Deborah walked back in, followed by a tall woman carrying a heavy leather case.

It was Dr. Linda Aris.

She had a portable digital microscope in her bag.

She walked straight to our table and nodded at me.

“We have the original?” Dr. Aris asked.

“The bailiff is bringing it over now,” Deborah said.

Gavin watched Dr. Aris set up her equipment.

The smug look on his face faltered for a fraction of a second.

He whispered something to Dane.

Dane looked at Dr. Aris, his brow furrowing.

The bailiff approached our table, holding the original blue-backed folder.

He laid it down on the table between us.

Dr. Aris immediately opened her case.

She pulled out a small, high-definition camera device connected to her tablet.

She leaned over the document, her face intense.

The tension in the room was thick.

Nobody spoke.

I watched the tablet screen as Dr. Aris zoomed in on my signature.

The black ink looked like giant, jagged rivers on the screen.

Dr. Aris squinted at the screen.

She adjusted the lighting on the camera.

“Look at this,” Dr. Aris whispered, pointing to the screen.