I walked into the county courthouse with the ledger under my arm and Cal at my side.
The hearing room was smaller than I expected. The judge sat behind a plain desk. Voss occupied the front row, wearing the same gold tiepin. Pike sat near the back, his hat held between his knees.
My lawyer presented the account records first. He showed the payment listed in the estate ledger, then the bank's statements, which showed no matching credit to the principal.
The bank's attorney said the payment had been misclassified and later applied to fees.
"Which fees?" the judge asked.
The attorney consulted his notes. "Administrative and processing charges."
"Where is the supporting record?"
"We have requested it from the branch."
I felt my pulse in my throat. My lawyer asked the judge to admit a c
