The damp salt breeze off the Elizabeth River rattled the front glass door every time someone stepped outside.

Daniel set his leather briefcase on the empty chair and adjusted his round spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

“I pulled the original court filing from room two,” Daniel said, opening a thin cardboard folder.

“My father told me this morning that Case 4238B was just standard paperwork,” I said.

Daniel spread two white legal sheets side by side on the small table under the lamp.

“Robert attached a sworn affidavit to the summons,” Daniel said.