It was printed on bright pink cardstock with heavy red block capitals across the top margin.

FINAL NOTICE: ACCOUNT PAST DUE.

“Give me those,” Vanessa said, lunging to snatch the page away.

I held three more of the papers up to the morning light coming through the door.

They were past-due notices from credit card companies in Chicago, electric bills addressed to a post office box in Rockford, and a formal collection letter from a law firm downtown.

“Four thousand two hundred dollars to a luxury car rental company in Peoria?” I asked.