Death In A Deck Chair by Georgia Kains

Author:Georgia Kains [Kains, Georgia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Perky Bird Press
Published: 2019-06-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

“Here, birdie, birdie, birdie.” I whistled, a peace offering of broccoli and carrot shreds in hand.

Elton was nowhere in sight.

It wasn’t like my glorified closet of a cabin offered many hiding places. I slipped into my pajamas and checked the bathroom. He had shredded a little pile of toilet paper and left droppings on it, but otherwise, nothing. At least he was as tidy as he was smart.

Maybe he’d escaped and moved on to the next unsuspecting guest. I tried to summon a whoosh of relief, but instead in its place came a twinge of sadness.

It was for the best. I didn’t have the money to pay for the pet care fee on board. And what would I do with him when I got home? Home? What was I saying? I didn’t even have a home.

Yes, for the best.

All right then.

Good.

“Squawk!” It came from directly outside my room in the hall. I dashed out to check where Elton was, and he was balancing daintily on the top of a light fixture.

Not good.

He’d already been declared a public nuisance at the pool. I either needed him to find a perch out of the way on the upper reaches of the ship or stay tucked away in my room.

Otherwise, I was afraid the cruise line would impound him or … worse.

“Squawk! I love you.”

“Okay, yeah. That’s sweet. Whatever. You can’t stay out here.”

He hopped around, twittering, like the two of us were playing a game.

I glanced up and down the hall, terrified one of the doors would open at any moment. I cared about this little ball of fluff, and, like it or not, I felt responsible for him. I supposed that made him my pet, whether I could afford the fee or not.

I cleared my throat and put on my most serious voice. “Get back in here, mister.”

“Squawk!” He was just out of my reach.

“Mister, mister,” he mimicked me.

“Stop that.” I held a floret of broccoli high, hoping to tempt him inside. Oh, who was I kidding? Broccoli had never tempted anyone.

“Squawk.” He hopped to the edge of the fixture, giving me hope, then flapped over to one a little farther down the hall.

Dang it.

“You need to work with me here, Elton,” I said, impressed if not highly annoyed. “I have no idea how you escaped the room, but we’re in the middle of nowhere, and if you get caught, things will not go well for you, my friend. Right now, I’m the best option you have.”

“The best … squawk!” He flapped his wings in triumph and skirted through the stairwell door.

I didn’t want to think about how silly I looked, barefoot in my pajamas as I zipped through the doorway after him. I wasn’t watching where I was going, and I ran headlong into Tony. He’d changed into a maroon silk brocade dressing gown worthy of Hugh Hefner. It would have been almost comical if it weren’t for the fact that he’d caught Elton and now held the bird in a not-too-gentle grip.

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