"We maintain the community infrastructure," Karen said. Her voice rose an octave above the hum of the cooling fans. "We have the right to inspect."
"You have the right to civil liability," Laura said. She closed the portfolio with a soft snap. "I need the capital reserve accounts from January to date. All of them."
"You have no standing," Karen said. She stepped backward toward the open sliding door. "The board will not release bank drafts to an unauthorized third party."
"Then we file the injunction tonight," Laura said. She looked past Karen toward the gravel drive. "Before the five o'clock deadline."
Karen turned sharply on her heel and marched toward her white SUV. The tires crunched hard against the caliche dust as she spun the wheel. Thomas watched the vehicle kick up a long tail of grey silt.
"She won't bring the ledgers," Thomas said.
"She will," Laura said, picking up her leather briefcase. "Or the judge will issue a warrant for every board member by sunrise."
The fluorescent tubes flickered over the linoleum table. Thomas set two heavy cardboard banker boxes down with a dull thump. Dust settled on the bank drafts Laura Kim had laid out in three neat rows.
Laura sat upright in her plastic chair, her leather portfolio zipped shut. She picked up a metal paperclip, slipped it over a highlighted statement, and tapped the bottom edge of the document three times against the table.
"Municipal records are public," Laura said. She studied the routing numbers. "The county clerk processed utility trenching permits twelve months ago under a fiber upgrade. The contractors never touched this ridge."
Thomas pulled his denim work shirt cuffs down. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his safety glasses, and methodically buffed the lenses against his shirt tail. The fabric rasped in the quiet room.
"They used the permit as cover," Thomas said. He slid the glasses onto his nose.
"They did more," Laura said. She turned her laptop toward him. A single PDF file sat open, titled ELECTRICAL2FINAL. "The HOA ledger shows an eighteen-thousand-six-hundred-forty-dollar disbursement for community beautification. Dated the exact week the trenches were dug."
Thomas leaned over the table. The numbers were clear, stamped with bank routing verifications. The project description listed underground conduit installation for perimeter safety lighting along the southern field.
"There are no perimeter lights out there," Thomas said. He pointed a finger at the line item. "The only thing there is my concrete pad and the main distribution line."
Laura scrolled to the signature block. A digital stamp bore Karen Whitmore's formal board authorization.