My name doesn’t appear anywhere on this deed, on the original title or on the mortgage contract.”

Margaret’s fingers went still on the paper napkin.

“That was done to protect the estate,” Margaret said, her voice sinking into a quiet monotone.

“It was so your brother would be legally secure if anything happened to me.”

“You made him a legal co-owner four years ago,” I said, clicking over to the second tab in the open window.

“And while you were making him secure, I was paying off the bank.”

A clean ledger spreadsheet filled the screen, row after row of dates, transaction numbers and cleared balances.