“There is something else,” Mom said.
She reached inside her coat.
A small brass key landed on the desk.
I stared at it.
“What is that?”
“A safe-deposit box key.”
Abigail had gone pale when Mom showed it earlier in my imagined worst-case scenarios.
But this was real.
“Where?”
“First Federal Bank downtown.”
“What’s inside?”
Mom hesitated.
“Documents.”
“What kind?”
“The kind Abigail thought I destroyed.”
Before I could ask more, someone knocked.
The clinic administrator entered.
“There are two investigators here.”
Abigail’s voice sounded from the hallway.
“You cannot keep me here!”
Mom stood.
The weak old woman disappeared entirely.
Dr. Leonard opened the door.
Abigail stared at her.
Mom looked back calmly.
“What are you doing?” Abigail whispered.
Mom smiled.
“Remembering.”
Abigail’s face drained of color.
“You lied.”
“So did you.”
“I was protecting you.”
“By locking my door?”
“You were confused.”
“I can name every president since Eisenhower.”
