By eleven we were sitting in Dalton’s third-floor office on Main Street, surrounded by tall wooden shelves of state legal reporters.

He laid the yellowed pages of Grandfather Arthur’s trust deed out across his green blotter.

“This deed’s as clean as armor plate, but we still need to check the county filing record,” Dalton said.

He pulled his desk phone closer, dialed a ten-digit number, and hit the speaker button.

“I’m calling the title insurance underwriter right now,” Dalton said.

A woman picked up on the second ring and introduced herself as the senior title examiner for Knox County.

“Sarah, I need a quick sanity check on parcel 412 Maple Street,” Dalton said into the little microphone.