Contents
41. Birdy
Overview
After a grim day, Birdy summons Carter, pressing him about the beach victim and Harrison. Carter reveals he took Eden’s hairbrush to the coroner and handled paperwork. Birdy suffers a severe pain episode, takes pills, and lets Carter help.
The night ends in intimacy, complicating their professional dynamic amid the murder inquiry.
Summary
Near midnight at The Smuggler’s Inn, Birdy texts Sergeant Carter to meet after the discovery of a faceless body at Blackwater Bay. Carter arrives using an old key, and Birdy questions his whereabouts. He says he delivered Eden Fox’s hairbrush to the coroner to aid DNA identification and handled station paperwork.
Birdy reports Harrison is unresponsive and warns Carter to avoid antagonizing him. When Carter suggests verifying Eden’s daughter’s whereabouts, Birdy is struck by an intense pain episode, realizing she forgot her medication and hasn’t eaten. She instructs Carter to fetch her pills, and he carries her to her room, gets water, and waits while the medication takes effect. Birdy masks the episode as a migraine.
Carter refuses to leave until she’s better, brings snacks and a virgin mojito, and shows concern. Feeling seen and vulnerable after the day’s events, Birdy initiates a kiss, and they have sex, despite her being his superior. The encounter ends with Carter holding her hand, and Birdy—uncharacteristically—invites him to stay the night, deepening their personal entanglement as the case remains unresolved.
Who Appears
- BirdyDCI narrator; manages the case, suffers a severe pain episode, takes pills, then initiates sex with Carter and asks him to stay.
- Sergeant CarterArrives late, claims coroner drop-off and paperwork; helps Birdy during her collapse; shows concern; sleeps with his boss.
- SundayBirdy’s dog; senses her distress and stays close during her pain episode.