Then he looked at Marcus.
"This is bigger than a pool."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
The HOA emergency meeting took place three days later.
The room was packed.
Patricia arrived with her attorney.
Marcus arrived with his.
The board president opened the meeting.
"Mrs. Whitmore, you have requested this hearing."
Patricia stood.
"Yes."
She began by accusing Marcus of deliberately contaminating her.
The room erupted.
One homeowner raised his hand.
"Contaminating you?"
Patricia corrected herself.
"Applying an unauthorized substance to a pool."
The technician was present.
He stood.
"It was an authorized maintenance dye."
Patricia glared.
"You were paid by Mr. Reed."
The technician shook his head.
"No."
"You work for him."
"I service his pool."
"That's the same thing."
"No."
The room went quiet.
The technician held up his license.
"I'm licensed independently."
Patricia turned to the board.
"This is absurd."
The board president looked at her.
"Did you enter Mr. Reed's property?"
"Yes."
"Without permission?"
"I believed I had authority."
"Did you have written authorization?"
"No."
"Did you have a key?"
"No."
"Did you break the lock?"
Patricia hesitated.
"I accessed the gate."
The board president sighed.
"Did you break the lock?"
Patricia's attorney leaned toward her.
She finally said:
"Yes."
A murmur moved through the room.
"And did you invite six people?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell them the HOA had authority?"
Patricia looked at the women.
Cheryl stood.
"Yes."
Patricia glared at her.
"You misunderstood."
Cheryl shook her head.
"No."
The room became silent.
Cheryl looked toward the board.
"You told us his pool was available to HOA members."
Another woman stood.
"She told me the same thing."
A third raised her hand.
"Me too."
Patricia's face hardened.
"This is ridiculous."
The board president turned toward Marcus.
"Mr. Reed, do you have evidence?"
Marcus stood.
He didn't speak.
He connected a laptop to the display.
The first video appeared.
Patricia walking toward the gate.
The room became silent.
The second video showed her breaking the lock.
Then the third.
She waved her friends inside.
Then came the pool.