“I want it public, Mr. Meyers. I want it devastating. But more importantly,” I tapped the binder of forged documents, “I need these creditors off my back and redirected to the actual fraudster. Can we flip the liability before the balloon payment hits?”

“Already done. We filed the fraud injunctions under seal an hour ago. The debt is legally frozen, and the creditors have been formally notified that Daniel Carter is the sole beneficiary of the funds. They are… highly motivated to speak with him.”

“Good.” I stood, smoothing the front of my cheap motel-bought sweater. “Then we let him have his party. We let him climb all the way to the top of his little pedestal.”

The next forty-eight hours were an agonizing exercise in patience. I missed my children so much my teeth ached.

But Daniel’s mother, Patricia — a stern woman who’d never fully approved of me, yet loved her grandchildren fiercely — had taken Lily and Noah to her estate in Connecticut for the weekend so Daniel could host his party. At least they were safe from the fallout.

Chapter 3 — The Housewarming

Saturday night arrived thick with summer humidity. I parked my rented sedan a block from Maplewood Lane.