MY MIL AND BIL MOVED IN TO JOB HUNT. ONE DAY, I CAME HOME TO FIND MY FRIDGE LOCKED. SHE SAID, ‘TO EAT, YOU MUST ASK PERMISSION.’ I GRABBED A HAMMER, SMASHED THE PADLOCK, AND SAID, ‘THIS IS MY NOTICE!’

raising my voice.

Lorraine pointed toward the kitchen. “Before another tantrum, you owe me for the broken lock.”

“No,” I said. “You owe me forty-eight thousand dollars.”

Trevor’s smile vanished.

One detective stepped forward. “Trevor Hale?”

He stood. “What is this?”

I placed the loan application, store statement, and security images on the table.

Daniel stared at them. “Claire… what am I looking at?”

“Your brother stole my tax documents, used my Social Security number, opened credit in my name, and tried to borrow forty-eight thousand dollars.”

Trevor pointed at