Rose takes notes. Marion has gleaned a great deal of information: Longwood’s shift hours, parking facilities, location of many cameras, senior management, layout of the Memory Care Unit, visiting hours, types of personnel used, both staff and private contractors. Rose is amazed at how much detailed information a dedicated computer genius can find lying around for the taking.

Marion reluctantly agrees to try to get the fingerprint run. “I am not a hacker,” she tells Rose firmly. “I’m an explorer. Hacking is a whole different skill set. Besides, I don’t want guys in black jumpsuits rappelling into my backyard from helicopters.”

“Can you get Longwood’s patient records?” Rose asks.

“Not without a password. I am not a hacker.”

That last is in case the call is monitored, Rose guesses.

They talk another hour and thirty minutes. At the end of that time, they have a plan.

CHAPTER 14

An open-up-police-style knock jerks Rose from a much-needed afternoon nap. For an instant, the paint-spattered, box-ridden chaos of the living room disorients her. Recovery is quick. Her mind is back to normal—or at least as good as it has ever been.

It is Mel, again carrying plastic sacks. As the girl brushes by into the house, Rose tells her, “I need your cell phone.”

“Why don’t you just ask for my eyeballs and liver while you’re at it?” Mel says, mouth agape, so much like her mother, Rose wants to cry. “How long?”

“Not more than a few hours.”

Mel gasps, appalled. “Huh! No,” she says.

“Marion and I came up with a plan. It requires two phones.”

Mel groans. “Oh boy, I can’t wait. And whatever it is, I can do everything you’re going to do. What kind of plan?”

Rose tells her.

“Can’t Great-Aunt Marion just hack them or something?” Mel asks.

“Not a hacker,” Rose says.

“This is totally insane.”

“That has become my specialty,” Rose says, hoping for a smile. She doesn’t get one. “It should work,” Rose insists. “It’s not foolproof, but it’s doable.”

“That’s what all this stuff is for? Why don’t I just deliver it to Sing Sing and be done with it? I’m coming with you. To Longwood, not Sing Sing.”

“That’s not part of the plan.”

“You’ll screw up the electronic stuff. You’re not all that tech-savvy, you know.”

“Marion will be with me,” Rose reminds her.

“Right. You’re going to be Great-Aunt Marion’s avatar. That is so not going to work.”

“You thought it would when I told you a minute ago.”

“That’s because I thought I’d be with you.”

Rose waits.

“Please,” Mel begs. “It would be so much less scary if I were doing this stuff. You’re going to get all freaked out about internet interactions, and then they’ll grab you, and that will be that.” Mel is holding her phone behind her back protectively.