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just as they made the left turn toward the elevators. “I cannot wait to get to work.”
    *   *   *
    The black Camry Jewel drove was only two years old, one of her first purchases in the years she’d been at Perryville. The older-model sedan she’d driven up to the resort on her very first day had long since served its purpose and she’d finally felt safe enough to start laying down some roots. Initially, she’d thought something as menial as the credit check would lead to unwanted questions or worse, visitors, but the process had gone very smoothly. A few hours later, she’d been driving her new car back to the resort. From that point on she’d gathered the courage to do other things, such as apply for credit cards and even shop online. Nothing had happened and nobody had come looking for her. She’d still kept a low profile at Perryville and steered clear of the trappings of social networks. Landing the position with the administration here had been a huge stroke of luck and she worked really hard to keep that position. It was only on these specific days that she hated the life she’d carefully arranged for herself, hated the restrictions she had no choice but to live by.
    â€œWell, hello, Miss Jenner. You’re right on time as usual.”
    Gail, the evening attendant at Sunset Brooke Convalescent Home greeted her.
    â€œHi, Gail, how are you?” Jewel asked as she always did once she entered the one-level compound that housed almost sixty elderly tenants.
    Located near Red Rock Canyon, just outside of Sedona on a privately owned patch of land, Sunset Brooke was run by a nonprofit organization that provided support to Native American tribes and intertribal groups interested in protective management and native-controlled land conservancies. Her father’s somewhat distorted relation to the Sinagua Indians was his passage to stay at the home for half the normal price, as Red Rock was reputedly the home of this mysterious tribe before what is now known as the Great Abandonment. Jewel thought it ironic that this sacred land would hide her father from the very men his ancestors had left their home to avoid.
    â€œNot complaining,” Gail replied. “Not complaining at all. Every day is a new blessing.”
    Jewel believed that, so she smiled at Gail and took off the large framed sunglasses she always wore when she came here. Wisps of the long, bone-straight hair from the wig she wore caught on her heavily glossed lips and she pushed them away.
    â€œIs he out on the patio?”
    Gail nodded. “As usual. You know he loves his sunsets.”
    Jewel chuckled. “Yes, I know. I’ll just go out and say hello.”
    â€œRight on schedule the two of you are,” the older woman said, her gaze intent. She wore white, the frothy material wrapping around her body from her ankles up to her neck. Draped over her shoulders was a colorful wrap with intricate designs that swirled in circles to form what to Jewel looked like an eye. Her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled tight at the nape of her neck into a neat bun while the burnt-orange complexion of her skin looked only slightly weathered.
    â€œHe likes routine,” was Jewel’s only reply to the woman’s comment.
    If she thought Gail was looking at her a little strangely this evening, it was most likely because she was tired. A large wedding had arrived at the resort today so she’d spent the majority of the day going around making sure everything was perfectly set up for the rich snobbish bride and her thirty-two-person ensemble that she called a bridal party. Guests of the wedding had just begun arriving as she’d left. The front-desk staffers were already stressed beyond measure after checking in the bridal party. Jewel figured by the time she returned to the resort some of them might be ready to quit or strangle a guest, or possibly both.
    So she didn’t think too much of