The air smelled of fried onions and stale coffee.

Morales sat by the window with a yellow legal pad lying open between our silver water glasses.

She lined up the top and side edges of the notepad squarely with the edge of the plastic place mat before she said anything.

“The unrecorded second mortgage Richard took out in your grandfather’s name gives us airtight proof of long-term conversion,” Morales said.

“Dalton confirmed the filing dates?”