Catch a Shadow Read Online Free Page A

dash of reality.
    She stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself, then quickly dressed.
    Merlin would probably be squawking and driving Sam mad.
    She pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and went out the front door, across the porch, and knocked at the neighboring unit of the side-by-side duplex.
    â€œCome in, dammit.”
    She recognized the impatient sound. Merlin was imitating one of his former owners.
    Sam appeared at the door, scowling. “You’re late. I’m due for rehearsal.”
    â€œI know. I’m sorry. We had a call just as before our shift ended.”
    Sam’s scowl disappeared. “Bad day?”
    â€œThe worst.”
    â€œA beer?”
    â€œYou bet,” she said, following him inside to the loud cackling of an unhappy Merlin.
    Sam had been her neighbor for ten years, ever since she moved to Atlanta to work for the Observer . He was a musician who played in a jazz band at a downtown nightclub and sometimes filled in with other bands. He was usually gone all night, and she all day.
    She looked after his cat when he was gone at night, and he looked after Merlin, who had a severe separation anxiety problem, during the day.
    She went over to Merlin’s cage and released him. The parrot flew to her shoulder and pecked her ear. “Merlin lonely.”
    â€œI know,” she said, soothing his feathers. “Ready to go home?”
    Merlin put his head against her cheek in a rare display of affection. It had taken her two years with him before he had displayed any at all.
    â€œI have some pizza in the fridge,” Sam said helpfully as he handed her a bottle of beer. “You can take it with you.”
    Kirke made a face. Cold pizza had never appealed to her, but she remembered she had precious little food in her fridge. She’d meant to go shopping after her shift but …
    She nodded and swigged down the beer. She seldom did that. She enjoyed a beer with meals and a glass of wine at night, but she was careful when she drank, especially in her current job. Her patients couldn’t afford a hungover paramedic.
    Sam noticed it, too. “A really bad day, huh?”
    â€œNot the half of it.”
    He waited for her to elaborate. It was one of the things they liked about each other. They never pried into the other’s life, but each was there as a sounding board when necessary.
    â€œI broke the rules,” she said.
    He raised an eyebrow. “You?”
    He often kidded her about having a split personality. He complained she had an honesty that went to unhealthy extremes. She would drive twenty miles back if someone handed her the wrong change. Her conscience, he often complained, had been far too tightly wired. But she also had a thing about authority, particularly unjustly administered authority.
    He glanced at his watch, then gave her a rueful grin. “You can tell me about it tomorrow.” He paused. “Oops. I have an early rehearsal tomorrow.”
    â€œWhy an early rehearsal?”
    â€œNew singer. She’s good, really good. You ought to check her out. She has that Piaf sound you like so much.”
    â€œNo one has that sound.”
    â€œNo, but she comes closer to it than anyone I’ve heard. The drinks will be on me.”
    â€œNot tomorrow night, but I’m off the next day.”
    He nodded. “I gotta be on my way. Can’t get fired from this gig.”
    She nodded. “I’ll lock up for you.”
    He grabbed his saxophone case and was out the door. She took the half pizza from his fridge, slipped the empty beer can in the trash, and put Merlin into his cage.
    â€œGood Sam,” Merlin noted in a mimic of her own voice.
    She picked up Sam’s black cat, named Sam’s Spade after his master’s passion for the detective, and took him and the pizza to her side of the duplex. Then she returned to Sam’s side, fetched Merlin, locked the door, and returned to her sanctuary.
    The duplex