Sandra called on a Wednesday morning at eight forty-seven.
Damian was unlocking the bookshop. Key in the door. The ordinary beginning of an ordinary morning.
Then his phone rang and Sandra said: "They filed a counter-challenge," and the morning stopped being ordinary.
"When," he said.
"Yesterday afternoon. Late — after business hours. Which means it was deliberate timing. They wanted us to find it this morning rather than have time to respond yesterday." Her voice was precise. Controlled. The voice she used when she was managing something that required management. "It's a counter-challenge to our original filing. They're contesting the validity of the forged signature evidence and arguing that the historical interest claim stands independent of the original registration."
Damian stood in the doorway of the bookshop with his key still in the lock.
"Can they do that," he said.
