The Case of the Black Crows ( Part 1)

Work was slow. He hadn’t had a new case for over three weeks. His phone rang.

“Bluebird Detective Agency.”

A woman’s voice was on the end of the phone. She said she had a problem.

“We’ve all got problems sweet cheeks; I got an itch downstairs that’s driving me mad.”

She continued, something about a black crow. It was a bad line; he couldn’t understand what the hell she was on about. He arranged to meet her at Liverpool Street Station.

It was April and it was cold, but dry. He didn’t bother with his raincoat. Two minutes after he left the office the heavens opened. “Thank you god.”

It was only a ten minute walk to the station. It was busy, how the hell would he recognise her. Then he saw her. When she said “black crow” he didn’t realise that she meant the real thing. Under the clock at the entrance to the station was a woman with a real life black crow on her shoulder.

“Hi I’m Bluebird. You must be black crow. Let’s get some coffee”

The crow flew off and landed on the top of a building opposite. It was watching them.

“So, what’s the problem?”

She looked at him in amazement.

“I thought you were a detective?”

“I am. The best.”

“So you meet a woman in a crowded railway station with a crow on her shoulder and yet you still have to ask her what the problem is.”

“The black crow?”

“You betcha.”

“When did it start?”

“What?”

“The crow thing. When did it start following you?”

“Yesterday.”

He took a long look at her. She was a stunner. He could feel a stirring in his groin. A feeling he hadn’t felt since he spent the night with that woman… and her mum. Come to think of it the gran was involved at some stage as well. Oh yeh and their dog. Perhaps that’s where he got that damn itch.

“Mr Bluebird?”

“Sorry pumpkin, miles away.”

“Penny for them.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“NO, you REALLY wouldn’t understand.”

“So can you help me?”

“What with?”

“The CROW!”

“Sure I can.”

“How?”

“We’ll go out to the country, the crow will follow. Then I’ll shoot it.”

“All of them?”

“I thought there was only one.”

“No there’s hundreds of them.”

He looked up. The roof of the building opposite was full of crows. The sky above was almost black. Not because of the weather, but because of the mass of crows circling overhead.

“Have you tried hiding, you know, try to give them the slip.”

“Didn’t work. I got the train here from Wanstead. They still managed to find me when I came out here at Liverpool Street.”

“Wow, pretty damn impressive. Clever bastards these crows.”

“So, can you help me?”

“What with?”

“THE CROWS!”

“Sure I can. I’ll get a hawk or something, they frighten off pigeons, so they must do the same for crows.”

“Where the hell you gonna get a hawk from?”

“Listen doll, this is London, my town. You can get anything you want in this town if you know where to look. I’ll be back in a minute, stay where you are.”

He stood up and walked away and disappeared into the crowd. Exactly six minutes later he was back with a hawk strapped to his arm.

“Where the hell did you get…?”

“Don’t ask.”

He released the hawk. It flew up into the sky and soared above the flying crows. The crows on the roof started to fly off, but not away from the hawk. Towards it. They ambushed it. It never stood a chance. It fell out of the sky like a dead bird does. Quickly. He looked at her.

“We’re gonna need a bigger bird.”

“Like what?”

“Albatross?”