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“That’s Beau,” I answered her unasked question.

“Say hi for me.”

I nodded. Then went to the dining room table and picked up my phone. It was still a shock to see a variation of my face staring back at me.

“Bernie said there’s a problem. What is it?”

“I’m good, brother, thanks for asking. How are you?”

“Fuck that, Brady. Tell me what’s going on.”

“The name is Kai.”

Beau sighed. I watched as he squeezed the bridge of his nose. Weird. Apparently some things were just genetics.

“Okay, Kai. How are you? What’s the weather like?” Beau paused. “Do you feel all warm and snuggly now? Can you tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“Marlowe was served papers. It was an Unconditional Quit Notice. Basically it means⁠—”

“I know what it means. It’s bullshit. I didn’t file it, and I’m the owner. Ignore it.”

“Not quite that easy. The person who filed it, did it with the county clerk’s office. They must have shown up with the deed to the house.”

“That’s impossible.”

I could see Beau getting red in the face. Time to cut to the chase.

“It was filed on behalf of Arthur Beaumont,” I told him.

Beau stared at me for almost thirty seconds. “You’re not kidding me, are you?” he whispered.

“No. I’m not.”

“Your father⁠—”

“Our father,” I interrupted him.

“Okay, our father. That fucking bastard has the nerve to come to Tennessee after twenty years with some bogus piece of paper and pretend like he owns a house that my mom⁠—”

“Our mom,” I interrupted again.

“Okay, our mom had to scrimp and work her fingers to the bone to afford? Not bloody likely. I have the title to that house. His deed doesn’t mean jackshit.”

“It meant something to the county clerk,” I said.

“Fuck that noise.”

“If you have the title, e-mail it to me, and I’ll get it to the county clerk and explain things.”

“Again. Fuck that noise. I’m here at Camp Pendleton. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“You will?”

I was surprised.

“Goddamned right I will. I’ll see you tomorrow, baby brother.”

“What are you talking about? We’re twins.”