The attorney placed a folder on the table and opened it without saying a word. Inside was a document I had never seen before: a private lender had recorded a lien against my house as collateral for a ninety-thousand-dollar loan supposedly taken out through Whitfield Home Solutions. At the bottom was my signature, complete with a notarization from someone whose name I did not recognize. I stared at it, then slowly shook my head. I had never signed the loan. I had never met the notary. Yet the money had already been withdrawn.

Harold started to protest, but the officer beside him raised a hand. My attorney continued, explaining that five relatives had quietly submitted change-of-address forms, redirecting their mail to my home and creating a paper trail suggesting they all lived there. The purpose was obvious: they wanted to make the house appear like a shared family residence. I looked toward Nathan. He suddenly became very interested in the floor. My attorney turned another page. “There’s something else you need to know,” she said.