You look like you skipped lunch.”

It was butterscotch.

I put it in my coat pocket for later.

“Miss Mallow, the lien.

What does a preliminary claim actually do?”

“Puts a thumb on the scale, is what it does.” She wiped the edge of her stamp pad with a rag.

“A fella with one of those on your property can make a closing lawyer sweat through his shirt.”

“And if he wanted the house sold?”