“Legally, yes,” Jennifer said, turning back to face me. “The landlord will give them three days to provide a new guarantor or pay the entire year’s lease upfront. And we both know they don’t have that kind of cash.”

“They wanted this house so badly,” I said, remembering Diane’s comments about the crown molding and Karen’s plans for the guest wing. “They were already spending the money before they even had it.”

“This recording is exactly what we need,” Jennifer said, tapping her own phone. “It proves intent. It proves he knew he didn’t have your authorization when he signed those guarantees.”

“Will it hold up in court?” I asked.

“Colorado is a one-party consent state for recording,” Jennifer said. “Molly was a participant in the conversation. It is fully admissible.”

She began typing rapidly on her screen.

“I’m forwarding this directly to the detective handling the forgery file,” Jennifer said. “This seals the criminal complaint.”

I looked down at my hands.

They were no longer trembling.

The fear that had kept my chest tight for weeks was slowly being replaced by a cold, hard clarity.