For the Birds: Rose Gardner Investigations #2 (Rose Gardner Investigatons)

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Maybe I can get my car running again. I’ll have Witt look at it. He’s got plenty of time.”

  I turned around to face her. “What? Why? I thought he was working at the garage.”

  “It closed. Witt’s tryin’ to find a place in town to rent so he can set up his own shop with a couple of friends.”

  “It closed?” That seemed strange. Last I heard, it was open, just a few weeks ago.

  She shrugged. “Ted’s business has really slacked off since several of his guys were part of that mess in February. Witt knew business was bad, but Ted didn’t give them any notice. Witt’s gonna try to buy some of his tools and equipment. In the meantime, though, he’s got plenty of free time to work on my car. Then we’ll be less conspicuous.”

  Neely Kate’s car was an old clunker. The inconspicuous part was debatable.

  We went out the side door, and she watched me lock the house back up. “If it’s gonna take Witt a while to fix your car, maybe we can just park the truck around the corner and canvass the neighborhood.”

  “I’ll call him and find out when he can come out.”

  “And let’s follow up on who sold Mr. Whipple the parrot. He never gave us the name. And we should find out everything we can about any enemies he might have—from old jobs, from church . . . if he goes. After what Anita said about Squawker’s disappearance hurting Mr. Whipple, it seems like it would be the perfect way for an enemy to get revenge.”

  I noticed a dark sedan I didn’t recognize parked on the street in front of the house. There was a guy sitting behind the steering wheel, only he wasn’t on the phone or anything.

  Neely Kate stared at me, grinning.

  “What?” I asked, watching the car. The driver looked right at me and didn’t move, like he was challenging me to a stare-off.

  “You’re sounding just like a private detective.”

  The driver finally looked away, and the car started to drive down the street.

  Neely Kate turned around. “What are you watching?”

  “That car, but it took off. It was almost like he was watching the house.” Or me. What if whoever took Scooter was coming after me next?

  “Maybe I should mention it to Joe. He might be able to get the Henryetta police to do a couple of drive-bys of the house.”

  “Yeah.” Then I gave her my full attention. “It was probably nothing. I’m just being paranoid.”

  It seemed like that was happening a lot lately. Too bad some of the paranoia was justified.

  Chapter 8

  Levi picked me up from the office promptly at six. He’d agreed to drop me off at the farm later that night so Neely Kate could take the truck home. His text message—I’d love to take you home—had raised gooseflesh on my arms.

  This would be his first visit to my farm. In the past, I’d always had him drop me off at the office. Plus, he’d kissed me so casually earlier, which meant he was probably going to kiss me again.

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  “I hope inviting me didn’t mess up your plans with Neely Kate,” he said as he watched me lock the door to the office.

  “No, she said she’d rather go home and read a book.” As if.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  I turned around to face him and grinned. “She’s excited I’m going out with you. She jumped at the chance to leave us to our own devices.”

  “As long as she knew she was welcome . . .”

  “She did. Trust me.” I had a strong suspicion Neely Kate and Jed were going to take advantage of my absence. Maybe the vision I’d had earlier would take place tonight.

  Levi gave me a long sideways glance as we started walking toward his truck halfway down the block. “You look beautiful,” he said, his voice deeper than before.

  I felt a blush rising to my cheeks. I suddenly felt self-conscious in my fluffy pink skirt and white shirt—like my bared chest made me naked. But that was ridiculous, and I knew it. Maybe Kermit’s comment about my clothes was making me paranoid about looking too dressed up. “Thank you.”

  “After you left this morning, I realized I never told you that. I was kicking myself all afternoon. It was just such a surprise to see you.”

  “That’s okay.” I glanced down at my clothes. “I didn’t have time to go home and change.” Not that Neely Kate would have let me.

  “I love what you’re wearing.”

  I blushed. “But I suspect I’m overdressed.”

