We need to keep track of who has handled each original and when.

A dispute over the record can become a dispute over the evidence.”

He placed the photocopy beside the petition and compared the names.

Then he checked the old file number against the index, moving between two pages with a pencil.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“The authority behind the petition.

The name on the filing matches the name in the adoption record, but that does not establish that the person using it is who she claims to be.”

“So someone may have filed this without proving her identity?”