"Is that lady from yesterday coming back?"
Daniel looked at her.
"What lady?"
"The one who was standing by the shelter. I saw her from my bedroom last night."
He stopped moving.
"What time?"
"After nine, I think. I was getting water, and I looked outside. There was someone near the fence with a flashlight."
Daniel set the juice carton down.
"Are you sure it was a woman?"
"I couldn't see her face. She had a long coat."
"Did she come onto the property?"
"I don't know. She was standing near the side gate."
Daniel tried to keep his expression neutral.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought it might have been someone walking their dog."
He nodded.
"That's possible. But if you see anyone around the house at night, tell me. You don't have to decide whether they're doing anything wrong."
Sophie looked worried.
"Is somebody trying to steal something?"
"I don't know. That's why we're being careful."
After breakfast, Daniel checked the security system.
The camera overlooking the side gate had recorded a figure approaching the fence at 9:26 p.m. The person wore a long dark coat and carried a flashlight.
The figure stopped near the shelter, pointed the light toward the ground, and remained there for approximately forty seconds.
Then the person walked away.
The recording was not clear enough to identify the individual.
Daniel saved the footage.
He did not immediately contact the police. There was no evidence that the person had entered the property, and the figure might have been someone passing by the fence.
Nevertheless, he sent the clip to Laura and added it to the investigation folder.
At 9:18 a.m., his phone rang.
It was Margaret Ellis.
"Daniel, I found something in my paperwork," she said without greeting.
"What is it?"
"A letter from the association. It arrived three weeks after I refused Westbridge's offer."
"Does it mention the company?"
"Not directly. But it says the association may require access to my rear garden for an infrastructure assessment."
Daniel sat down.
"Did you authorize that?"
"No. I wrote back asking them to explain the legal basis. They never answered."
"Can you send me a copy?"
"I already emailed it to you."
Daniel opened his inbox.
The letter was brief, written in formal language, and signed by Richard Harlan.
It referred to an infrastructure review that had not been mentioned in any previous association notice.
The letter also stated that residents should not obstruct authorized contractors.
Daniel forwarded it to Laura.
Then he called Thomas Reed again.
This time, Thomas answered.
"I've been expecting your call," he said.
"Margaret told me you received a purchase offer."
"I did."
"Did the association contact you afterward?"
Thomas gave a dry laugh.
"They've been contacting me about everything. My driveway is apparently too wide, my front steps don't match the approved materials, and my garden lights are too bright."
"How long have you lived there?"
"Seventeen years."
"And none of these were problems before?"
"Not once."
Thomas paused.
"Daniel, I don't want to sound paranoid, but I think they're trying to make it expensive for us to stay."
"You're not the first person to say that."
"Have you found anything?"
Daniel considered how much to reveal.
"I've found evidence of a consulting agreement between the association and Westbridge. The company has identified seven properties as acquisition priorities."
Thomas was silent.
"Seven?" he finally asked.
"Yes."
"Which ones?"
Daniel listed the addresses.
Thomas exhaled sharply.
"My house is on that list."
"I know."
"I have a copy of the original offer. They wanted to pay me almost twice the assessed value. When I refused, Richard came to my house and told me that refusing a reasonable offer would create unnecessary difficulties."
"Did he threaten you?"
"Not directly. He said the association had several ways of making sure residents complied with community standards."
Daniel wrote down the statement.
"Would you be willing to provide that information to my attorney?"
"Yes. I'm tired of this."
"There's another issue. The county environmental compliance office is investigating the old pumping station."
Thomas lowered his voice.
"What does that have to do with the houses?"
"I don't know yet. But Westbridge has an engineering diagram showing an underground access point near my property."
Thomas was quiet for several seconds.
Then he said something that made Daniel sit completely still.
"My father worked at that pumping station."
Daniel looked at the map on his desk.
"What?"
"Before it closed. He was a maintenance engineer. He worked there for nearly twenty years."
"Did he ever tell you about the underground system?"