The lawyer’s name was Caroline Bennett, and she had the calmest, most terrifyingly competent aura I’d ever encountered. I sat across from her in her sleek downtown office, Grace beside me, drowning in an oversized sweatshirt.

Caroline reviewed the eviction notice, the CPS letter, and the fraudulent lien without interrupting.

“A mechanic’s lien from ten years ago is highly irregular and likely unenforceable on its face,” she said, tapping a gold pen. “But the lawsuit claiming equitable interest is a stalling tactic.

It clogs the eviction process. If he can drag this in front of a judge, he buys the months he needs for the CPS inspection.”

“How do I kill the lawsuit?”

“You prove he lied,” Caroline said simply. “We need the paper trail showing your father’s money funded that repair.”