The Silent Takeover of the Only Home I Ever Truly Owned
“It was probably just the wind,” Rylan replied.
“The old windows are loose.”
I waited, my heart hammering against my ribs, until I heard their footsteps move away.
I knelt down on the floor and looked closely at the lock on the filing cabinet.
It was a simple lock.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small metal hair clip.
I had watched a coworker unlock a supply cabinet at the clinic once using a paperclip.
I inserted the metal end into the lock and twisted it gently.
With a soft click, the lock gave way.
I pulled the drawer open.
Inside were neat rows of manila folders.
Most of them were labeled with household bills and car insurance documents.
But at the very back, there was a folder with no label.
I pulled it out and opened it.
Inside was a thick stack of financial documents.
The first page was a copy of my grandmother’s will.
Underneath it was a copy of the property deed.
And pinned to the deed was a document from a lending company I had never heard of.