“She needed someone who could secure the deed and bury the old fraud forever.”

“They were going to transfer the title to Ethan’s shell company to hide the paper trail,” Rose explained.

I stared at Ethan, disgust rising in my throat.

“You told me you loved this house,” I said to him.

“I do,” Ethan said, his voice quiet. “But I also needed the money, and Claire offered me a way out.”

“By ruining my life?” I asked.

Ethan didn’t answer. He looked down at the floor, his jaw tight.

“It’s over, Ethan,” Daniel said. “The police have the records of the fraudulent transfer.”

Outside, a sudden flash of lightning illuminated the front yard.

The thunder that followed was deafening, shaking the glass panes of the front door.

In the brief flash of light, I saw a car parked at the end of the driveway with its headlights off.

It wasn’t a police car.

“Someone else is out there,” I said, pointing toward the window.

Before anyone could move, the phone in my hand began to vibrate violently.

The screen lit up with an unknown number.