But that wasn't the worst part.
The deeper Hank looked, the more he found.
Seven HOA violation notices were issued against him.
Mailbox.
Lawn.
Trash cans.
Driveway.
Garden hose.
Garage.
Mustang.
Each fine was paid.
Each receipt went into Hank's growing file.
Then one afternoon, Hank asked the HOA management office for a financial statement.
The numbers didn't make sense.
The HOA's books showed only a few hundred dollars in violation revenue.
But the records showed thousands of dollars in fines.
Hank looked at the young woman behind the desk.
“Amber, where does the fine money go?”
She hesitated.
“Most goes into the HOA account.”
“Most?”
“Maddy told me some violations were personal enforcement matters.”
“Where did those payments go?”
Amber lowered her voice.
“A Frost Bank account.”
“Whose?”
Amber swallowed.
“Mrs. Kessler's.”
Hank said nothing.
He simply wrote the information down.
The Mustang had stopped being a personal dispute.
It had become a criminal investigation.
The Paper Trail
By September, Hank's file had become enormous.
Bank statements.
HOA records.
Violation notices.
Receipts.