All seven were marked HIGH.
Daniel stared at the document.
This was no longer a collection of coincidences.
He printed the relevant pages and placed them beside the original purchase offer.
Then he called Laura.
She answered immediately.
"Have you seen the schedule?" Daniel asked.
"Yes. I'm looking at it now."
"What does it mean?"
"It means Westbridge identified those properties as priorities, and the association agreed to assist with preliminary surveys. That may be lawful, depending on what they actually did and what the homeowners authorized."
"But the pressure began after the offers were rejected."
"That is something we need to investigate."
Daniel leaned forward.
"Richard threatened my daughter."
Laura was silent for a moment.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
Daniel described the letter and Sophie's account of the encounter near the driveway.
"Do you still have the original note?" Laura asked.
"Yes."
"Keep it. Photograph the envelope, if there is one. Don't write on the paper or make marks on it. We'll preserve it in case we need to establish where it came from."
"Can we stop them?"
"We can take steps to protect your rights. Whether we can stop the entire project depends on what the evidence shows."
Daniel looked toward the darkened window.
"What if this is bigger than the seven properties?"
Laura hesitated.
"Why do you ask?"
He told her about the old service road, the underground pipe, and the decommissioned pumping station.
When he finished, she spoke carefully.
"That may be relevant, but we need to establish ownership and determine whether the land has any environmental or infrastructure restrictions. Don't trespass on the parcel or attempt to investigate underground equipment yourself."
"I won't."
"Send me the photographs and the county maps. I'll ask a property specialist to review them."
Daniel sent the files.
Then he closed the laptop and sat quietly in the office.
He had entered the afternoon believing he was dealing with an overbearing association president.
By evening, he had discovered a private development agreement, a list of targeted properties, a pattern of enforcement actions, and a possible connection to an abandoned municipal facility.
He still did not know why Westbridge wanted those particular lots.
But he was beginning to suspect that the company was not interested in the houses themselves.
It was interested in what lay beneath them.
At 9:43 p.m., his phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
Daniel answered cautiously.
"Hello?"
A man's voice came through the speaker.
"Mr. Mercer?"
"Who is this?"
"My name is Kevin Doyle. I was at your house this afternoon."
Daniel sat straighter.
"The maintenance contractor?"
"Yes."
"What do you want?"
Kevin breathed heavily, as though he had been walking.
"I shouldn't be calling you. Richard told us not to speak to anyone about what happened."
"Then why are you calling?"
"Because I saw something before the window broke."
Daniel said nothing.
Kevin lowered his voice.
"Richard wasn't just inspecting your shelter. He was trying to find a marker."
"What marker?"
"I don't know exactly. He had a diagram with him. He kept comparing it to the ground near the rear support beam."
Daniel glanced at the photographs on his desk.
"What did the diagram show?"
"A line running beneath the property. Some kind of utility route. Richard said the survey team needed the exact position before the next inspection."
Daniel felt his pulse quicken.
"Did he tell you what the line was for?"
"No. But I heard him talking to someone earlier. He said the pipe had to be located before the residents could be moved."
The room seemed suddenly colder.
"Moved where?"
"I don't know."
"Kevin, did you take any photographs?"
There was a long pause.
"Yes."
"Of what?"
"Richard's diagram. I took a picture when he left it on the truck seat."
"Do you still have it?"
"Yes."
"Can you send it to me?"
"I can, but I need you to promise something first."
"What?"
"If this becomes a legal matter, I don't want you telling Richard I was the one who contacted you. I have a family, and I can't afford to lose my work."
Daniel considered the request.
"I won't disclose your identity unnecessarily. But I can't promise that your involvement will remain confidential if you become a witness or the authorities need your statement."
"I understand."
"If you have evidence, preserve the original. Don't alter it or delete anything. Send a copy to my attorney, not just to me."
Kevin sounded relieved.
"All right."
A message arrived seconds later.
Daniel opened the photograph.