“The clerk’s already updated the digital land ledger up on the third floor, Claire.

The title is clear.”

“Thank you so much, Evelyn,” I said.

Through the tall archway behind us, the bailiff called the next case number, his voice slicing cleanly through the quiet room.

Judge Harrison reached for his heavy wooden gavel and brought it down once on the bench block.

At one o’clock Deputy Miller took the brass key ring out of his coat pocket and handed it to me on the front porch.

He peeled the bright red vacate notice off the painted pine door frame, scraping at the taped corners with his thumb until the heavy paper came away in two long strips.