I had not yet announced the acquisition publicly.

Only senior executives knew.

Most clients still believed Stonehaven belonged to its longtime founder.

Marianne Prescott certainly did.

And suddenly, that mistake was proving useful.

Eight minutes later, Eric called again.

“We have a problem.”

“Talk.”

“The Briar Ridge administrative account shouldn't be able to authorize this.”

“But it did.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Permissions were changed nine weeks ago.”

“By whom?”

“A junior systems administrator.”

“Reason?”

“The request came through an email carrying Martin Keene's digital signature.”

Martin Keene.

Stonehaven's former owner.

I frowned.

“Martin approved it?”

“I'm checking.”

Two minutes passed.

Eric returned.

“He did not.”

“How certain?”

“Martin hasn't logged into that account since January.”

“The authorization email came in February.”

“Forged?”

“Looks that way.”

“Preserve the original.”

“Already done.”

“Anything else?”

Eric hesitated.

“Yes.”

“Briar Ridge has been making small access changes for almost a year.”

“What kind?”

“Patrol priority overrides.”

“Camera-retention exemptions.”

“Audio disabled around the clubhouse on certain dates.”

I stared at the house.

“Who approved them?”

“Different people.”

“Small changes?”

“Nothing looked serious individually.”

I understood immediately.

“That’s how you hide a system.”

“Exactly.”

The Woman Behind the Demolition

My attorney arrived forty minutes later.

Rebecca Lane.

Forty-one years old.

Sharp enough to make arrogant people rethink complete sentences.

She stepped out of her sedan, looked at my house, and simply said:

“Oh.”

I looked at her.

“Good legal analysis.”

“I'm saving the technical terminology.”

She photographed the exterior.

Then examined the county parcel records I had sent her.

“Your deed is clean.”

“I know.”

“Briar Ridge's boundary ends thirty-one feet east of your parcel.”

“I know.”

“No annexation.”

“I know.”

“No covenant agreement.”

“I know.”

“No maintenance agreement.”

“I know.”

“No easement giving them entry.”