“Here’s the official probate distribution voucher,” Evelyn said, picking a yellowed slip of paper out of the front pocket of the binder.

She laid it next to the original settlement statement from our house purchase in Oakridge six years ago.

The estate check was made out to me for sixty-five thousand dollars, drawn on my grandmother’s personal account at First National Bank.

The house closing statement showed the exact down payment due at signing: sixty-five thousand dollars, paid by cashier’s check that very same afternoon.

“Where did the house down payment money come from?” I asked, reading the matching bank voucher numbers out loud.