“About $180,000 in questionable contracts over three years.”

I slowly stood.

“And my garage?”

Tom sighed.

“May have been the first time she realized she picked the wrong homeowner.”

I looked at the video again.

Linda stood beside my garage.

She thought she was trapped inside the neighborhood's rules.

She had no idea she'd just walked into my evidence archive.

CHAPTER 5 — THE BOARD TURNED ON LINDA

The emergency board meeting ended differently than Linda expected.

Three days later, the HOA called another meeting.

This time, every homeowner was invited.

More than sixty people showed up.

Tom represented me.

Linda sat at the front.

But she wasn't smiling anymore.

The board president's temporary replacement opened the meeting.

“We have received documentation concerning the incident involving Mr. Miller's garage.”

Linda immediately raised her hand.

“This is a coordinated attack against me.”

Nobody responded.

The replacement president continued.

“We have reviewed security footage.”

Linda's face tightened.

“And we have reviewed financial records related to several HOA contracts.”

The room erupted in whispers.

Linda stood.

“This is completely irrelevant.”

“No,” Tom said from the back of the room.

“It isn't.”

Everyone turned.

Tom held a folder.

“My client originally had no interest in the HOA's financial records.”

Linda glared at him.

“He was concerned only about an unauthorized vehicle parked inside his private garage.”

Tom placed a photograph on the screen.

The Mercedes.

Then another.

The garage door.

Then the video.

Linda and her brother appeared on screen.

The room went silent.

Then came the recording.

“I told him I needed the space.”

“He won't give you permission?”

“No.”

“Then make the HOA force him.”

“They're starting to question me.”

“Then use the violation.”

“What violation?”

“The welding.”

“I'll make one.”

Nobody spoke.

Linda stared at the screen.

The recording ended.

Someone in the audience whispered:

“Oh my God.”

Another homeowner stood.

“You told us he violated the rules.”

Linda's mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

A second homeowner stood.

“You said the garage was community-use property.”

“It was a misunderstanding.”

“You cited Section 4.7.”

“Yes.”

“Section 4.7 doesn't say that.”

Linda looked toward the board.

“You're all forgetting that I'm trying to protect this community.”

A homeowner laughed bitterly.

“From what?”

Linda pointed toward Tom.

“From people like him.”

Tom didn't respond.

The homeowner turned toward Linda.

“People like him?”

Linda realized too late that she had chosen the wrong words.

The room turned against her.

Then the replacement president revealed the financial records.

Three landscaping contracts.

Two security contracts.

One maintenance contract.

All connected to companies controlled by Linda's brother.

The homeowners started asking questions.

Linda couldn't answer them.

Finally, one board member stood.

“I move that Linda Prescott be removed as HOA president pending investigation.”

Another immediately seconded it.

The vote was unanimous.

Linda sat frozen.

Then someone asked the question nobody had considered.

“What about the Mercedes?”

Tom smiled.

“The Mercedes remains inside Mr. Miller's garage until the legal dispute is resolved.”

Linda's head snapped toward him.

“You can't do that!”

Tom calmly replied:

“You parked it there.”

The room erupted in laughter.