in the library checking out books on Monet and van Gogh, Annie checked at the reference desk for an Oakland telephone directory. Leota Reinhardt was listed, along with her street. Maybe if Annie saw the house, she would remember it. On the way home, she stopped at a big chain bookstore and purchased a map of Oakland.
Susan unlocked the door and came in with a bag of groceries. “Call the cops!” squawked the rainbow lory on a stand by the window.
“I live here, Barnaby. Naughty bird. Did you make another mess?”
“I vacuumed a little while ago,” Annie said with a grin.
Susan set the bag of groceries on the counter. “Won’t do a bit of good. He just starts flinging seed again. I think he figures he has to plant a crop so he’ll have seed next year. You’re a dumb bird, Barnaby. Dumb bird!”
Barnaby opened his wings and fluffed them as though he were indignant at such an insult, then smoothed them down again, staring at her with disdain. “Whatcha gonna do?”
Susan and Annie laughed. “You have the most appalling manners, Barnaby. Why a policeman would have a pet at all is beyond me. Of course, Raoul didn’t have to take you out for a walk, did he? All he had to do to keep you happy was turn on the television and leave you plenty of food. Unfortunately, we don’t have a television.”
“Somewhere everybody knows your name,” the bird sang out.
“We won’t be stuck with you forever, you know.” Susan started putting things away.
“I think you may have him longer than you planned,” Annie said.
“Raoul said he’d be back from Los Angeles in a week or so.” Susan peered at the bird. “Hear that, Barnaby? In a week, you’re outta here, buddy.”
Annie grinned. “There’s a message for you. From Raoul.”
Susan rolled her eyes. “Oh, no. Bad news?”
“Depends on how you look at it.” Her grin widened. “He’s been hired. He’s already put a deposit on a furnished apartment. Problem is the management won’t allow pets.”
“That is not a pet.” Susan pointed at the bird. “What about his stuff? He has to come back. . . .”
“He boxed it up before he left.”
“He knew . Why didn’t he just sell the bird?”
“Here, kitty kitty!” the parrot squawked at her.
Annie grinned. “Raoul said he knows you’ll take good care of Barnaby. He couldn’t trust him to anyone but someone who was a bird person.”
“Birdbrain, you mean!” She eyed the parrot. “Great. Just great.”
“911!” Barnaby said in a perfect imitation of William Shatner, then made the sound of a siren. “911!”
“Another word out of you and you’ll be plucked, packaged, and frozen like this chicken!” She tossed the package of poultry into the small freezer.
Annie laughed. “She doesn’t mean it, Barnaby.”
“You don’t think so? The only reason I agreed to bird-sit is because I missed my canary. He was so cute. That is a feathered piranha!” She looked at Annie’s map spread out on the floor. “Planning a trip?”
“A short one.” Annie smoothed it a little and finished tracing the route with the yellow highlighter.
“Who’s in Oakland?”
“My grandmother.” Annie smiled self-consciously. “I’m not even sure what I’m going to say to her.”
“You’ll think of something.” Susan flopped down on the old sofa she’d purchased at a garage sale. Her father and two brothers had hauledit over the Bay Bridge in their pickup truck and lugged it into the building. When it wouldn’t fit into the ancient Otis elevator, they muscled it up four flights of stairs to the small flat, where Susan had sandwiches, freshly baked cookies, and sodas waiting. “When do you think you’ll go?” Susan popped the top of her soda.
“Tomorrow. I’m not scheduled to work until four, and I haven’t got a class.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
Annie blushed. “Four years, I think. I can’t remember for sure.”
“Four years ?” Susan drank some of her soda
Susan unlocked the door and came in with a bag of groceries. “Call the cops!” squawked the rainbow lory on a stand by the window.
“I live here, Barnaby. Naughty bird. Did you make another mess?”
“I vacuumed a little while ago,” Annie said with a grin.
Susan set the bag of groceries on the counter. “Won’t do a bit of good. He just starts flinging seed again. I think he figures he has to plant a crop so he’ll have seed next year. You’re a dumb bird, Barnaby. Dumb bird!”
Barnaby opened his wings and fluffed them as though he were indignant at such an insult, then smoothed them down again, staring at her with disdain. “Whatcha gonna do?”
Susan and Annie laughed. “You have the most appalling manners, Barnaby. Why a policeman would have a pet at all is beyond me. Of course, Raoul didn’t have to take you out for a walk, did he? All he had to do to keep you happy was turn on the television and leave you plenty of food. Unfortunately, we don’t have a television.”
“Somewhere everybody knows your name,” the bird sang out.
“We won’t be stuck with you forever, you know.” Susan started putting things away.
“I think you may have him longer than you planned,” Annie said.
“Raoul said he’d be back from Los Angeles in a week or so.” Susan peered at the bird. “Hear that, Barnaby? In a week, you’re outta here, buddy.”
Annie grinned. “There’s a message for you. From Raoul.”
Susan rolled her eyes. “Oh, no. Bad news?”
“Depends on how you look at it.” Her grin widened. “He’s been hired. He’s already put a deposit on a furnished apartment. Problem is the management won’t allow pets.”
“That is not a pet.” Susan pointed at the bird. “What about his stuff? He has to come back. . . .”
“He boxed it up before he left.”
“He knew . Why didn’t he just sell the bird?”
“Here, kitty kitty!” the parrot squawked at her.
Annie grinned. “Raoul said he knows you’ll take good care of Barnaby. He couldn’t trust him to anyone but someone who was a bird person.”
“Birdbrain, you mean!” She eyed the parrot. “Great. Just great.”
“911!” Barnaby said in a perfect imitation of William Shatner, then made the sound of a siren. “911!”
“Another word out of you and you’ll be plucked, packaged, and frozen like this chicken!” She tossed the package of poultry into the small freezer.
Annie laughed. “She doesn’t mean it, Barnaby.”
“You don’t think so? The only reason I agreed to bird-sit is because I missed my canary. He was so cute. That is a feathered piranha!” She looked at Annie’s map spread out on the floor. “Planning a trip?”
“A short one.” Annie smoothed it a little and finished tracing the route with the yellow highlighter.
“Who’s in Oakland?”
“My grandmother.” Annie smiled self-consciously. “I’m not even sure what I’m going to say to her.”
“You’ll think of something.” Susan flopped down on the old sofa she’d purchased at a garage sale. Her father and two brothers had hauledit over the Bay Bridge in their pickup truck and lugged it into the building. When it wouldn’t fit into the ancient Otis elevator, they muscled it up four flights of stairs to the small flat, where Susan had sandwiches, freshly baked cookies, and sodas waiting. “When do you think you’ll go?” Susan popped the top of her soda.
“Tomorrow. I’m not scheduled to work until four, and I haven’t got a class.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
Annie blushed. “Four years, I think. I can’t remember for sure.”
“Four years ?” Susan drank some of her soda
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