The screen showed a message preview from Bernice. Found them. Five cottages on Tybee Island, all paid off. Gary says the power of attorney went through without her. Get her down there before Christmas. I read it twice. My hands went cold. Then I took Howard Nash’s business card from the kitchen drawer and stepped out onto the back porch to call him.

He answered on the second ring. When I read him the message, the line went quiet for a long moment. “Mrs. Thornton,” he said carefully, “I’m going to check something while you hold.” I heard keys clicking. Then his voice dropped. “There’s a durable power of attorney with your name on it. It was notarized yesterday by a Gary Thornton and recorded in Chatham County this morning. Ma’am, it carries your signature.”