Patricia lifted her chin. “She’s trying to frame my son.”
I placed a second page on top of the stack. “That’s not the only one.”
Ethan stared at it. His jaw tightened. “Natalie, you’re overreacting. I was going to pay it back when I got hired.”
“When?” I asked, my voice flat. “After your mother got back from Hawaii? After she posted pictures of herself on a beach while I worked overtime?”
Patricia’s expression twisted. “How dare you talk about me like—”
Deputy Ortega raised a hand. “Ma’am. Enough.”
The deputy turned to Ethan. “Sir, you’re being informed that there is a pending investigation into identity theft and financial fraud. Today, we are here to keep the peace while Ms. Brooks gathers personal belongings and while Ms. Parker serves notice regarding occupancy and financial liability.”
Ethan jumped to his feet again. “Occupancy? What are you talking about?”
I reached into the folder I had thrown onto his lap earlier. “Flip to the section you didn’t read.”
He did. His fingers trembled now.
The house. The deed. The mortgage.
Only my name.