Page 67 of After 5
Darryl scolded the fluff ball and retrieved my bracelet from the raccoon’s tapered fingers.
I stood, and he handed me back the bracelet.
“Sorry, Tonto can’t help himself when it comes to shiny things.”
“Why is he wearing that harness?” Gertie asked, standing and picking up the broom from the floor.
The raccoon cowered against Darryl.
Tonto had on a harness similar to the one the snake wore before Marco beheaded it.
“It’s a transportation sling. Daphne uses it to carry the other animals. Would you like to see how it works?”
“I would,” Gertie said.
I shrugged. “Why not?”
“I’ll get Daphne and meet y’all out front. There’s plenty of room in the field across from the townhouse.”
We met Darryl outside. Daphne perched on Darryl’s outstretched forearm, which was covered in a protective leather glove. Her dark, beady eyes took us in. He handed me a piece of aluminum foil wadded up into a ball.
“Hang on to this until I give you the signal, and then toss it about ten feet in front of you,” he said and then walked about twenty paces from us.
Tonto rode on Darryl’s opposite shoulder. The raccoon’s ringtail wrapped around his neck. The animal seemed almost excited about his imminent adventure.
Darryl released the hawk. Daphne spread her wings and flew upwards, then arced and glided across the air. Her graceful body coasted in the summer breeze. She circled the field.
“Throw the foil,” he said to me.
I tossed the shiny metallic ball on the ground.
“Ticktock, Tonto,” Darryl commanded.
Tonto jumped off Darryl’s shoulder and started to run. The raccoon scooped up the ball of foil and kept running.
Darryl clicked a small plastic device he held in his hand and the hawk swooped down and picked up the raccoon, carrying him high in the sky.
Darryl clicked twice and Daphne did a 360, flew low over Darryl, and released the raccoon into Darryl’s arms.
The hawk did a few more circles, stretched her wings, and glided over a clump of trees in the distance. The magnificence of the bird sent shivers up my spine.
“Darryl, that was fantastic,” I said.
“Amazing,” Gertie agreed.
Darryl gave a low whistle, and the hawk landed on his arm. He popped a treat into the air, and Daphne caught it in her beak.
“They make a good team,” I said as Darryl walked over to us.
“Yep, back in the day, before my singing career took off, the three of us might have borrowed a few items from an outdoor flea market.”
I arched an eyebrow at Gertie.
“What kind of items?” She asked him.
“Mostly jewelry, small pistols, a few switchblades, cell phones, oh, and once I was able to snag an entire collection of U.S. Quarters. I had one for every state.” He dropped his head. “It was the cell phones that got me. I didn’t realize one belonged to the sheriff. He used the Find A Phone app and picked me up. We didn’t take nothing real expensive mind you, just a way to make a little extra income.”
“Darryl, most people make extra income by delivering pizzas,” Gertie said.
