As soon as she caught them, Jo grabbed my elbow and pushed me upstairs. With a plastic bag of food and a clipboard under one arm, she escorted me outside with a look that suggested I should prepare for an inquisition.

Once we were inside the car, she opened the plastic bag and dropped it between us. A striped scarf hugged her head, and dark sunglasses perched on top. She studied me while she chomped an apple slice. Ignoring her, I grabbed one too and stared straight out the ...