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She’d seen it dozens of times in her life, but now, for the first time, she studied it closely There were Russian letters entwined in the scrollwork An A and what appeared to be the P sy that looked like a spider There were also a few she didn’t recognize

She was just about to reach for it when she remembered the water she’d put on to boil

“Shit ” Nina grabbed her camera and ran for the house

Nine

Meredith came up with a plan and stuck to it She’d decided that two afternoons and an evening with Mo hootten better in the past feeeks, but Meredith didn’t believe for a second that she ell enough to care for herself yet

And it was important—crucial, even—that Nina understood the situation Meredith didn’t want to carry the burden of this decision alone any longer Mom had been in the home for almost six weeks and her ankle was fully healed Soon a permanent choice would have to be made, and Meredith refused to do it alone

At four-thirty, she left the office and drove to the nursing home Once there, she waved at Sue Ellen, the receptionist, and sailed past, her head held high, her keys in one hand, her handbag in the other At Moh to tell herself she didn’t really have a headache, and then she opened the door

Inside, a pair of blue-coverall-cladthe floor, the other iping down theAll of Moone On the bed, instead of the brand-new bedding Meredith had bought, there was a plain blue mattress

“Where’s Mrs Whitson?”

“She ive us”

Meredith blinked “Excuse me?”

“Moved out ”

Meredith spun on her heel and walked back to the front desk “Sue Ellen,” she said, pressing two fingertips to her left temple “Where is my mother?”

“She left with Nina Moved out, just like that No notice or nothing ”

“Well This is a mistake My mother will be back—”