The clerk typed the address into her terminal.

She printed four pages and charged us a fifteen-dollar notary fee.

Arthur paid in cash and took the papers over to a tall wooden table along the back wall.

I stood beside him and read over his shoulder.

The first page was the standard property deed showing my father as the original owner.

The second page had a fresh county stamp in the top right corner.

“He’s put a lien on the family house,” Arthur said.