Dead Pelican by Lisa Haneberg

Author:Lisa Haneberg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lisa Haneberg
Published: 2019-08-03T00:00:00+00:00

1:00 p.m.

We were missing something. Temple hadn’t been found—her choice?—and the chopped-up cranes in her townhouse were removed overnight. The video interview implicated Ned in Forrest’s murder—as either the doer or inspiration for the doer. And while both Ned and Temple had flimsy—with a capital F—motivations for killing Forrest, we hadn’t discovered a reason why either would want to threaten GIBA and the birding community. And there’s the business with Babs’ new money and Nancy’s lawsuit.

I sat in my office with the door closed. Sparky’s cousin Walter, who helped us part-time, was manning the store while Sparky and Dora worked on their assignments. I texted Ned. Hey. Would like to update you on the case sometime today. You available?

What would you say to Ned at this point? I’d need to figure that out before meeting with him because one thing was clear: The Pelican Man was the key to understanding the mysteries swirling around this case. I saw the three dots show up in the messenger app that told me he was composing a response. I was pleased he hadn’t dropped out of communication.

Later. I’m with a group of fanatical birders. They’re counting everything including seagulls. Won’t finish until 5:00 p.m. or so.

Can I meet you at your compound at six?

Sure.

Ned would be out of my way for the next four hours. Good. I needed to determine if he was a killer or somehow complicit in Forrest’s murder, but I’d have to move fast. I went into the stockroom and started switching from my usual small ditty bag to a much larger one. I added extra rope and cameras and items that would help ensure I could mount a successful offense or defense, if either seemed warranted. I doubled the number of zip-ties and duct tape and added a pair of thermal binoculars. I heard Sparky and Dora come into the shop. Right on time.

Sparky walked in. “Xena’s using the big bag. Something must be up.”

“Tell you about it in a minute,” I said. “Dora, ready to meet?” I wanted quick updates before I broke into Ned’s home and lab.

“I’m ready.” Dora stood next to the white boarded assignments and crossed off Babs’s new money.

I zipped my bag and sat at the table. “I can’t wait to hear this…I think.”

Dora sat down. “As you’ve discovered, Babs is eager to talk with anyone.”

“Tell me the bottom-line story.” I said, knowing Dora had several pages of notes she could share.

“Babs and Trevor started a Pleasefundme site. The description for their campaign says they have suffered incalculable trauma. That their honeymoon, and indeed lives, were ruined after they found a dead body. They describe themselves as heroes suffering from PTSD and are seeking donations for their care and to get a do-over of their honeymoon.”

“Priceless.” Sparky said.

“There’s more,” Dora said. “In the seventy-two hours since they started the Pleasefundme campaign, they’ve raked in two million dollars.”

I leaned back and put my arms up. “What? That’s impossible.”

“Not only is it possible, it appears to be increasing by the hour.

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