Sara Morningsky by Lee Driver Page A

alone,
Sheila.”
    “ He only repeats what you tell him.”
She pulled a cigarette from her purse.
    “ And don’t smoke around him.” Dagger
placed the newspaper down and stood, stretching his tall, muscular
body.
    Reluctantly, Sheila returned the cigarette to
the pack. “I really think you should find a new home for the
feathered rodent. You know I can’t have him around with my
allergies.”
    “ Allergies?” Dagger laughed. “Since
when?” He backed away when she playfully ran a hand through his
thick, brown hair.
    Pressing her body against his she said,
“There are women who would kill for your cheekbones.” She stroked
his chiseled jaw line, admired his rugged good looks enhanced by a
five o-clock shadow. With a flirtatious smile she added, “And
you’re all mine.”
    “ We’ve done this little dance before.”
He gently pulled her arms away. “I am not giving Einstein
away.”
    As Sheila brought her lips up to Dagger’s, he
saw her gaze drift to the doorway. A slight arch of one eyebrow
told him Sheila had seen something distasteful, beneath her
standards. He had seen that look many times. Her father patented
the look of disdain down the tip of his nose, as if everyone in the
world were his subordinate. It was one trait Dagger disliked in
her; and the list was getting longer as the wedding date grew
nearer.
    Dagger turned toward the doorway to see a
waif of a girl in a faded but clean flowered dress and sandals. Her
eyes were the color of Caribbean waters. Her waist-length hair had
so many sun-streaked shades it was difficult to tell its true
color. If he had passed her on a street he would have expected her
to be begging for a crust of bread, not that she looked emaciated,
just fragile and timid.
    “ I’m sorry if I’m interrupting,” the
girl said. “I’m looking for a Chase Dagger.”
    “ That would be me,” Dagger
replied.
    Sheila leaned toward him. “Get payment up
front.” She bussed Dagger on the cheek before pushing briskly past
the intruder.
    “ AWK, GOOD RIDDANCE,” Einstein squawked
as the door closed.
    Turning to the girl, Dagger clasped her hand
as she said, “Sara Morningsky.” He detected a brief tremble in her
handshake.
    Sara’s gaze quickly turned to Einstein.
“Aren’t you a handsome fella?” She took long, graceful strides
toward the cage. “And so smart. No wonder your name is Einstein.”
The macaw bobbed his head in agreement.
    Dagger was drawn to the girl’s exotic
features, her almond-shaped eyes and olive complexion. She looked
like she should be rising out of the waters of some South Pacific
island, but the name Morningsky and her features told him she was
probably Native American.
    He watched her reach into the cage. “I
wouldn’t do that. Einstein nips everyone but…” His voice trailed
off as he watched Einstein climb onto Sara’s arm and nuzzle her
chin. “Well, I’ll be.” Dagger ran a hand across the back of his
neck. “He always had good taste.” Einstein let out a whistle.
    “ Some macaws can live to the age of one
hundred.” Her eyes were mysterious, distant, like a door that
cracks open slightly and then closes shut. She studied Einstein’s
cage. “A bird this size should have an aviary or, better yet, a
bird room.”
    “ He did back at my apartment, but my
landlord had too many complaints about the noise so I brought him
here. It’s only temporary.”
    “ Your girlfriend has no intention of
letting you keep Einstein.” She didn’t wait for him to reply. She
was inspecting Einstein’s nostrils and listening to his breathing.
“He has a respiratory infection.” Dagger looked closely at
Einstein’s face as Sara gazed up at the vent above the cage. “He’s
getting a draft from the vent. You should bring in a heat lamp and
also give him some weak chamomile tea sweetened with glucose. Keep
track of how much he eats and drinks.”
    “ You know a lot about
birds.”
    “ A little.”
    Dagger found himself watching her mouth