“Define ‘screaming,’ ” I said. “Your outfit was probably what scared her off.” She was covered head to toe in the salve I’d made. Her ugly leather house shoes with the heel folded down were sliding off her feet as she shuffled around the entryway. Her droopy red bonnet topped off the terrifying ensemble.

Mom looked down at her outfit, paused, then shrugged like she knew I was right. “Okay. Maybe I scared her off, but who was she, Flo-Jo? She was gone.”

I found a non-emergency number for the Rhinebeck police department online and handed my phone to Mo. We waited for almost an hour before the doorbell rang.

Mo hopped up to answer it and I grabbed the pile of paperwork Mrs. Redmond had left with us to show that that we were allowed to be there. Mom set down her Taser, then took to pacing the floor.

Mo led a tall woman into the front room. She wasn’t wearing a uniform, but had a name badge hanging from a lanyard around her neck. She was put together—black slacks, button-up, and a blazer—and had a walkie-talkie clipped to her belt. “I’m Dr. Khadijah Grant. I run the civilian Public Safety Office here in Rhinebeck. How are you all this evening?” When she caught sight of Mom she bit back a smile.

“We’ve been better,” Mo said. “Public Safety Office? So, you’re not a police officer?”

“No, ma’am,” Dr. Grant said kindly. “I’m a licensed social worker, and my department handles incidents called in on the non-emergency line.”

“I have a Taser,” Mom said, pointing to the coffee table. “Just so you know.”

Dr. Grant glanced at her, her smile like a mask. She probably used it to put people at ease while she observed everything around her. She’d already spotted the Taser. “As long as you aren’t planning on zapping me, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Mom said. “But I’m glad I have it. Took y’all a while to get here.”

“I apologize,” Dr. Grant said. “We’ve recently begun defunding the local police department. Several officers have proven themselves to be more of a problem than an asset to the residents here. As such, we’ve cut back the number of officers on the force and diverted funding to programs that better serve the community. My department acts as a buffer between what’s left of the police and the community to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“Well, damn,” Mom said. “Sounds like y’all are ahead of the game out here in the sticks.”