Nathan glanced up at the stain.
“Every little thing.”
His voice was flat.
Rachel noticed the pile of envelopes by the microwave.
“May I see those?”
Emily hesitated, then handed them over.
Rachel sorted them by date.
Rent notices.
Late-payment warnings.
A notice threatening additional fees.
Sarah had saved everything.
Nathan studied one page.
“Your mother pays nine hundred and fifty dollars a month?”
Emily nodded uncertainly.
“I think so.”
Rachel turned toward him.
“The schedule in our system says eight twenty-five.”
Nathan’s eyes moved to hers.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Emily understood enough to know something was wrong.
“What does that mean?”
Nathan crouched so he wasn’t towering over her.
“It means I need to check whether your mother has been charged more than our records show.
It doesn’t mean we know exactly what happened yet.”
He was careful with the words, but Emily saw the anger behind them.
A car door slammed outside.
All three adults turned toward the front window.
A few seconds later, someone knocked.
Emily stiffened.
Nathan stepped between her and the door.
“Were you expecting anyone?”
“No.”
Rachel moved beside him.
Another knock followed, harder this time.
Then a man’s voice called through the door.
“Sarah? Mercer Property Services.
We need to talk about the account.”
Emily’s stomach dropped.
She recognized the voice.
“That’s him,” she whispered.
“That’s the man who came before.”
Nathan and Rachel exchanged a look.
Nathan opened the door only a few inches.
A stocky man in his fifties stood on the porch holding a clipboard.
His expression was impatient until he saw Nathan.
Then it changed.
“Mr.
Wells.”
Nathan’s face revealed nothing.
“Mr.
Mercer.”
Emily looked from one man to the other.
The visitor forced a smile.
“I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
“Clearly.”
Mercer’s eyes flicked past Nathan toward Emily and the kitchen.
