“Izzy wasn’t like that,” Rose answers, sitting beside Mel on the sofa. “She never made me do anything—or even told me not to do anything. When I’d do or say something too random, she had this way of dropping her jaw and making her eyes really wide, like she was so shocked, she didn’t know whether to burst out laughing or run from the room. Then, because Izzy was Izzy, whatever out-of-line thing I was doing, I kind of sort of just didn’t want to do it anymore.”

“I remember that look,” Mel says wistfully.

“I’m glad I’m wearing your mom’s things on this junket,” Rose says. “It makes me feel less scared, more confident.”

“I’m glad, too, I guess,” Mel says. “Mom wouldn’t have approved of what you’re planning to do.”

“Probably not,” Rose agrees.

“Mom would have told you to call the police.”

“Your mother was a woman who had great faith in the system. She knew how to work and play well with others. Your granddad was like that. It worked for them. Not me. How the real world works has always been a mystery to me.”

They don’t speak for a while. Mel goes back to her cell phone.

Finally, Rose rouses herself. “I guess this is it,” she says. “Let’s get me wired.” Rose holds her hand out for Mel’s iPhone.

“Wait,” Mel says. “Let me make sure the ringer and vibrator are off. Dad usually calls around eight.”

Dad calls. Of course he does. “Did you talk to him last night?” Rose asks.

“Every night,” Mel replies without looking up.

“Did he mention Longwood? Me?”

“Nope. I haven’t told him anything. You asked me not to, remember?”

Rose does remember. “Longwood should have called him,” she says slowly. She hadn’t thought of that back in the fog-laced times.

“They must not have,” Mel says.

“After that first aborted escape, Nancy came, and Stella,” Rose recalls. “You’d think Longwood would have called Flynn. He’s the man on all the paperwork.”

“Maybe they did, and he called Grandma Nancy,” Mel says.

That is possible, but Rose thinks it odd. If Flynn knew she’d gone missing and stayed missing, he would have said something to his daughter. No, Flynn would have flown home the instant he could get away.

Unless he wants her to go missing, die, and be written off without a murmur.

Now, there is some nasty food for thought.

“Cell phone,” Rose says, putting that idea away. She holds out her hand. Mel hugs the phone to her chest.

“You won’t answer it?”

“No.”

“You won’t read any texts?”

“No.”

“Or look at the photo gallery?”

“Oooh, what’s in the photo gallery?” Rose asks avidly. Mel is not amused. “Only kidding. No, I will not pry, peep, listen, or trespass in any way.”