Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

10 Kerry Greenwood
which allowed it considerable freedom of movement. It eyed Dot
with its ancient cynical gaze and said again, ‘Polly wants….’
‘Polly wants?’ asked Dot. ‘What does Polly want?’
‘That’s the trouble with that bird. He can’t make up his mind,’
observed another disembodied voice.
Dot began to feel that it was going to be a very strange
afternoon.
From under the counter a small man arose. He was dressed
in what had been a respectable blue suit, but he was liberally
scattered with bird seed, and he had hay in his thick fair hair.
‘Sorry, I was just sweeping up some feed,’ he said. ‘What can
I do for you, Miss? A nice budgie? Pair of lovebirds? How about
a canary, I’ve got some fine singers.’
Dot explained her errand. Mr. Gunn scratched his head,
looking oddly reminiscent of the cockatoo. His fair hair spread
like a crest, shedding bird seed.
‘I didn’t notice anyone carrying a book, not on Friday. I
remember the day because the police came and took statements
from all of us. I was upset because that b…man Lane had poisoned
some of my birds.’
‘How do you know?’ asked Dot, practically.
Mr. Gunn blushed. ‘It was the end of the week, and I was out
of sunflower seeds, see, and he has an open sack of them, so I
borrowed a couple of handfuls—I would have put them back at
the end of the next week when I get my delivery. It was for the
one cage of zebra finches. They’re seed eaters, Miss. I saw Lane
throw a handful to a couple of penned chickens. Then, in the
morning, I found my finches dead, and I saw his boy plucking a
pair of chickens. They hadn’t been killed in the usual way. Their
necks weren’t broken. He was selling poisoned chickens to the
public, and I’ll keep telling people that. It’s not right.’
‘What was wrong with the sunflower seeds? Did you ask
him?’
‘Well, no. I couldn’t, could I? But those finches were healthy
the night before and dead the next day and so were his chickens.
I’m partial to a sunflower seed or two myself,’ said Mr. Gunn,