“Does the judge get mad if I forget the words?” Sophie asked softly.

“The judge takes our house away if you don’t say it right,” Grant answered.

The clip ended with the sharp click of a car door handle.

I closed the media player window on the laptop.

I pressed my thumb firmly to the inside of my wrist and counted six slow beats while I stared at the glowing monitor.

I unclipped the certified registration certificate with Margaret Holloway’s signature from the state folder.

I slid the document carefully into the front plastic sleeve of my main evidence binder and snapped the metal rings closed.