Page 32 of Night Hawk
“Is your name Bird?”
“Bird. Bird.”
“You’re a good boy.”
“Good boy, Bird.”
Toni looked up at Clay. “I suppose he might usually have free run of the house, but we should try to put him in his cage so he doesn’t get out when deputies arrive.”
“Just a second, and I’ll help.” Clay finished taking pictures.
A tray table sat next to the recliner, a beer can in a cozy, and a large ashtray filled with butts sitting on the scratched top. A ratty couch was on the far side of the room and that was it. No pictures on the wall. No knickknacks. Nothing. Just dust bunnies.
He stepped to the ashtray, poked through the contents, and took a few pictures. “Pack on the table says he smoked Marlboros, but we have a few hand-rolled butts in here.”
“Too bad we can’t take one for DNA, and I’m not comfortable swabbing a butt as they’re difficult to do and the water we’d use could change the composition.”
“It’s times like these that I wish I was still in law enforcement. Not finding the dead body part, but these butts could be from our killer.” He picked one up and sniffed. “Not pot.”
“Jason might be a smoker and the butts are from him, if he ever visited his dad. If Trent hasn’t had Jason’s Facebook page taken down, I’ll search the photos, and maybe we can determine if these butts are from him.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“Let’s get this guy in a room.” She held out her arm to Bird, who sat bobbing his head. He hopped closer and jumped on her arm. She frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“His beak has blood on it.” She slowly stood.
“Is he hurt?”
She looked him over. “Not that I can see.”
“Maybe he pecked someone.”
“The killer?” Hope raised her tone.
“Could be.” Clay stared at the blood and took a moment to think. “I have swabs in my car. We could collect the tiniest of samples for Sierra and Emory to process.”
“I’m okay with that. As long as it really is a small sample so there’s plenty left for the forensics staff.”
“You take this guy into the bedroom, and I’ll grab the swabs.” He waited for her to head down the hallway with the bird before bolting out the door.
This could be the lead they needed to get ahead in their investigation.IfRader was connected to Hibbard. A big if right now.
Clay grabbed a few swabs and tiny tubes of distilled water, put it all in his pocket, and rushed back inside. The bird’s squawks led Clay to the back bedroom.
He knocked on the closed door. “Okay to come in.”
“Yes,” Toni replied. “But move slowly.”
He opened the door a few inches at a time, slid in, and closed the door behind him. The large octagonal metal cage he’d glimpsed earlier sat in the corner of the room. The food and water dishes were empty. Probably the only reason blood remained on Bird’s beak.
“There’s blood on his talons too,” Toni said.
Bird ruffled his feathers. “Stupid bird. Stupid bird.”
“Obviously Rader wasn’t real kind to Bird.” Clay opened the swab container and wetted it with a drop of water, then handed it to Toni. “I think you have the best shot at not upsetting him.”