  Neely Kate had assured me that I wasn’t, but she liked dressing in flashy clothing and being the center of attention. In fact, knowing her, she’d convinced me to buy this outfit in the hopes I’d wear it for Levi. If I hadn’t stopped by his office earlier, she probably would have wrangled something up.

  “You would know better than me,” he said. “I suspect things are different down here.” He opened the passenger door and waited for me to get in.

  “I have a confession to make,” I said, looking up at him.

  He paused and his smiled wavered. “Okay.”

  “I’ve never been to a carnival.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “But this morning . . .” He gave me a sheepish look. “I guess you never said you’d gone to one before.”

  “Is that weird?”

  He laughed. “Why would it be weird? I’ve never been to a circus.”

  “Me neither.”

  His smile spread. “Then we have even more in common.”

  “Do you still want to go?” I asked. “We can do something else if you’d prefer.”

  He studied me for a moment. “Since neither of us have been to a Fenton County carnival, I think we should go to this one together.”

  It was the perfect response, and I found myself smiling back at him. “Okay.”

  The carnival was set up in a field west of town, about ten minutes away. One of the things I liked most about being with Levi was that it was rarely awkward. He knew how to carry a conversation, yet he always made sure to include the other person in it. But this time I decided to use his expertise to my advantage.

  “What do you know about blue-fronted Amazon parrots?” I asked.

  His eyebrows shot up. “Are you interested in getting a parrot?”

  I could have lied to him, but if I was going to keep seeing him, I needed to start telling him things. Neely Kate was right. I’d paid the price of dishonesty in a relationship, and I didn’t want to go there again. “No.” How much did I tell him? That we were doing free labor for a P.I.? Or just that we were looking for the bird?

  “I saw you eyeing that flyer this morning.”

  Bingo. “Yeah. Neely Kate has a thing for animals, so she wants to look for him. We talked to Mr. Whipple this afternoon.”

  “You did?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing like takin’ the bull by the horns and goin’ straight to the source.” I paused to gauge his reaction. Levi sounded surprised, but he didn’t act like we’d done anything out of the ordinary. “Mr. Whipple says Squawker likes to fly into the trees in the park.” I turned to face him. “I didn’t think parrots could fly.”

  “They can naturally, but most owners clip their wings. I’ve only seen Squawker in my office once. He’d eaten something off the kitchen counter, so Mr. Whipple brought him in for a checkup. I suggested he clip Squawker’s wings because that’s the danger. If they can fly, they can get into things they shouldn’t. Or get hurt flying into things inside a small house.”

  “Mr. Whipple thinks someone stole his bird. Is there a black market for birds?”

  “Sure. With some species like a cockatoo, but not usually with blue-fronted Amazons. Mr. Whipple said he stopped a robbery mid-progress and the would-be robber dropped his TV in his yard. I suspect Squawker got loose during the robbery, got scared, and flew off. The fact he was seen in the park two days later only confirms my theory.”

  “Mr. Whipple says he doesn’t trust the neighbor who saw him.”

  Levi looked surprised. “He thinks he’s lying?”
>
  “He didn’t accuse him of lying, but his next-door neighbor said Mr. Whipple and his neighbor down the street don’t get along.”

  “You talked to his next-door neighbor?” He came to a halt at a stoplight and gave me a long look. “Neely Kate either has a true soft spot for animals, in which case she could make a serious case for being Mary’s replacement, or you all are desperate for the reward money.” Concern filled his eyes. “Are you having financial issues?”

  I shook my head. “Oh, no. Six months ago, I was in dire straits, but we’re in the black. We’re doing well.”

  “Then why are you two putting so much effort into looking for a lost bird?”

  I debated how much to say, then decided there was little point in keeping any of it quiet. I’d just lay it all out and let him walk away of his own free will if he felt so inclined. That would decide this “relationship” once and for all. “The truth is we like to investigate things.”

  “You’re private detectives?” he asked, not sounding all that surprised.

  “No . . . more like amateur sleuths.”

  “So you’ve had cases before?”

