My parents said to Grandma that they were taking her out to lunch. Three hours later, a nursing facility called me.

her coat and pulled out a small envelope.

Across the front, written in my grandfather’s handwriting, were two words:

HOUSE DEED.

“I hid this before they came to pick me up,” she said. “I wanted to know whether they would go looking for it.”

Her voice dropped.

“They wanted me out of the way.”

PART 2

Grandma kept the envelope pressed against her coat as we pulled into the county courthouse parking lot.

For the first time since I’d picked her up, she hesitated before opening the door.

Inside, the