What I told Patricia is that Karen hadn’t been answering her mother’s calls for at least six weeks. Mrs. Garner had mentioned it twice, both times shrugging it off, saying Karen was probably just busy.

I’d seen Mrs. Garner sit by the phone after leaving a voicemail and just wait. She wasn’t waiting for Karen to call back. She was just sitting with the fact that she probably wouldn’t. And I think on some level, without the words for it, she already knew something was wrong. She just didn’t know it was this wrong.

I made the APS call that afternoon. I gave them everything. The photos, the dates, the pharmacy receipt, the blood pressure log, the trust details Patricia had confirmed. The case worker I spoke to said someone would follow up within 48 hours. I said, “She takes those pills every morning. Can you please make it faster than that?” She said she’d flag it as urgent.

I went back inside after that call and I made Mrs. Garner her afternoon tea. She was watching her program and she looked up and smiled at me and said, “You okay, honey? You look a little pale.” I said, “I’m fine. Just tired.” She patted the cushion next to her and said, “Sit down for a minute then.”

I sat down. She went back to her show. The ceramic rooster was on the windowsill catching the afternoon light. I thought about the fact that she had no idea. And I thought about Derek coming back in six days with groceries and a fresh plan. And I thought about Karen, wherever she was, not answering her phone.

I still go to Mrs. Garner’s every morning. I make sure she takes the right pills now.

I verified every single one with the pharmacist before I let her touch them. APS came. There’s an investigation open. Patricia has been in contact with the county. Derek doesn’t know I’m the one who reported it, as far as I can tell.

But here’s the thing that keeps me up at night. The last time Derek visited, right before all this came out, Mrs. Garner walked him to the door and hugged him. She said, “You’re such a good boy.” He said, “Anything for you.” And he meant the opposite of that in every possible way, and she had no idea, and I was standing right there in the kitchen listening and I couldn’t say a word yet.