"Where's he?"
"In an institution," I said.
"Institution? What institution?"
"I don't know the name of it."
"Well, why's he there? Is it a military school or something?"
"No. He had to go because of what he did to Miss Harper."
"Who's Miss Harper? A teacher?"
"She was our minder."
"What's a minder?"
"After my parents got into their accident, she came to live with us and take care of us. She was in charge, but she was very mean to Ian and he put rat poison in her glass of water. She kept a glass by her bed.."
"Rat poison! Holy crap."
She sat up as if she had a spring in her spine. Her eyes grew narrow, suspicious.
"You ain't just having fun with me, are you?"
I shook my head.
"Are you telling me the truth, because if you're lying to me..."
"I don't lie. My grandmother Emma says people who lie are afraid and weak."
She stared at me and then relaxed again.
"Okay. Your brother put rat poison in Miss Harper's glass of water. So what happened to her?"
"She died."
"You're sitting there and telling me your brother murdered her? I never heard such a story about any March. Didn't your great- aunt know?"
'No. She doesn't remember Ian, and she doesn't know where he is now or what he did. I haven't told her yet. She doesn't like to hear about bad things, unhappy things."
Alanis sat back and stared at me a moment. Then she shook her head.
"I know what you're saying. If something like that really happened. I can believe they wouldn't care about telling your great-aunt. She's on another planet."
She stared at me, then nodded, leaning forward.
"But I'll tell you something, girl. You look older than you say you are. Your parents were in a bad accident. You say your brother poisoned some witchy woman and he's now in an institution, and you're here to live with Miss Piggy?"
"You shouldn't call her that. It's not nice."
"Well, you seen how she lives."
"I'm going to help with the housework." I said. "It's not nice to call her names," I insisted. "She's an adult."
"If she's an adult. I'm a senior citizen."
"She is!"