and sat in hopes that he’d settle on the bed so we could discuss recent developments. “Geo, I need to talk to you.”
To my relief he came over and predictably beat me to the punch of my visit. “Not making a charge.”
I smiled at him. “I’m glad to hear that.”
He sniffed, probably unused to smelling anything but himself. “Perfect right to.”
“Yes you do, but then Ozzie Junior’ll probably bring up the fact that your gun went off.”
“Accidental.”
I nodded. “I agree, but I just wanted to nip any problem we might have in the bud.” I stretched my leg. “Geo, I’d like to ask what that was all about. Do you and Ozzie have something going on I should know about?”
His attention focused on his feet, which were aligned with the legs of his chair. “Nope.”
“Nothing?”
He pushed his welding cap back, revealing the stunning whiteness of his forehead and a perfect widow’s peak.
“Nope.”
I waited a moment and then stood. “All right then.”
“When are you gonna feed Butch and Sundance and the bird?”
It seemed like an urgent request. “Tonight?”
He nodded. “Dog food’s in the garbage can in the mud-room, birdfeed in the urn on the shelf by the cage. They’s cat food on the back porch for the raccoons.”
“Raccoons.”
He nodded. “Make sure they got water in the heated bowl and stay out of the basement, there’s snakes.”
I took a deep breath. It was turning out to be a long day. “You want me to feed them, too?”
“Nope.”
“Snakes, Geo?”
“Yep.”
“In February.” I stood there looking down at him, noting again that he was composed of thin, drawn muscle that displayed every strand and sinew. “Are those wolves of yours going to try and eat me alive when I go back there?”
The smile faltered a little on his lips, and not for the first time I noticed there was an odd elegance to the man. “Nope.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him.
The effects of the drops were gone, and I no longer needed a personal chauffeur, so Dog and I drove the eight miles to the dump in the dark alone.
I cut the motor on my truck but left the headlights to shine on the snack bar/municipal solid waste facility office. I cracked the Bullet’s door open, and Dog looked at me expectantly. I looked at the office and could see them waiting, dark eyes flaring in the window. I grabbed my Maglite from the seat, reached in, and clicked off the headlights. “No, I think you better stay in here.” He didn’t look happy, but I closed the door behind me and slowly made my way toward the patched-together shack.
I shined the beam of the big flashlight onto the Plexiglas and into the two sets of glowing eyes. I placed a hand on the aluminum knob but then thought it best to introduce myself from the safety between us, so I put my other hand against the thick, clear plastic and spoke softly. “Okay, if I open this damn door and either one of you makes the slightest sign of aggression, I’m leaving the two of you to starve. You got me?”
I tried to think of the last time I’d been bitten by a dog and could only come up with a nasty little shih tzu that had nipped my elbow
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