The Real Macaw: A Meg Langslow Mystery

began eagerly reading the document.
    “Oh, and this is Parker’s list of who was going to foster the animals,” I said. “The chief would appreciate it if you’d give him twenty-four hours to check up on them before you contact them.”
    I set that down on the desk. I glanced back when I got to the door and saw that Clarence was glancing from one document to the other and then back again, as if he couldn’t decide which to read first.
    I was overdue for seeing the twins, to say nothing of pumping them some milk. So I tried to make my passage out of my barn as rapid as my entrance. But I couldn’t exactly ignore Caroline when she called out to me and beckoned me over.
    “How’s everything here?” I asked.
    “Busy,” she said. “CORSICA’s organizing a meeting to discuss this new problem—the whole thing about the mayor hocking the whole town and maybe trying to seize your land.”
    “Why CORSICA?” I asked. “It’s not exactly an animal welfare issue.”
    “Oh, that’s right,” she said. “You haven’t heard yet. CORSICA has broadened its focus. We’re now the Committee Opposed to the Ruthless Seizure of an Innocent County’s Assets.”
    “Awesome,” I said. “Where do I join?”
    “You just did.” She handed me a small wad of flyers. “Pass these out wherever you can.”
    I looked at the top flyer.
    “Town meeting, seven P.M. Saturday night,” I said. “Wait a minute—that’s tonight. You’re having a meeting here tonight?”
    “In the barn, not in your house,” Caroline said. “Your father thought it would be okay. And Michael approved.”
    “It’s okay with me, then,” I said. “How big a meeting do you expect it will be?”
    “We’re hoping to rouse the whole damned county,” she said. “And the mayor’s helping, not that he’s trying to. Been calling up every department in the town and county government and telling them to go in and collect their personal belongings sometime this weekend, because the lenders will be taking possession on Monday morning.”
    “The hell you say.”
    “No one’s actually doing it,” she said. “Opinion’s split on whether the employees should haul in food and sleeping bags and prepare to occupy their offices, or whether they should move out every sheet of paper and stick of furniture and set up a kind of government in exile.”
    “I hear Judge Jane Shiffley’s already picked option number two,” I said.
    “And that carries a lot of weight,” she said. “But we’ll see tonight. Of course, first we have to convince some people that there’s even a problem.”
    “Show them this.” I handed her a copy of the contract. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the nursery.”
    I did my part for the meeting. As I was walking upstairs, I called Cousin Festus and told him about it.
    “Excellent,” he said. “If it’s acceptable to you, I shall plan to attend. And who’s in charge of the meeting?”
    I gave him Caroline’s cell phone number.
    As I was in the bedroom, trading my shoes for slippers, I heard several brisk barks outside. I peered out the bathroom window and saw our llamas walking up the road four abreast, followed by the border collie and five cars.
    “Good dog,” I murmured.
    Then again, he bypassed our driveway and began herding the llamas up Seth Early’s lane. Well, at least they were safe and sound, and the llamas enjoyed hanging out with the sheep.
    I went into the nursery, shut the door, and took a deep breath.
    Michael was stretched out on the recliner, a sleeping twin cradled in each arm. He opened one eye when I came in.
    “The boys are fine,” he said, and closed his eye again. “And the chief has an APB out on our llamas.”
    “The llamas are safe at Seth’s,” I said. “His new border collie got a little carried away. We can fetch them later.”
    “That’s a relief.” He looked exhausted. I wondered how long he’d spent running around looking for the llamas. And whether the surveyors or the border collie was to blame for their disappearance.
    I glanced at the clock. Two hours until the meeting. The Corsicans were probably going crazy getting ready for it.
    I picked up the nearest twin—Josh, as it happened—and settled in the rocking chair with him. I felt a brief twinge of guilt. My notebook contained a long list of tasks, and thanks to all the time I’d spent at Parker’s house, I’d barely crossed off a dozen items all day.
    And then I shoved the guilt aside. List or no list,