Jake opened an animal crate and set it aside. “If Alex were in town he’d have them walking right into the crate.”

“Well, Alex isn’t here so how do you think we should handle it?”

“You need bread. They like bread.” A man in a crisp white shirt and bow tie leaned over Frank. One gnarled finger pointed at the duck. “She’s scared. Look at how she’s shivering.”

“You need a big pan with Palmolive liquid dish soap. That works best for washing birds,” a woman wearing layers of wool chimed in. Her hair was cut so short they could see pink scalp between blades of white hair. “They do that for the birds caught in an oil slick. I seen it on the Discovery channel.”

Frank looked over his shoulder at the crowd assembled behind them. They had pulled up chairs in a half circle. It was probably the most entertainment they would see this month. The Shoreline Shelter was located two blocks from the Embers Hotel. The downward spiral of the economy had forced more residents into the shelter than it could handle. The local churches had stepped in to help find foster families for those without relatives.

One couple in their thirties was holding back their two curious children. “Don’t hurt them,” the young girl around age five yelled. She refused to sit down so her father had to force her onto his lap.

An elderly woman teetered over and stood next to Mister Bow Tie. She spoke to the entire room. “Anyone seen Eleanor? We were supposed to go to lunch today.” She searched the faces in the room but no one replied. She was decked out in a hat and gloves as though going to Sunday services. “Anyone seen Eleanor? She never misses lunch at her favorite restaurant.”

“What? McDonald’s has one buck burgers again?” Bowtie said.

The two ducks edged further away from the screen.