Murder on Sugar Hill by Claire Sweeney

Author:Claire Sweeney [Sweeney, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

"Where are the birds?" Matilda said as she entered the inn to find both parrots missing from their cages and perches. "Smiley! Smiley?" Matilda called.

"Yes, Miss Matilda," Smiley called from upstairs.

Matilda glanced up to see him coming down the steps with a man in a ski suit following him.

"Sorry, I had to show Mr. Wright a room. Trixie was busy with Bozo."

"Where are Tara and John Paul?"

"Oh my God," Smiley said glancing around the lobby. "They were both on their perches when I left."

"Anyone lost two parrots?" a middle-aged man in ski gear asked as he walked out of the hallway.

"Yes," Matilda said. "Have you seen them?"

"Ha. Ha. Yeah, they walked into the solarium. I was reading the Boston Globe, looked up and saw two parrots walking toward me. "The red and black parrot said, ‘Hello." I told it hello. The other parrot, the rose and white one said, 'John Paul is a bad bird’."

"I said, ‘No, you are a good bird.’ He answered by saying, ‘Creep! It's check-in time,' as they waddle by me. I started laughing, and the white parrot looked at me and squawked, 'John Paul is a nosey bird.' I thought maybe I should come to the front desk and tell you they were loose."

"Thank you, I'll go and round up the escapees," Matilda said as she gave Smiley a hard look.

"I'm sorry, Miss Matilda. They usually just sit on their perches when I have to show a room," Smiley said as Matilda tapped her walking stick extra loud as she hurried down the hall.

Matilda was almost to the solarium when Tara walked out. She spotted Matilda and stopped.

"Get in your cage!" she screamed.

"Yes! Tara is a bad bird," Matilda said as she tapped the tip of her walking stick against the floor.

"John Paul has a toy. John Paul has a toy!" Tara said as she walked slowly toward Matilda.

John Paul stuck his head out the solarium. "John Paul is a bad bird," he said.

"You get into your cage too," Matilda ordered.

Matilda stood and glared at the two parrots as they walked by her. Each had the posture of a child who had just been scolded by its mother. It took all Matilda could do to keep her stern look.

"Where have you two been?" Trixie said as she walked out of the lobby.

"Sunroom! Sunroom!" Tara said. "John Paul has a toy!"

"You are bad birds," Trixie scolded as the two parrots walked past her.

"Trixie, Smiley isn't supposed to show rooms," Matilda said. "That's your job."

"I was taking the head of Nantucket Ski Club on a tour of the inn. He's planning on bringing his club to ski Cannon Mountain next season and wanted to book rooms at the inn."

"Yeah, but Smiley can't leave Tara and John Paul unattended. You see what kind of mischief they can get into when left alone even for five minutes," Matilda said as she softened her tone.

"Yes, I'll try harder. I don't know what I would do if something happened to either of them," Trixie said.

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