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“The nursing ho me?”

“Don’t rush to conclusions, Nina Meredith thought—”

Nina gunned the engine and spun the car around in the dirt and drove off In less than twenty ravel driveway and parked She grabbed her heavy canvas ca lot and into the building

Inside, the lobby was defiantly cheery and obscenely bright Fluorescent bulbs stretched like gloor room—with primary-colored chairs and an old RCA television Directly in front of her was a big wooden desk Behind it, a wohtly per her polka-dot fingernails on the fake wood surface of the desk

“I ene, she has really packed on the pounds—”

“Excusefor Anya Whitson’s roohter ”

The receptionist paused long enough to say, “Room 146 To your left,” and then went back to her conversation

Nina walked down the wide hallway On either side of her were closed doors; the few that were open revealed small hospital-like rooms inhabited by elderly people in twin beds She remembered when Aunt Dora had been here They’d visited her every weekend, and Dad had hated every second Death on the layaway plan, he used to say

How could Meredith have done this? And how dare she not tell Nina about it?

By the tiood; it was the first real fire she’d felt since Dad’s death She knocked sharply

A voice said, “Come in,” and she opened the door

HerHer white hair was unkeht At Nina’s entrance, she looked up

“Why the hell are you here?” Nina said

“Language, Nina,” her mother said

“You should be at home ”