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post-stroke paralysis, that may not be possible.’
    â€˜In which case?’ Ada prompted.
    â€˜Then it’s the families that help us decide, typically with the input of their physician and our medical director.’
    â€˜Who’s your medical director?’ I asked, remembering Bradley’s veiled comments as to why he’d left the position.
    â€˜Dr Stanley. Gordon Stanley.’
    The name was familiar but I couldn’t place him. It bothered me. Gordon Stanley, where do I know him from?
    â€˜Well, I’ve seen enough,’ Ada said as she moved into her I’m ready-to-leave-now mode.
    I followed her lead and we edged toward the door.
    Delia, sensing her prey was about to escape, launched the hard sell. ‘If you’re seriously considering this for your mother, and from everything you’ve told me about Rose, we’d love to have her. But you need to know that we have very limited inventory. The unit you just saw is our only open deluxe model.’
    Ada shot her a look. ‘Delia, we’re talking about my mother and a tremendous amount of money. I will take all the time I need, and if you don’t have a unit that suits, there are other facilities in this area.’
    â€˜Yes, but, you need to compare apples and—’
    Ada interrupted, ‘We’ll be leaving now, but what you could get me is a copy of your standard contract that I’ll have my attorney review.’
    â€˜As a practice, we don’t release the Promise Agreement unless someone’s actually buying in. It’s proprietary and we—’
    â€˜Ms Preston, I don’t enter into any business deal blind. If you want my business you’ll fax me a copy of the tenant agreement, or promise whatever.’
    â€˜I assure you,’ Delia said, ‘there’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s quite straightforward.’
    â€˜Then good, I’ll take a look at it, and see if this is something that would work.’
    â€˜But I can’t—’
    â€˜Then neither can I,’ Ada said.
    Delia’s lower lip curled, and her forehead would have furrowed had it been possible. Her frustration was palpable as she tried to find a way around Ada’s resistance. ‘I’ll have to speak with our CEO.’
    â€˜Who’s that?’ I asked.
    â€˜Mr Warren,’ she said, clearly unhappy with the direction this was going.
    â€˜Jim Warren?’ I asked. ‘The attorney?’
    â€˜Yes,’ Delia admitted. ‘I’ll have to check with him.’
    â€˜Then good,’ Ada said, and she pulled out a card with her numbers. ‘If you could either email or fax that would be great.’
    When we finally freed ourselves from Delia, and were heading toward the car, Ada stopped. She turned and faced the towering Georgian brick façade of Nillewaug’s central residential building. She ran a hand through her hair and took a slow turn. I stood at her side, taking in the stately outer buildings like spokes on a wheel, where the six hundred unit residential building formed the massive hub. All around lush and perfectly maintained landscaping with rustic stone walls, woods with walking paths and benches and the built to impress man-made lake and waterfall, where giant koi flashed beneath flowering lilies.
    â€˜It’s nice enough.’ Her tone was less than enthusiastic. ‘Did you see how quiet everyone was? And why was she so squirrelly about letting us see the agreement? I don’t know . . .’ She sighed. ‘I just don’t know.’

SIX
    A s Mildred Potts punched in the security code for her shop, Taffy ran excited circles around her ankles. It had been a long day with a lot of Lookyloos , but no buyers. The end of the month was approaching, and even with her robust markups, if things didn’t improve . . . Well, she wouldn’t think about that. The down economy had hurt everything and the antique