“
Who let you in?” he demanded. “What’re you doing to my poor Sailor?” He held out an arm, and the parrot promptly strolled up to his shoulder.
Erin pointed at the blackened back wall. “Your parrot called for help,” she explained. “I was walking down the hall and—”
“Good gravy!” The man ran gnarled fingers through his hair, making it stand up straighter than ever. “The doughnuts! I remember now. Got ’em all ready to fry, and then I thought I’d rest a little while the oil was heating . . . Don’t ever do that!” he turned on Erin severely. “When you’re heating oil you better be on your toes every minute, and don’t you forget it!”
Erin nodded. “I—I don’t make doughnuts,” she said. “My mother says it’s too dangerous.”
“Your mother’s a smart woman,” the old man said. He touched the charred wall and shook his head. “I’ll have to fix this up,” he said. “Don’t want Grady to see it, that’s for sure. Have enough trouble with him over Sailor here. The man don’t like pets, you know.” He picked up a limp ring of dough from the floor. “Wasn’t really my fault, anyway. My wife said, ‘Cook,’ so I cooked. I bet she’s sorry now.”
Erin looked around. There was nothing about the stark little kitchen to suggest a woman worked there, but she was relieved to hear the old man had a wife to look after him. In spite of his blustering, Erin could tell he was deeply upset.
“When your wife comes home,” she said, “please tell her I’m sorry about the doughnuts. I couldn’t see anything to smother the fire with except the baking sheet.”
“Oh, she’s here right now,” the man said cheerfully. “Can’t talk to her, of course, but she’s here. Been dead six years this August, but she never leaves me—not for a minute.”
“Really?” Erin backed across the living room, ready to run. “I have to go now,” she said nervously.
”
”