Robert noticed the empty space.
“Was the deed in this box?” he asked.
“Yes,” Dad said.
“Who had access?”
My parents looked at Jessica.
She shook her head immediately.
“I didn’t take it.”
“Did Caleb ever come into the workshop?”
I asked.
“Several times,” Dad said.
“He helped me carry lumber.”
“Did he ever ask about the tin?”
Dad’s expression changed.
“Once,” he said.
“He asked if the important papers were still kept beneath the bench.”
Jessica covered her mouth.
Robert took a slow breath.
“This is no longer simply a matter of unpaid debt.
We need to report the forged documents and the missing deed to the sheriff’s office and the bank’s fraud department.
We also need to secure the property records immediately.”
“Can Caleb sell the house without the original deed?”
I asked.
“No.
Not lawfully.
But he may have used the document to make the transaction appear legitimate to someone who doesn’t know the full history.”
