"I didn't know."
"I understand."
"Patricia told us you had agreed to let her use the pool."
Marcus's expression changed.
"She told you that?"
"Yes."
"Before you entered?"
"Yes."
"Did she say anything else?"
Cheryl hesitated.
"She said you were difficult."
Marcus sighed.
"That sounds like her."
"I should have asked."
"Yes."
"I know."
Cheryl's voice became quiet.
"I feel terrible."
Marcus softened.
"Just tell the truth."
"I will."
That afternoon, Cheryl gave a written statement.
The other women followed.
Their statements were nearly identical.
Patricia had told them she had authority.
She had told them the pool was effectively an HOA amenity.
She had told them Marcus had refused to cooperate with the neighborhood.
And she had invited them specifically to demonstrate that "the HOA could use the property."
Marcus's attorney read the statements.
CHAPTER 7
Then he looked at Marcus.
"This is bigger than a pool."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
The HOA emergency meeting took place three days later.
The room was packed.
Patricia arrived with her attorney.
Marcus arrived with his.
The board president opened the meeting.
"Mrs. Whitmore, you have requested this hearing."
Patricia stood.
"Yes."
She began by accusing Marcus of deliberately contaminating her.
The room erupted.
One homeowner raised his hand.
"Contaminating you?"
Patricia corrected herself.
"Applying an unauthorized substance to a pool."
The technician was present.
He stood.
"It was an authorized maintenance dye."
Patricia glared.
"You were paid by Mr. Reed."
The technician shook his head.
"No."
"You work for him."
"I service his pool."
"That's the same thing."
"No."
The room went quiet.
The technician held up his license.
"I'm licensed independently."
Patricia turned to the board.
"This is absurd."
The board president looked at her.
"Did you enter Mr. Reed's property?"
"Yes."
"Without permission?"
"I believed I had authority."
"Did you have written authorization?"
"No."
"Did you have a key?"
"No."
"Did you break the lock?"
Patricia hesitated.
"I accessed the gate."
The board president sighed.
"Did you break the lock?"
Patricia's attorney leaned toward her.
She finally said:
"Yes."
A murmur moved through the room.
"And did you invite six people?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell them the HOA had authority?"
Patricia looked at the women.
Cheryl stood.
"Yes."
Patricia glared at her.
"You misunderstood."
Cheryl shook her head.
"No."
The room became silent.
Cheryl looked toward the board.
"You told us his pool was available to HOA members."
Another woman stood.
"She told me the same thing."
A third raised her hand.
"Me too."
Patricia's face hardened.
"This is ridiculous."
The board president turned toward Marcus.
"Mr. Reed, do you have evidence?"
Marcus stood.
He didn't speak.
He connected a laptop to the display.
The first video appeared.
Patricia walking toward the gate.
The room became silent.
The second video showed her breaking the lock.
Then the third.
She waved her friends inside.
Then came the pool.
CHAPTER 8
Then Marcus.
Then the maintenance sheet.
Then the technician.
The room watched the green dye spread across Patricia's skin.
Nobody laughed.
The footage ended.
Marcus turned off the screen.
His attorney stood.
"That's the entire incident."
Patricia's attorney stood immediately.
"Mr. Reed intentionally placed dye in the pool knowing my client might enter."
Marcus's attorney responded.
"The pool was closed for maintenance."
"Yet he knew she had previously accessed the property."
"That does not make the closure invalid."
"He could have warned her."
"He did not need to warn someone not to break into private property."
The board president raised a hand.
"Enough."
He looked at Patricia.
"Mrs. Whitmore, why did you believe you had access?"
Patricia looked around.
"Because I'm HOA president."
"That isn't sufficient."
"It is in the bylaws."
The association's attorney spoke.
"No."
Patricia turned.
"What?"
"The bylaws do not grant you general access to private backyards."
The room went silent.
The attorney continued.
"They never did."
Patricia's face changed.
"You said—"
"I said you had inspection authority under specific circumstances."
"You told me—"
"I told you to provide written notice."
Patricia stared at him.
The attorney looked toward the board.
"And she did not."
The board president closed his folder.
"Then the matter is clear."
Patricia's attorney objected.
"It is not."
But the room had already turned.
The board voted unanimously to remove Patricia from all enforcement authority.
Then came the second vote.