No contract.
No board approval.
No second signature.
Eleanor looked at Patricia.
"Where did this money go?"
"I don’t remember."
The door opened.
Detective Henderson walked in.
He placed a file on the table.
"We found the person responsible for damaging Daniel’s property."
Patricia’s face changed.
The man was Raymond Cole, a former Iron Shield employee.
He had agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Henderson continued.
"Mr. Cole says he was paid to make Daniel uncomfortable enough to sell his house."
Patricia stood.
"That’s a lie."
"We have messages."
Henderson placed printed copies on the table.
One sentence was highlighted:
"Just scare him. I want him to leave on his own."
The room fell silent.
Patricia looked at Daniel.
"You destroyed my daughter’s life."
Daniel kept his voice calm.
"I didn’t destroy anyone’s life."
"You stood there when she was convicted."
"I stood there to testify about evidence."
"And you think that makes you innocent?"
Daniel looked down for a moment.
"I never said I was innocent of being part of a painful case. I said I wasn’t the person who decided her sentence."
Patricia’s anger finally broke through.
"You always say that."
Henderson closed the file.
"And there’s one more issue."
Patricia looked at him.
"The 911 call."
Her face went pale.
"You knew those men weren’t dangerous."
Patricia said nothing.
"You also knew Daniel had been a former investigator."
The room became completely silent.
Chapter 4 — The Vote
The meeting continued for nearly another hour.
Nobody cared about the barbecue anymore.
Nobody cared about patio furniture.
The residents wanted answers.
Eleanor presented the records.