“My client is waiving criminal prosecution against her mother,” Dalton said, lowering his reading glasses to look over the top.

“On the condition of immediate civil repayment and full surrender of the real estate.”

The clerk pressed her metal seal into the lower corner of the page with a sharp metallic clack.

“That makes the filing official,” she said, sliding the white copy over to us.

“The county sheriff pulled the notice off the fax machine fifteen minutes ago.”

Dalton lifted his briefcase and turned toward me.

“The deputy’s meeting us at the property at four,” he said.