  “A few . . . like the dog we were lookin’ for when Neely Kate and I brought the baby pig to your office. But that one was more like helpin’ out a friend.”

  “Do you ever get into anything dangerous?”

  “Uh . . . A time or two.”

  He pulled into the crowded parking lot and parked in the second to the back row, taking one of the few spaces left.

  I saw a few people walking across the parking lot, and it was obvious that I was overdressed.

  “Maybe we should just go to Little Italy for dinner,” I said as a woman in denim short shorts and a sparkly pink tube top walked past our car.

  “Rose,” Levi said in a soft tone, and I turned to face him. “You are stunningly beautiful. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I’m pretty damn excited for half the county to see you’re out with me tonight. Besides, you’re not the only woman dressed up. Look at her.” He pointed toward a woman wearing a pale yellow, spaghetti-strap sundress.

  “Not even close,” I said with a grin. “But you’re sweet to try.”

  “There’s nothing sweet about it,” he said in a husky tone. Then he lowered his face to mine. His lips were soft and coaxing, but they turned more insistent when I didn’t pull back.

  Kissing Levi wasn’t repulsive. He was a good kisser—and I’d had a few bad kisses to know the difference—but it just felt wrong. Would that change if I gave this thing between us more time? How many men had I kissed in the last year? Five? Maybe I was just channeling Miss Mildred and worrying I was acting like a hussy.

  His face lit up as he pulled away and sat back. “Let’s give it a go, and if we hate it or you feel uncomfortable, we’ll leave.”

  “Okay.”

  I opened the door, but Levi was out in a flash and came around to take my hand as I got out. “I’m gonna leave my purse in the car if that’s okay,” I said. “I don’t want to carry it around.”

  “Of course. I keep a bag in the back for when I’m on call, so I’ll be locking it up.”

  I got a few odd looks but not as many as I’d feared. The carnival was one of the traveling kind and only had six rides, one of which happened to be a Ferris wheel. Levi bought a long string of tickets, and we headed toward the first ride, a tilt-a-whirl, joining the line of about twenty people.

  I watched the ride in progress, then leaned into Levi and whispered, “Do people get sick on that thing with all the spinnin’ around?”

  He turned to me in surprise. “You’ve never been on one before?”

  “I told you I’ve never been to a carnival.”

  He blinked in confusion. “What about a theme park?”

  I didn’t answer, feeling embarrassed. Up until now, I’d kept most of my childhood from him, not wanting him to know about the abuse I’d endured from my mother. How she’d kept me from every childhood normality.

  His face softened and he placed a hand on my upper arm. “Rose, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

  “No, it’s nothing,” I said, glancing back at the ride, which had now stopped.

  “No,” he said, cupping my face and gently turning me back to face him. “Clearly it’s not.” He paused, and I could tell he was carefully weighing his words. Finally, he said, “There’s a lot I don’t know about you. I feel like I’ve told you so much about me, yet I have so many questions about you. I’ve waited for you to feel comfortable enough to share with me—and I’m so appreciative for the little bit you shared in the car. I won’t push you for more now, but I want you to know I’m eager to listen when you’re ready to talk.”

  “Thank you, Levi. That means a lot.”

  “Would you rather do something else?”

  Someone caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I saw one of James’ men, Brett, standing by a ring toss game. He was watching me, but he quickly glanced away. I couldn’t believe he was there by coincidence. Was James having me watched because his brother was missing? Or was it for his own personal curiosity?

  But Levi was waiting for an answer. “No,” I said, trying not to sound distracted. “I want to try it.”

  The line started to move, and Levi put an arm around my back and ushered me toward the ticket taker. I cast a glance over my shoulder, but Brett was gone.

  The ride was fun, fun enough that I wanted to go on it again, much to Levi’s amusement. After our third time, we moved on to the next ride, one with swings hanging from chains that spun around a base, and then on to an octopus ride. I couldn’t believe how much I loved them, from the spike of adrenaline to the way my stomach dropped.

