“I don’t remember signing this,” I said quietly.

“You signed it the day before you left,” Jake said confidently. “You said it was in case of emergencies. Don’t you remember? You were really stressed about leaving the house.”

The room full of family members nodded sympathetically. In their version of events, I’d been overwhelmed and Jake had stepped up to help.

“The buyer was great,” Jake continued. “A nice young couple, first-time homeowners. They were pre-approved for the full amount and willing to close quickly. Honestly, Sarah, you should see how happy they are. They’re planning to start a family in your old house.”

“And you handled all the paperwork?” I asked.

“Everything. Title transfer, mortgage payoff, even coordinated with the real estate agent. I saved you thousands in commission by finding the buyers myself.”

Jake was beaming with pride. “Sold your little house for three hundred thousand dollars,” he announced dramatically, clearly having practiced this moment. The family burst into applause.

“Finally making smart decisions,” Mom cheered.

I said nothing and smiled, my mind racing. Jake had no idea what he’d actually done. He thought he’d sold a simple suburban house, but he’d actually illegally transferred federal property under active security monitoring.

My phone buzzed with a secure message. Agent Martinez: Need immediate debrief. Federal crime reported at your address. Are you secure?

I typed back, Secure. Family gathering. Will call within an hour.

“Everything okay?” Dad asked, noticing my phone.

“Just work,” I said calmly. “Jake, can you tell me the buyers’ names? I want to send them a welcome card.”

“David and Michelle Parker. Sweet couple, probably mid-twenties. They’re so excited about their first house.”

Jake was clearly proud of his matchmaking. My phone buzzed again. This time it was an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Is this Sarah Morrison?” The voice was panicked, almost screaming.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“This is James Wheeler from Wheeler and Associates Law Firm. We represented the Parker family in the purchase of your property.”

I walked into the kitchen for privacy. “What can I help you with, Mr. Wheeler?”

“Why are FBI agents at our office?” he shouted into the phone. “They have a warrant for all documents related to the Morrison property sale. They’re saying the transaction was fraudulent and potentially involves national security violations.”

I could hear the family in the living room, still laughing and celebrating Jake’s business success.

“Mr. Wheeler, I need you to listen carefully,” I said quietly. “I never authorized the sale of my house. My brother forged my signature and illegally transferred federal property.”

“What? But he had power of attorney documents. He had your signature.”

“Those documents are forged. The signature’s fake. And Mr. Wheeler, my property is registered with federal authorities due to my security clearance. Any unauthorized transaction triggers an automatic investigation.”

There was silence on the other end, then the sound of papers rustling frantically.

“Oh god,” Wheeler whispered. “The FBI agents are asking about wire fraud, identity theft, and something about federal property protection statutes. They want to know if we verified the power of attorney documents.”

“Did you?”

“We accepted them in good faith. Your brother seemed legitimate, and the signature looked authentic.”

I could hear shouting in the background of Wheeler’s office.

“Mr. Wheeler, I need to ask you something important. Are the Parker family in your office right now?”

“Yes, they’re here trying to understand why federal agents are confiscating all their closing documents.”

“Tell them I’m very sorry, but they were victims of fraud. The sale was illegal, and they need to cooperate fully with the federal investigation.”

“But they spent their life savings. They took out a mortgage. They’ve already moved in.”

“The FBI will handle the financial recovery process. Right now, everyone needs to focus on cooperating with federal investigators.”

I hung up and walked back to the living room where Jake was still holding court.

“Who was that?” Mom asked.

“The buyer’s lawyer,” I said calmly.

Jake perked up with interest. “Everything okay? No problems with the closing, I hope.”

I sat down and looked at my brother. “Jake, I need you to understand something very important. My house wasn’t just any property. Due to my job and security clearance, it’s registered with federal authorities. Any unauthorized transaction triggers automatic investigation.”

Jake laughed. “Come on, Sarah. It’s just a regular house in a regular neighborhood. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“The FBI is currently confiscating all documents related to the sale,” I said quietly. “They’re treating this as wire fraud, identity theft, and illegal transfer of federal property.”

The room went silent.

“That’s ridiculous,” Dad said after a moment. “Jake was helping you out of a bad situation.”

“There was no bad situation. I never missed a payment. I never signed a power of attorney. And I never gave anyone permission to sell my house.”

Jake’s confidence was starting to crack. “But the bank confirmed you were behind on payments.”

“Jake, did you actually speak to my mortgage company, or did you call a different number?”

His face went pale. “I… I called the number I found online.”

“What name did you give them?”

“I said I was Jake Morrison, your brother, and I was concerned about your property.”

I nodded slowly. “And they gave you detailed financial information about my mortgage over the phone based on nothing more than sharing my last name?”

The room was getting uncomfortable. Family members were starting to look confused.

“The signature on the power of attorney,” I continued, “can you tell me when and where I supposedly signed it?”

“The day before you left, in your kitchen.”

“Jake, I left from the airport directly from my office. I never went home that day. And I certainly never signed any legal documents giving you control of my property.”