“Yes, ma’am.” Scout moves near Piper and Mrs. Williams.

“She’s in the choir at St. Mark’s, isn’t she?”

“I’ve heard lots of good things about you and your sister, Moose.” Buddy’s voice is low, like a cat purring on the wrong note. The sound electrifies the hairs on the back of my neck.

“Thanks, Mr… um… Boy.” I edge toward Scout and Piper and Mrs. Williams.

“I thought so, yes, a beautiful voice. Clear as a bell. You give her my best, you hear?” Mrs. Williams has a polite smile on her tired face. “All right, you kids. I’ve got a million things to do this afternoon. You go on into the kitchen, help yourselves to the brownies, and tell Willy I said you could have more than one. He’s stingy with those brownies,” Mrs. Williams tells Buddy.

“He’s superstitious, Mrs. W. Can’t have the wrong number of brownies left.”

“What nonsense. Talk some sense into him, Buddy, will you?” Mrs. Williams smiles at Buddy, as comfortable with him as if he were her cousin. She walks back into the hall.

Buddy catches my eye. He heads toward the piano with a little jig to his step. He has three toothpicks in his mouth and he’s chomping down on all of them.

“Hey, Moose, sweet pea.” He turns to wave at me and my invisible sister Natalie with a warm smile.

Natalie isn’t here. And how’s he know my dad calls her sweet pea anyway? Slowly, it dawns on me, he’s doing an imitation of my dad. It’s pretty good too.

“My dad, right?” I ask.

Buddy smiles, pleased with himself. He clearly enjoys the spotlight.

“Piper?” I call after her. She and Scout are already on their way to the kitchen. “Did you see that? Buddy did a good imitation of my dad.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen it. He can do everyone. He’s good.”

We both look back at Buddy Boy, who has followed Piper’s mom to the front door, where he is patiently listening to her instructions on cleaning the balustrade. The smile, the toothpicks, the wave, everything that reminded me of my father has vanished. Buddy sees us looking at him. He winks, just the way my dad would wink.