Martha had warned me it would.

A dinner conversation could change what we knew; it could not make a bank transfer final or remove a disputed lien from public records.

Greg gave the necessary repayment instructions through the bank.

The records and available funds were reviewed before the forty-two thousand dollars came back into an account in my name.

I did not accept a screenshot from his phone or a promise that something was processing.

I waited for my bank to confirm the credit.