Inside were copies of my identification, the loan paperwork, and a printed email exchange between Travis and Patricia.

One sentence kept repeating: Once Julia is fired, she’ll have no choice but to come back. But another line was worse.

Patricia had written, Sell the house fast. My debt collector won’t wait another month. Travis had replied, Already found a buyer. He thinks Julia agreed.

Denise photographed every page. Then she turned to Travis. “You tried to sell a house you don’t own, using the forged consent of the legal owner.”

For the first time, real fear crossed his face. Patricia leaned in and whispered something in his ear, and within moments his confidence came back.

“You still can’t prove I forged anything,” he said.