The gold notary seal glinted under the fluorescent lights of the office.

“This is it,” Marcus whispered, his eyes wide.

He flipped through the pages, his index finger tracing the columns of legal text.

“This leaves the entire Columbus real estate portfolio directly to Sadie upon her twenty-fifth birthday.”

“Which was three months ago,” Wyatt noted.

“Yes,” Marcus said. “Her parents had no legal right to sell the property on Third Street. They had no right to touch the trust.”

“What does this mean for the court tomorrow?” I asked.

“It means I am amending the motion immediately,” Marcus said.

He picked up his desk phone and dialed a number.

“This is Marcus Vance. Get me Judge Thorne’s clerk immediately.”

He waited, tapping his pen against the mahogany desk.

The room was silent except for the hum of the heater in the corner and the rain hitting the windowpane.

“Yes, Linda. I have a certified original document that overrides the 2004 probate filing.”

He listened for a moment, nodding.

“We need a full, immediate forensic audit of all Davis family accounts dating back fifteen years.”