But I could not let them into my home under these conditions.

If I took them in now, I would be agreeing to the terms of Linda’s blackmail.

I would be validating her threat.

“I need a moment,” I said.

“We don’t have all night, Mark,” Linda said.

“You will give me five minutes,” I said, “or you can make your phone call right now from the lobby.”

I stared at her until she looked down.

“Five minutes,” Linda said.

I walked away from them, toward the quiet alcove near the elevators.

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket.

My fingers were cold as I scrolled through my contacts.

I did not call my lawyer yet.

I did not call the chief pilot.

I looked for the number of a local agency I had used once before when my captain’s elderly mother needed temporary care.

It was a premium service, providing licensed, background-checked professionals.

They offered short-notice, in-home supervision.

And more importantly, they kept meticulous logs.

If I had a professional in my apartment, there could be no claims of neglect or abandonment.