The radiator in the hallway of Unit 1A hissed, sending a dry, metallic heat into the drafty entryway.

I was adjusting the deadbolt on the heavy oak door when the shadow fell across the frosted glass.

Through the pane, I saw the thick outline of Carl’s shoulders.

He was supposed to be at his sister’s house in Queens, miles away from the Morrison Garden Apartments.

I unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.

Carl stood on the worn welcome mat, his wool coat damp from the Brooklyn drizzle.

His gray hair was wet, plastered to his forehead, but his blue eyes were completely clear.

Behind him, Mrs. Patterson was leaning out of her doorway down the hall, pretending to sweep the linoleum.

Across the corridor, Mr. Alvarez opened his door an inch, the scent of his evening coffee drifting out.

“You need to step back, Mallerie,” Carl said.

His voice was quieter than I expected, but it carried down the corridor.

“This is my home, Carl,” I said, keeping my hand firmly on the brass doorknob.

“We agreed you would stay in Queens until the paperwork was settled.”

Carl didn’t flinch.

He reached into the deep inner pocket of his coat.

“The paperwork is settled,” he said.

He pulled out a thick document folded in thirds, secured with a blue paper backing.

“Jake!” I called out toward the kitchen behind me. “Jake, get out here.”

My oldest son appeared in the hallway, his boots clicking on the hardwood floor.

Jake crossed his arms, staring down at Carl with a smirk.

“You lost, old man?” Jake asked.

Carl ignored him entirely.

He held the folded document out to me, pressing it against my chest.

“Read the seal, Mallerie,” Carl said.

I took the paper, my fingers cold against the heavy parchment.

At the top, the words *Kings County Office of the City Register* were printed in bold black ink.

Beneath that sat a raised gold foil seal that caught the dim light of the hallway bulb.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” I said, though my throat felt suddenly dry.

“Look at the name on the line for the sole owner,” Carl said.