while Immy boiled their meal, but neither of them liked the way it looked. It was all right, but it wouldn't win the Cutest Pig prize.
When someone knocked on the front door, her first happy thought was--Ralph! He'd said he would try to stop by tonight. But the knock wasn't Ralph's familiar rhythm. Her next thought, a relieved one, was that s he wasn't looking forward to h im noticing the broken railing.
She opened the door to let Geoff in. He didn't mention the railing. Maybe he hadn't noticed it . It was almost full dark outside.
"I'm coming by because Jersey said I should. Something about checking out the house or the yard." The light from the chandelier bounced off his bald head.
Immy glanced behind her. The door to the library was open, but she couldn't see the rug mess from here. Maybe she could keep him at the front door.
"Frankly," he continued. "I want you to know that I'm pretty loose about this shit."
Now Immy looked around for Drew , who didn't need to hear that language. A giggle came from the kitchen, so she was probably still drawing crude pictures of pigs with longhorns sprouting from their heads .
"That's nice. You're loose about this what?"
"About the house. I need to keep track of what's going on, and I'll need access occasionally, but if there's a hole in the backyard, I'm not too concerned."
Maybe Geoff hadn't been told about the rug yet. It could be that Vance was sitting in his car somewhere , hyperventilating.
"How about the furnishings?" Immy said.
"What do you mean? What furnishings? "
"Well...we've taken a few old things up to the top floor to make room for our things. Is that okay?"
He put on a stern face . "I f you 're moving things , I'll have to do some inspecting , to make sure there's no damage."
"You can go on up and look at what we've moved." Maybe, if he went upstairs, he wouldn't glance into the library. The lights were out in that room, but Immy wished the door were shut.
Geoff tromped up the stairs, then she heard him going down the hallway and up the next flight. She scooted to the library and closed the door. Now she'd probably have to shop around second-hand stores for an old, dusty rug to replace the ripped up one.
Within five minutes, a loud crash came from overhead. Immy ran up the stairs, hearing Geoff pounding down the hallway . His eyes were wild and his pudgy face was pale. He pushed her aside and continued down the stairs .
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Immy said, catching her balance on the top stair, then realized what she'd said . "Did you see your aunt, Mrs. Tompkins?"
Geoff halted half way to the bottom . "What did you say? My aunt is dead and gone. Good riddance."
"But she gave you this house, didn't she?"
"She sure did. She gave me this dump . "
"What was that noise upstairs?"
His eyes grew wide again. "There 's something up there ," he rasped, his voice a hoarse whisper . " An old dresser fell over, missed me by an inch ."
"So, you'll have to note that. If it's damaged, I didn't do it."
"I'll be back in daylight." He scurried down the stairs, as quickly as his out - of - shape body could go .
"I work during the day," Immy called after him. "And there's a pig show Saturday."
She wasn't sure he heard her , but she heard the front door slam as he left.
Chapter Fourteen
The next knock that evening was Ralph's familiar rhythm. Not many people used the doorbell in this place . Drew was in the backyard, otherwise she would have run and jumped on him.
"You want some hot dogs? " said Immy. " There are three left."
"Uh, no thanks," said Ralph , following her into the kitchen . Was he turning up his nose at her hot dogs ? It wasn't what he got when she lived with Mother, Immy had to admit.
"What's this?" He picked up one of her sketches.
"I'm trying to figure out how to make Marshmallow into a cow."
"He's a pig. You can't make him into a cow."
" It's for the contest , silly . I want to make him a cow costume."
"Ah, got i t."
When someone knocked on the front door, her first happy thought was--Ralph! He'd said he would try to stop by tonight. But the knock wasn't Ralph's familiar rhythm. Her next thought, a relieved one, was that s he wasn't looking forward to h im noticing the broken railing.
She opened the door to let Geoff in. He didn't mention the railing. Maybe he hadn't noticed it . It was almost full dark outside.
"I'm coming by because Jersey said I should. Something about checking out the house or the yard." The light from the chandelier bounced off his bald head.
Immy glanced behind her. The door to the library was open, but she couldn't see the rug mess from here. Maybe she could keep him at the front door.
"Frankly," he continued. "I want you to know that I'm pretty loose about this shit."
Now Immy looked around for Drew , who didn't need to hear that language. A giggle came from the kitchen, so she was probably still drawing crude pictures of pigs with longhorns sprouting from their heads .
"That's nice. You're loose about this what?"
"About the house. I need to keep track of what's going on, and I'll need access occasionally, but if there's a hole in the backyard, I'm not too concerned."
Maybe Geoff hadn't been told about the rug yet. It could be that Vance was sitting in his car somewhere , hyperventilating.
"How about the furnishings?" Immy said.
"What do you mean? What furnishings? "
"Well...we've taken a few old things up to the top floor to make room for our things. Is that okay?"
He put on a stern face . "I f you 're moving things , I'll have to do some inspecting , to make sure there's no damage."
"You can go on up and look at what we've moved." Maybe, if he went upstairs, he wouldn't glance into the library. The lights were out in that room, but Immy wished the door were shut.
Geoff tromped up the stairs, then she heard him going down the hallway and up the next flight. She scooted to the library and closed the door. Now she'd probably have to shop around second-hand stores for an old, dusty rug to replace the ripped up one.
Within five minutes, a loud crash came from overhead. Immy ran up the stairs, hearing Geoff pounding down the hallway . His eyes were wild and his pudgy face was pale. He pushed her aside and continued down the stairs .
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Immy said, catching her balance on the top stair, then realized what she'd said . "Did you see your aunt, Mrs. Tompkins?"
Geoff halted half way to the bottom . "What did you say? My aunt is dead and gone. Good riddance."
"But she gave you this house, didn't she?"
"She sure did. She gave me this dump . "
"What was that noise upstairs?"
His eyes grew wide again. "There 's something up there ," he rasped, his voice a hoarse whisper . " An old dresser fell over, missed me by an inch ."
"So, you'll have to note that. If it's damaged, I didn't do it."
"I'll be back in daylight." He scurried down the stairs, as quickly as his out - of - shape body could go .
"I work during the day," Immy called after him. "And there's a pig show Saturday."
She wasn't sure he heard her , but she heard the front door slam as he left.
Chapter Fourteen
The next knock that evening was Ralph's familiar rhythm. Not many people used the doorbell in this place . Drew was in the backyard, otherwise she would have run and jumped on him.
"You want some hot dogs? " said Immy. " There are three left."
"Uh, no thanks," said Ralph , following her into the kitchen . Was he turning up his nose at her hot dogs ? It wasn't what he got when she lived with Mother, Immy had to admit.
"What's this?" He picked up one of her sketches.
"I'm trying to figure out how to make Marshmallow into a cow."
"He's a pig. You can't make him into a cow."
" It's for the contest , silly . I want to make him a cow costume."
"Ah, got i t."
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