broken.
‘You see if you can hold it while I try to open the jaws,’ whispered Tony.
Slowly, Rose leaned forward to get a grip. The bird watched warily until she almost had it, then with a flash of the head it had one of her fingers gripped in its beak. Rose gave a little cry before moving her other hand to grab the bird by the neck. She squeezed and her finger was released.
Tony had figured out that the trap was a simple lever system. All he had to do was step down with his foot on a metal bar and the jaws would open. He did so, and the jaws fell back, releasing the weka. It took a moment for Sirloin to realise he was free, and then he raced off along the top of the terrace. When he decided it was safe, he gave a single squawk and the rest of the Butcher family came out of the bamboo. They quickly disappeared down the hill and into the scrub.
‘Well done!’ said Rose. ‘I thought it would have been harder than that.’
‘Well done to you, too,’ replied Tony, and he meant it. That peck on her finger must have really hurt. ‘How’s your finger?’
She showed him. ‘Sore, but it’ll be OK.’
‘He shouldn’t set traps where the weka go.’
‘Maybe he wants to catch them,’ suggested Rose.
Tony thought about that with rising anger. In the short time he had known the birds he had become attached to them. They were brave, cheeky, inquisitive, and they could kill rats—they were great. He couldn’t understand why someone would want to harm them. ‘I’m going to ask him. Come on, let’s find him.’
They found Duggan still in the shop seeing some customers out the door. ‘Och, sorry about that,’ he said when he saw them. ‘I got caught up.’
‘Are you trying to trap weka?’ shouted Tony.
For a moment the mask fell and Tony saw a flash of fear. Then the smile was back.
‘Noo why would you think tha’?’
‘Because we just set one free from behind the bamboo,’ said Rose.
Another flash of fear.
‘Tha’s unfortunate. I didna try to catch the wee bird. It’s those pesky possums I’m after. Was the weka all right?’
‘Yes, but no thanks to you,’ said Rose.
Tony was about to pursue the matter when the bell rang and a young couple came in. They were chattering away in some foreign language. Tony went to leave but Rose dragged him into the corner of the shop as if to look at something. ‘Look at Jamie,’ she whispered. Tony glanced sideways at the man. He was staring at the couple as they walked around the shop chattering. The look on his face revealed the same hatred he had shown towards Nick.
They watched as the couple selected some marshmallows and placed them on the counter. Then the woman pulled the man over to look at something else. There was a moment when their backs were towards Duggan. He grabbed the package, slipped it under the counter and replaced it with a similar pack. By the time the couple returned, Duggan was all smiles again.
‘Come on,’ whispered Rose, ‘let’s go.’ Then moreloudly: ‘Bye Jamie, see you tonight.’
Duggan looked up, surprised to see they were still in the shop. ‘Aye, aye,’ he flushed. ‘Aye, I might do too.’ He gave a little wave.
Tony and Rose slipped out the door.
As they walked down the road Rose said, ‘What did he do that for?’
Tony walked for a while before asking, ‘What language were those people speaking?’
‘French, I think.’
They turned and looked at each other, both with the same thought. That was twice in a few minutes they had seen Duggan react to something French. Maybe he had a thing about the French. Something from his time in the islands. If he did, then that could explain why he hated Nick Dawnay—Nick was French too.
Then Tony had a further thought. There had once been another French person in the area, and that person was still missing. Was Duggan here at that time? He smiled to himself in anticipation: now it was time to start a bit of detective work.
Chapter 10
That evening Tony sold both
‘You see if you can hold it while I try to open the jaws,’ whispered Tony.
Slowly, Rose leaned forward to get a grip. The bird watched warily until she almost had it, then with a flash of the head it had one of her fingers gripped in its beak. Rose gave a little cry before moving her other hand to grab the bird by the neck. She squeezed and her finger was released.
Tony had figured out that the trap was a simple lever system. All he had to do was step down with his foot on a metal bar and the jaws would open. He did so, and the jaws fell back, releasing the weka. It took a moment for Sirloin to realise he was free, and then he raced off along the top of the terrace. When he decided it was safe, he gave a single squawk and the rest of the Butcher family came out of the bamboo. They quickly disappeared down the hill and into the scrub.
‘Well done!’ said Rose. ‘I thought it would have been harder than that.’
‘Well done to you, too,’ replied Tony, and he meant it. That peck on her finger must have really hurt. ‘How’s your finger?’
She showed him. ‘Sore, but it’ll be OK.’
‘He shouldn’t set traps where the weka go.’
‘Maybe he wants to catch them,’ suggested Rose.
Tony thought about that with rising anger. In the short time he had known the birds he had become attached to them. They were brave, cheeky, inquisitive, and they could kill rats—they were great. He couldn’t understand why someone would want to harm them. ‘I’m going to ask him. Come on, let’s find him.’
They found Duggan still in the shop seeing some customers out the door. ‘Och, sorry about that,’ he said when he saw them. ‘I got caught up.’
‘Are you trying to trap weka?’ shouted Tony.
For a moment the mask fell and Tony saw a flash of fear. Then the smile was back.
‘Noo why would you think tha’?’
‘Because we just set one free from behind the bamboo,’ said Rose.
Another flash of fear.
‘Tha’s unfortunate. I didna try to catch the wee bird. It’s those pesky possums I’m after. Was the weka all right?’
‘Yes, but no thanks to you,’ said Rose.
Tony was about to pursue the matter when the bell rang and a young couple came in. They were chattering away in some foreign language. Tony went to leave but Rose dragged him into the corner of the shop as if to look at something. ‘Look at Jamie,’ she whispered. Tony glanced sideways at the man. He was staring at the couple as they walked around the shop chattering. The look on his face revealed the same hatred he had shown towards Nick.
They watched as the couple selected some marshmallows and placed them on the counter. Then the woman pulled the man over to look at something else. There was a moment when their backs were towards Duggan. He grabbed the package, slipped it under the counter and replaced it with a similar pack. By the time the couple returned, Duggan was all smiles again.
‘Come on,’ whispered Rose, ‘let’s go.’ Then moreloudly: ‘Bye Jamie, see you tonight.’
Duggan looked up, surprised to see they were still in the shop. ‘Aye, aye,’ he flushed. ‘Aye, I might do too.’ He gave a little wave.
Tony and Rose slipped out the door.
As they walked down the road Rose said, ‘What did he do that for?’
Tony walked for a while before asking, ‘What language were those people speaking?’
‘French, I think.’
They turned and looked at each other, both with the same thought. That was twice in a few minutes they had seen Duggan react to something French. Maybe he had a thing about the French. Something from his time in the islands. If he did, then that could explain why he hated Nick Dawnay—Nick was French too.
Then Tony had a further thought. There had once been another French person in the area, and that person was still missing. Was Duggan here at that time? He smiled to himself in anticipation: now it was time to start a bit of detective work.
Chapter 10
That evening Tony sold both
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