“He needed three thousand dollars right away to clear the county’s late penalties before the default list goes to print on December fifteenth,” Margaret said.

“He was trying to make me pay for his own default,” I said quietly.

“He was using your rent money to bury a record he broke himself,” Margaret said.

She got up and lifted her leather briefcase off the floor beside her desk.

“We’re going downtown to the county records desk,” she said.

“I want you to hear it straight from the senior title clerk.”

We drove thirty minutes down the highway toward the county seat.