The gray sedan was gone.
Sarah opened the door before he knocked twice.
“You found something.”
“Yes.”
“Is it bad?”
Connor entered.
“No.”
He paused.
“But somebody was hoping you wouldn’t understand what you had.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
Connor placed the folder on the kitchen table.
Four and a half years earlier, Thomas had helped negotiate a lease-to-purchase arrangement for a small commercial building Connor’s organization later stopped using.
During the transition, Thomas had personally advanced part of a deposit from money Connor had repaid.
The final ownership documents had included Thomas as a minority legal interest holder until the transfer was completed.
The transfer never had been completed.
Thomas died first.
Under the agreement, his interest had passed to his estate.
And because Thomas had died before marrying Sarah, the portion ultimately belonged to his legal heir.
Gracie.
Sarah sat very slowly.
“No.”
Connor opened the folder.
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“The building was sold six months ago.”
Sarah’s face drained of color.
Connor slid a page toward her, keeping the printed details facedown until she chose to turn it herself.
“The sale created a payment due to Thomas’s estate.”
Sarah did not touch it.
“The man in the gray car?”
“The buyer’s attorneys discovered the old interest while cleaning up the title.
Mercer was hired to locate Thomas’s heir and verify her identity.”
“Then why didn’t he just knock?”
“He tried once.
You walked away.”
Sarah covered her face.
Connor continued gently.
“After that, he was told not to pressure you because a child was usually with you.
He was watching for a chance to speak with you alone.”
Her hands dropped.
“So he wasn’t threatening us?”
“No.”
Relief crossed Sarah’s face so quickly it looked almost painful.
Then Connor’s expression changed.
“But there is another problem.”
Sarah stiffened.
“The firm handling the sale sent notices months ago to an address associated with Thomas’s old paperwork.
Nobody answered.
After that, someone argued the interest should be treated as abandoned so the money could be held and eventually absorbed through the settlement process.”
“Someone?”
“A lawyer who should have known better.”
Connor’s voice cooled.
“I spoke to him.”
Sarah studied him.
“You said nobody was getting hurt.”
“Nobody got hurt.”
