43

“Of course.”
“And what else does he say to you?”
“Stuff.”
“What stuff?”
Stephanie shrugged. “Just stuff.”
“For instance.”
“I’ll show you. I’ll ask him some questions.”
“You do that.”
Her fingertips on the planchette, Stephanie stared at the board with eyes tight in concentration. “Captain Stevey, don’t you think my mom is pretty?”
A second…five…ten…twenty…
“Captain Stevey?”
More seconds passed. Shirley was surprised. She’d expected her daughter to slide the planchette to the section marked YES. Oh, for pete’s sake, what now? An unconscious hostility? Oh, that’s crazy.
“Captain Stevey, that’s really not very polite,” chided Stephanie.
“Honey, maybe he’s sleeping.”
“Do you think?”
“I think you should be sleeping.”
“Already?”
“C’mon, babe! Up to bed!” Shirley stood up.
“He’s a poop,” muttered Stephanie, then followed her mother up the stairs.