A Two Thousand Dollar Nebraska Land Purchase Leads to a Federal Fraud Case
The machine let out a high-pitched hum as the motor warmed up, the glass plate beneath the lens showing a faint yellow stain in the corner.
I wiped my palms on my trousers, trying to clear away the cold sweat that felt like a layer of seventy-weight gear oil.
“The county began accepting electronic filings for deed modifications last summer,” Sarah said.
She stopped the wheel on a page of digital receipts, her eyes narrow behind her glasses.
“Before that, you had to bring paper to the counter. Now, anyone with a registered account can upload a digital consent form.”
I leaned closer to the green glass, my boots creaking on the linoleum.
“A machine only runs on the fuel you put in it,” I said. “If the fuel is dirty, the whole engine chokes.”
Sarah pulled her glasses off and cleaned them with the hem of her blue cotton shirt. Her eyes were small and tired in the dim light of the basement.
“Look at the timestamp on this pending application, Arthur.”
I squinted at the ledger lines.
The entry showed a request to change the agricultural zoning status on my two hundred acres.
