“Your name was never submitted to the county auditor, Loretta.

You were never listed as a joint owner, and there is no high-yield trust.”

The house around me stayed quiet, except for the faint rattle of the window glass when cold rain hit the frame.

“Arthur,” I said, “what about the seven cash payments?”

“Twelve hundred dollars every month since June,” he said.

“Eight thousand four hundred dollars total.”

“Where did he deposit that cash?” I asked.

“He never put it in a bank,” Arthur said.