The Pet Thief

Hes waking up

es waking up. Thats a boy. Youre safe. Youre home. Pretty Boyd says, Rise n shine, sleepy head. Mister make his yummy bread. Cake. Lets eat fo petes sake. Now Pretty Boyd. Closet curtain sways. To tippytoe window in closet, rain comes pic pic pic. Cracks in yellow ceiling. Under me, cot. On squeaky cot I sit. Easy, my boy. says Mister. Grappa. Wrinkly hands on knees. Yellow fingernails. Tobacco. White hair sings. Blue sweater, me. Black corduroy. Dry wool socks. Foots hot. White hides my wrist. Mister says, Gauze bandage, to help heal your wound. I rang Giles, he made a house call. Helped bathe you, then tended to your wounds. He put a couple stitches into your wrist. Had you on a sugar iv, to hydrate you. Thats the bandage on your left arm. A bit persnickety, old Giles, but a good doctor nonetheless. Someone attacked you with a knife, Pretty Boyd told me. Giles confirmed. It grieves me, the thought you were all alone out there, and a victim of such violence. What if youd been killed, God forbid. Idve never seen you again. You said it, Buster. says Pretty Boyd. Youve got bruises head to toe. Giles noted how old some were. Whoever beat you has been doing it awhile. I wish I knew what happened, where youve been all these months. Behind curtain, chittering birds, bloop bloop fishtanks. Oua oua. barks bichon pup. Foots hot. Wool socks. My hands pull. H Floorboards cools my slippery foots. Lotion. Cheek chin smooth to my hand. I took the liberty of shaving you. Trimmed your hair, too. Hope thats alright. Had to be certain you were you, haha. Bunny. I say. Yes. The baby. Shes home safe, thanks to you. You did a wonderful thing, rescuing her, and at no small personal cost. By any measure youre a hero. After I got you into your cot, with Sergios help of course, I rang the prefecture. Child Welfare came and fetched her. Shes gone home. I jump. Cot squeaks. Bunny. I say, arms flap flap. Little Elsie thats her name Elsies mama rang, wanting to thank you Greenblue wings flaflap Damn straight she better thanks Pretty Boyd, hush. But youve been sleeping all this time, almost three days. Besides the, the Watery eyes blink the prefect ordered no contact beyond family members for now. Bunny. I say. I hop, flap flap flap. Fart. Now, my boy BunnyBunnyBunnyBunny Okay, I understand you are No, Bunny. I say. My head my fist hits. Non non non no Mister hands yellow fingernails come. Wrists my hands grab. Non non non. I say. Dry wrists creak in my fists. Grey eyes blink blink up to my eyes. Mister says, Youre hurting me. Ach, wots problem, Mac. Greenblue wings flap flap My shoulder Pretty Boyd perches My ear beak pinches. Please, my boy. Two men from the prefecture are here. Theyve come everyday, to wait. I tried to tell them you wouldnt be able to help any more than little Elsie, even though you, you can say things now. But the prefects men are persistent. Please. Let go. Wrists Mister pulls from my hands. Closet curtain pulls back shhhhhk. Pretty Boyd thathatha into shop, takes perch. Cockatoo cage black jacket pokes. To angelfish tank brown trench bows. Black jacket brown trench rise Black eyes blue eyes. Black hair shines. Grey entrée door shut behind. Ah ha, Sleeping Beauty awakes. says black jacket black moustache. Il était temps. Good afternoon. says brown trench. Blue eyes my eyes. I am Inspector Duran. This is Inspector Morel. Mister says, Hes still fairly shaken, discombobulated, gentlemen. As I said, I would be very surprised if he could help your investigation. Bien sûr, grandpa. As you said. says black moustache. And as we said, he was a missing person who had a missing person and tens of thousands of francs worth of stolen exotic birds in his possession when he was discovered. Ouai. Not discovered. Returned. He escaped the kidnappers. Ach, damn right. says Pretty Boyd on perch. Escape, eh. Your rendering remains to be seen. The pet thieves are still at large. You read the papers, oui. This lot matches the description of the male dodger. So do fifty percent of the young men in this city. Is my boy on trial here, in my shop, Detective. Brown trench comes Hand on black jacket...