“Calla, please!” Solene begged, turning to me with her hands outstretched. “I am an old woman! Where am I supposed to go?”

“You have a lovely apartment in the city, Solene,” I said. “The one you rented out so you could live here for free.”

Her pleading expression vanished, replaced by a cold, hard sneer.

“You ungrateful little mouse,” she spat.

“My son gave you status. He gave you a life.”

“He stole my name, Solene,” I said. “And he tried to steal my grandmother’s house.”

Officer Miller cleared his throat.

“Fifteen minutes, ma’am,” he said, pointing to his watch. “I will accompany you upstairs to make sure you only take what belongs to you.”

Solene turned on her heel and marched up the stairs, her heavy steps shaking the old portraits on the wall.

I stood in the quiet of the hallway, listening to the muffled sounds of drawers being slammed open on the second floor.

I walked back into the kitchen.

The two coffee cups still sat on the table, a thin skin forming over the surface of the liquid.