She tapped a yellow highlighter against the paper.

“He is fully complicit in systematic bank fraud,” she said. “But there is something more serious here.”

She pulled a document with a blue government seal from her briefcase.

“These properties were purchased using federal housing grants designed for low-income redevelopment,” she said.

“The Department of Housing and Urban Development,” my father said.

“Exactly,” Karen said. “The moment federal funds are involved, it becomes a federal matter.”

“What does that mean for us?” I asked.

“It means they didn’t just commit fraud against a local bank,” Karen said. “They defrauded the government.”

The weight of her words felt heavy in the sterile hospital room.

“If the authorities find out, what happens to Ethan?” I asked.

“He faces significant prison time,” Karen said. “And so does his mother.”

My father checked his wrist watch.

“We need to get this to the right people before Patricia tries to move her assets out of the country,” he said.

“I have a contact at the regional inspector general’s office,” Karen said. “I can submit this preliminary report directly to them by morning.”