The smell of floor wax and rubbing alcohol felt suffocating.

Leo walked over to the window, staring out at the grey Des Moines skyline.

“She’s trying to trap us,” Leo said softly.

He turned to Melanie, his eyes hard and focused.

“Where is Josephine right now?” he asked.

“She’s at the house,” Melanie said, her voice barely audible. “She’s packing up Sam’s things. She thinks she’s taking him home tomorrow.”

“Over my dead body,” Leo said.

He walked over to my bedside and took my hand. His palm was warm and dry.

“We need to think,” Leo said to me. “What else did she put in that petition?”

“Marcus didn’t have the full filing yet,” I said. “But Melanie, you know her. What is her angle?”

Melanie looked at the floor, crossing her arms tightly.

“She’s going to use the Omaha trip,” Melanie said.

Leo froze. “What about the Omaha trip?”

“She’s going to tell the judge that Grace was locked in the spare room for three days while you were gone,” Melanie said. “She’s going to say Grace had a breakdown and locked herself in.”