A military lawyer sat on my right, tapping a brass stylus against his tablet screen.

“The Beaufort County sheriff won’t go near this,” Hayes said.

He made a clicking sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“A forged application for a million-dollar federal loan isn’t a crime?” I asked.

“Local jurisdiction sees a brother and sister squabbling over an inherited property,” Hayes said.

“They see the quitclaim deed your aunt helped him file.

Are you completely sure you never authorized any part of this debt?”