Emilia paused just inside the foyer, her sharp eyes taking in the entire scene — the black garbage bags, the divorce papers, Howard’s cardboard box, and finally Naomi standing in my robe.

She gave me one brief, reassuring look. “I see they decided to start early this morning.”

Landen recovered quickly. He was always good at playing the victim when other people were watching. “This is a private family matter, and you need to leave.”

Emilia slowly removed her glasses and slid them into her pocket. “It stopped being private when disputed financial documents were submitted to a lender and a county office.”

Naomi quietly set down her coffee cup. Howard quietly lowered his box to the floor. One of the investigators began photographing the room with a digital camera, careful not to move anything; the other documented the black bags, the papers on the island, and the contents of the box Howard had removed from my office.

Landen pointed a finger at me, his voice rising. “My wife is upset because of the divorce, and she’s making this sound like something it isn’t.”