He folded his arms across his chest, his polished leather shoes tapping steadily on the hardwood floor.

The top page was titled Quitclaim Deed and Voluntary Property Release.

It said that Claire Reed released all right, title, and interest in the real property on Oakridge Drive to Mark Reed.

I turned to the second page.

The type changed to smaller, tightly packed block paragraphs.

Paragraph four was labeled Indemnification and Allocation of Liabilities.

I read the text slowly, running my thumb down the margin.

The clause said that once the agreement was signed, the assignor, Claire Reed, waived all rights to future discovery of marital financial accounts and accepted full joint responsibility for any personal credit lines, bank overdrafts, or private loan agreements signed under either spouse’s name during the current calendar year.