The Hospice Ledger

Detective Alma Ruiz arrived in an unmarked car and took one look at the three women in the laundromat.

"This is either a witness meeting or the worst book club in Briar Glen."

Brooke did not smile. "Lila Hart needs protection."

"Lila Hart is dead according to one federal database, alive according to a landlord complaint, and wanted for questioning by nobody official." Ruiz looked at Nora. "And you are the widow everyone is suddenly whispering about."

Nora straightened. "Whispering what?"

Ruiz's expression did not change, but Brooke felt the answer before it came.

"That you forged documents at Kind Harbor to support a fraudulent claim."

Nora held out the photo of Daniel's assignment form. "I found this today. My signature is forged."

Ruiz studied it. "Daniel Marlow is alive?"

"Yes."

"Then why assign future benefit rights?"

Lila answered. "Because death is easier to schedule when the paperwork is ready."

The laundromat seemed to stop around them. A dryer thumped once, twice, like a heart behind a wall.

Ruiz took a slow breath. She had worked enough elder-abuse calls to know that respectable rooms could be more dangerous than alleys. "Do you have originals?"

Nora hesitated.

"Don't lie to the detective," Brooke said.

"Don't tell me who to trust," Nora shot back.

Ruiz pointed at both of them. "Good. Nobody trusts anybody yet. That may keep you alive."

Lila zipped her backpack. "I can give you names."

"You can give them from a safe interview room."

"No station."

"Then my sister's dental office after hours," Ruiz said. "It has locks and no one dies there on purpose."

Nora's phone buzzed. Tessa.

She answered, expecting Sophie's cough, not Tessa's broken whisper.

"Nora, Daniel's hospice nurse just came by with a new form. She says if he doesn't sign, his pain medication review gets delayed."

Nora looked at the forged assignment in Ruiz's hand.

"Do not let him touch the pen," she said.