“Otherwise, it becomes a lengthy battle of digital forensics and bank records.”

“Are they at the house?” I asked.

“He likely keeps them in a secure place,” he said.

“Perhaps a safe or a locked drawer in his office.”

“But please be careful, Calla.”

“A man who will steal your home is a man who is desperate.”

I thanked Mr. Vance and paid his retainer fee.

My mind was made up.

I was going to fight back.

I would not let them take my grandmother’s home.

I drove back to the house in the late afternoon.

The sky was a bruised purple, heavy with the threat of rain.

I parked a block away, under the shade of a large oak tree.

I didn’t want Rylan or Solene to see my car in the driveway.

I walked down the sidewalk, keeping my head down against the wind.

The autumn breeze rustled the dead leaves at my feet.

I reached the gate of my grandmother’s garden.

The rose bushes she had planted were overgrown and wild now.

The house looked quiet from the outside.