Chen?” I said when she picked up.

“My name is Joanna Holloway.

I need help protecting a house.

And I think somebody has been inside it.”

PART 5

Mara Chen practiced property litigation from a small Annapolis office above a bookstore.

She wasn’t dazzled by uniforms, family reputations, or the way I said the word commander.

She asked for the deed, the filings, every tax record, and a written timeline.