Vance stood behind him with his coat over one arm, looking down at the legal pad on the chair.

Patricia slid the final quitclaim deed across the polished glass, along with a heavy black-ink pen.

Brad picked up the pen.

His fingers shook so badly that the plastic barrel clicked twice against the glass tabletop before he set the tip on the signature line.

Brad’s shaking hand signed the absolute, permanent quitclaim release.

Patricia pushed the official quitclaim deed across the mahogany desk, tapped the bottom margin with her index finger, and tucked her folded reading glasses neatly into her leather case file.

Vance Fiske didn’t wait for his client to get his coat off the back of the chair.