I sat back.

Ruth stood beside the chair, one hand on its back.

She had already been coming to me when the monitoring company reached her.

She confirmed what she knew: I was outside, responders were being called, and she would stay nearby.

“That was the call James wanted you to answer,” I said.

“He wanted whoever was available to answer.”

I looked again at the order.

I could imagine why he had listed my family before a neighbor.