She identified deposits made to my mother’s old municipal bond account and withdrawals that did not match anything I remembered authorizing.

The signatures would require expert review; the transactions would require certified records.

We had a credible basis to investigate, not yet a complete criminal case.

“Even if we prove the transfers,” I asked, “will I recover the money?”

“Possibly,” Nina said.

“But recovery depends on where it went, who received it, and what remedies are available.

We’ll trace it rather than speculate.”

That was how the morning unfolded: not with heroic declarations, but with people making careful distinctions.