  “The rest are pretty tame compared to what we just rode,” Levi said with a huge grin. “So it’s probably safe to get something to eat.”

  “Oh,” I said, realizing it was close to eight. “You must be starving.”

  “I’ve been having too much fun with you.”

  We walked over to a food vendor and ordered pizza and fried Twinkies. Before we sat down at one of the picnic tables, Levi made sure the seat was clean for my skirt. We talked about all the times Levi had gone to carnivals as a kid and then as a teen, one time on a date that had ended in disaster on the tilt-a-whirl.

  “Let’s just say alcohol was involved,” Levi said with a grin.

  “Which one of you threw up?” I teased.

  His eyes twinkled. “I plead the fifth.” He offered me the last bite of his fried Twinkie, but I shook my head. “So what did you do on dates when you were a teen?” he asked before stuffing the last piece into his mouth.

  The pizza and fried food twisted in my stomach. This was when I admitted that my life had been a lame waste of time until a year ago.

  “Rose!” I heard a woman say. “Fancy seeing you here!”

  I turned to face Dena, both grateful for the temporary reprieve and a little uneasy because she was with Joe. It helped that Joe looked every bit as uncomfortable with the situation.

  “Hey, Dena.”

  “Who’s your date?” she asked with a grin.

  Levi was eyeing me closely, and then he shifted his attention to Joe. I needed to nip this in the bud before things became even more awkward.

  I stood to make the introductions. “Dena, this is Dr. Levi Romano, the new vet in town. He took over the Henryetta Animal Clinic after Dr. Ritchie retired. Levi, this is Dena Breene, the owner of Dena’s Bakery, and if you haven’t tried one of her pastries, you don’t know what you’re missin’.”

  Levi stood and offered Dena his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dena. I’ll be sure to stop by sometime and try one.”

  “I heard you were taking over,” Dena said. “I also heard that the pet population doubled after you came to town.”

  Levi chuckled. “Well, pets do bring joy to people’s lives.” He turned to Joe, and his body posture changed slightly. “Who’s your date?”

/>   Dena glanced over at Joe and said, “This is—”

  Joe stuck out his hand, using his no-nonsense voice. “Joe Simmons, Fenton County Chief Deputy Sheriff.”

  Levi clasped his hand and squeezed. “That’s an impressive title, Chief Deputy.”

  Joe pulled his hand free and stared him in the eyes. “It’s not as fancy as it sounds. I arrest criminals just like all the other deputies do.”

  My mouth dropped open, and Dena’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Joe,” I warned.

  Joe held Levi’s gaze for a second more; then his face relaxed . . . slightly. “Sorry. I’m a bit defensive about the title. I want my men to respect me, not the nameplate.”

  “Understandable,” Levi said, still on edge.

  Dena seemed to have bought Joe’s story, but I sure didn’t. Was he acting out of jealousy, or did he know something about Levi I didn’t? That latter seemed unlikely, but—

  My head began to tingle, and I shot a panicked look to Joe before everything faded, leaving me smack-dab in the middle of a vision.

  I was in Dena’s head, watching Joe as he pulled up in front of a dark house.

  “You didn’t leave any lights on?” Joe asked, sounding concerned.

  “I left the bakery late and forgot to turn them on.”

  “Then I insist on coming in and makin’ sure everything’s okay.”

  I laughed. “Why, Sheriff Simmons, did you just invite yourself inside?”

  His mouth dropped open. “Dena . . . I didn’t mean—”

  I leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, cutting him off. He was shocked at first, but then he eagerly kissed me back.

  “So you still want to come in and check my house?” I asked. “Because I was thinkin’ about one room in particular.”

  My vision ended and I blurted out, “You’re gonna invite him to your room.”

  Horror instantly washed through me, and I gasped as Dena gave me a look of disbelief.

  “I know I talked about it,” Joe said, giving me a grin I knew from experience was forced.

  “But Randy doesn’t have time to come help me with the drywall until next week.”

  Dena released a nervous laugh. “That’s right. You’re remodeling your house.”