The later amendment extended the route farther east—toward what was now Celeste's property.
“Who filed this?”
“That is the interesting part.”
Evelyn pointed to a signature.
The filing had been submitted by a development company that no longer existed.
Its former principal had later become a consultant for the same investment group financing Rowan Fields.
Michael felt the pieces beginning to connect.
Celeste had not simply discovered an old water right.
She had purchased land around an old record and then attempted to revive the most favorable interpretation of it.
But there was another problem.
The amendment had never been properly indexed against Michael's parcel.
That explained the mysterious notice.
Someone had built the enforcement request on a record that was incomplete in the public index.
Michael took everything to the county.
At first, an administrator insisted the notice was legitimate.
Then Evelyn placed the historical documents on the desk.
The administrator stopped talking.
“This needs legal review.”
“Was the notice actually issued?”
“I can't answer that.”
“Was I properly served?”
Another pause.
“I can't answer that either.”
Michael pointed to the document Celeste had shown him.
“Then who signed this?”
The administrator examined the signature block.
Her face changed.
“That signature belongs to someone who retired eleven months ago.”
The room went silent.
The notice was not necessarily fabricated from nothing. It appeared to have been assembled from real records.
But it had been issued under authority that no longer existed.
Celeste had used a genuine historical dispute and an invalid administrative document to force Michael into surrendering access.
The next confrontation would happen at a county hearing.
And this time, Michael would bring every document he had found.
Chapter 4 — The Hearing
The hearing room was packed.
Celeste arrived with two attorneys.
Michael arrived with Sarah, Evelyn, Deputy Mendoza, and a banker from the investment group who had unexpectedly requested permission to observe.
The county counsel began by explaining the dispute.
Celeste's attorney argued that the old corridor was a continuing water-access right and that Michael's arbor interfered with restoration.
Then Evelyn presented the original subdivision map.
The room grew quiet.