Helen turned slowly, her face in shadow. She reached into her small leather handbag and pulled out a pale green medical folder.

“Do you?” Helen asked. “Let’s see if you feel the same way after you read this.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, the sudden vibration making me jump. I pulled it out and looked at the screen.

It was a text message from Dina at the front desk. The message read: *Emma, there is a person here from the county records office. He says he needs to deliver a confidential file to you directly.*

I looked up from the screen to see Helen stepping toward me, her hand holding out the green folder.

“This is your last chance to stop the audit, Emma,” Helen said, her voice dropping to a low, venomous purr. “Or your mother’s final days will become public record.”

“This is your last chance to stop the audit, Emma,” Helen said, her voice dropping to a low, venomous purr. “Or your mother’s final days will become public record.”

I stared at the pale green folder in her hand.