She nodded slowly.
"I bet that's what's wrong with Janet Ward's sister."
"My doctor told my mother it's happening a lot more than ever."
She sat forward, her eyes widening,
"That so? I want you to tell me all about it." she said.
'I don't remember that much. Ian did his research and..."
We heard Mae Betty calling for Alanis.
"Oh. damn." Alanis said. "Just when we were getting to a good part." She went to the window to shout back. "What, Mama?"
"You get your booty over here. Alanis, and help me with this cleaning up right now."
"Oh, Ma."
"You get over here, girl. I ain't fooling."
"Damn," she said, turning back to me. "That chauffeur sure raised hell around here. C'mon," she said. "We can talk while I work on Miss... on your great-aunt's house. Here," she said, handing me a stick of bubble gum.
I looked at it and shook my head.
"Ian says not to eat stuff like this. It will make holes in your teeth."
"Ian says? Ian ain't telling you what to do here, is he?"
"Yes, he is," I said.
"What?" She stopped in the doorway. "I thought you just said he was in an institution for killing that woman with rat poison."
"He is."
"Then how can he be here telling you what to do?"
"He's in here," I said, pointing to my head. "I always hear things he said long after he said them. Ian's very smart. so I try to listen to him."
I wasn't going to tell her about his letters. I was sure he had all sorts of advice for me. Or at least I hoped he had, and it would be personal.
She stared at me with her mouth open, and then she smiled.
"C'mon," she said, took back her stick of gum and hurried out and down the steps.
Bones rose and followed us, but when it was obvious we were heading for the house, he turned around and returned to the porch. I guess he really was afraid of Miss Puss. I thought.
"You didn't answer my question and you said I could have the first question," I reminded her as we continued quickly to Great-aunt Frances's house.
"I didn't, did I? No, no tadpoles today. He tried, but I wasn't doing it with him."
"Why were you with him with nothing on top and he only in his underwear then?"
"Damn, girl, don't go saying that so loud," she warned, pausing and looking at the house. She thought a moment, then asked, "You ever go fishing?"
"Not really. I was in a boat on the lake but I didn't go fishing. Ian did."
"Good for Ian. My granddaddy will probably talk you into fishing with him in the lake back there. Anyway." she said as she continued toward the house, "it's like fishing."