He thought about the barbecue, the police officers, and the way Patricia had looked at him from across the street. He remembered how quickly a peaceful afternoon had become a neighborhood crisis.
“Whatever Patricia's involvement was in that project,” he said, “I want to know why she believed she had the right to decide who belonged here.”
Robert nodded.
“That's a fair question. But the investigation needs to separate the financial issue from the treatment of residents. Both matter.”
Marcus folded his hands.
“Then let's make sure both are investigated.”
The following day, Dr. Carter interviewed Thomas.
He arrived carrying a box of documents. His face looked pale, and he appeared to have aged several years in a matter of weeks.
“Before we begin,” he said, “I want to make something clear. I did not receive personal money from the contractor.”
Dr. Carter switched on her recording device after obtaining his consent.
“I'm not here to make assumptions about your motives. I want to understand your role in the agreement.”
Thomas nodded.
He explained that four years earlier, Patricia had proposed improvements to the neighborhood entrance. She believed the landscaping was unattractive and that the existing sign did not reflect the image Willow Creek wanted to present.
The idea was not controversial at first. Several residents had supported improving the entrance.
However, Patricia had also complained about visitors and what she called declining neighborhood standards.
“She believed the association needed to become stricter,” Thomas said. “She thought residents who ignored community expectations made the neighborhood look neglected.”
“And how did that become connected to the landscaping project?”
“Harold wanted to move forward with the improvements. Patricia was willing to help gather support. I handled some of the paperwork.”
“Why was a private contractor related to you selected?”
Thomas looked down.
“My brother-in-law owned the company. I knew he could do the work.”
“Did you disclose that relationship to the board?”
“I don't remember making a formal disclosure.”
“Did the board receive competing bids?”
“Not in the first proposal.”
Dr. Carter made a note.
“Was the contractor selected before or after the agreement was signed?”
Thomas took a breath.
“Before.”
“Then why did the agreement contain language about resident complaints?”
Thomas rubbed his forehead.
“Patricia wanted the association to document complaints more consistently. She believed that if residents were repeatedly violating expectations, the board would have a stronger argument for making changes to the neighborhood.”
“What kind of changes?”
“Mostly appearance-related rules. Parking, landscaping, maintenance, things like that.”
“Were complaints about visitors included?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Patricia believed too many unfamiliar visitors made the neighborhood look disorderly.”
Dr. Carter looked at him.
“Did you consider whether that concern was supported by any actual violation?”
“Not carefully enough.”
“Did you understand that residents might be treated differently depending on who submitted a complaint?”
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“I should have understood.”
The interview continued for nearly two hours.
Thomas admitted that the contractor had been selected without a complete competitive bidding process. He also acknowledged that Patricia had encouraged the board to give certain complaints more attention.
He insisted that he had never been paid personally and had not intended to discriminate against anyone.
But when Dr. Carter asked whether he had ever questioned Patricia's claims, his answer was revealing.
“Sometimes I did,” he said. “But Harold would say that we needed to keep residents engaged. Patricia was persistent, and she knew how to bring issues to the board. It became easier to process her complaints than to challenge them.”
“Easier for whom?”
Thomas looked at her.
“For the board.”
Dr. Carter stopped writing.
That answer was important.
It suggested that the problem had not been created by one person alone. It had grown because several people had found it convenient to let one resident define what counted as a neighborhood problem.
When the interview ended, Thomas stood slowly.
“Do you think the residents will ever forgive me?”
Dr. Carter closed her folder.
“Forgiveness is not something I can promise. Your responsibility is to be truthful, cooperate with the investigation, and accept the consequences of your decisions.”
Thomas nodded.
“I understand.”
But as he reached the door, he turned around.
“There is something else.”
Dr. Carter waited.
“Harold was not the only person who wanted the project to succeed. Patricia had a reason for pushing it so hard.”
“What reason?”
Thomas hesitated.
“She believed that if the entrance was improved, property values would rise. She and her husband were considering selling their house.”
Dr. Carter looked up.
“Was that discussed in the agreement?”
“No. But she talked about it several times.”
Thomas left before she could ask more.
Dr. Carter immediately wrote down the information.