She went down the steps and left the gate standing open.

Cold air curled around my ankles, so I stepped back inside and pushed the door shut with my heel.

I opened the court envelope standing right there in the hallway.

The first page was the judgment, four sentences long, with the judge’s name spelled correctly.

The second page was the bank’s certified record.

Four hundred eighty-six thousand dollars and zero cents, deposited into the trust account in my name, reference number ending four one seven.

Under the balance was the date the last check had cleared.