"Who?"
"I don't know yet."
I looked out the window toward Brenda's house.
She was watching me.
Chapter 3 — The Surveyor
The next morning, a man in a white truck arrived.
He introduced himself as Martin Hale, a private surveyor.
"I've been hired to evaluate the property line."
"By whom?"
He hesitated.
"Mrs. Cole."
I stepped aside.
"Show me your credentials."
He produced them.
Everything looked legitimate.
But the moment he entered my yard, he walked directly toward the back corner.
He wasn't studying the garden.
He was studying the ground.
"What are you looking for?"
"Nothing specific."
"Then why are you measuring that area?"
He didn't answer.
I looked down.
A red marking had been painted on the grass.
The same marking appeared near my shed.
Then near the fence.
I photographed all three.
Martin packed his equipment.
"I'm finished."
"Already?"
"Yes."
As he walked away, I asked: