Marcus pointed toward the pass beneath the Mercedes.
“But I wasn’t.”
Diane crossed her arms.
“That remains to be seen.”
A new voice came from behind them.
“No.”
Everybody turned.
A woman was running from the elevator.
Dark green blouse.
Black trousers.
Keys bouncing at her hip.
Lena Ortiz.
Property manager.
She looked breathless.
“I am so sorry.”
She stopped when she saw Marcus’s wrists.
Her face fell.
“Oh my God.”
Diane immediately spoke.
“Lena, tell them.”
Lena looked toward her.
“Tell them what?”
“That he doesn’t live here.”
“He doesn’t.”
Diane smiled triumphantly.
Lena continued:
“His mother does.”
The smile vanished.
Marcus watched Diane carefully.
Lena looked toward Chen.
“Evelyn Reed closed on Unit 1704 eleven days ago.”
Marcus nodded.
“Thank you.”
Lena continued:
“Mr. Reed is listed as her emergency contact and authorized family visitor.”
Diane shook her head.
“No.”
Lena stared.
“What do you mean no?”
“The board never approved her move-in.”
Lena’s face hardened.
“The board does not approve owners.”
“We approve security access.”
“No.”
“We discussed this.”
“You discussed it.”
“Our attorneys told you the policy you proposed was not authorized.”
Diane’s color changed.
Chen looked from one woman to the other.
“Was Mr. Reed’s access credential valid?”
Lena hesitated.
“It should have been.”
Marcus caught the wording.
“Should have?”
Lena looked toward him.
“I activated both passes yesterday.”
“Neither worked.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
Lena’s eyes shifted toward Diane.
The garage became very quiet again.
Marcus asked:
“Lena.”
“What happened?”
She exhaled.
“At seven twelve this morning, both credentials were manually suspended.”
Marcus stopped rubbing his wrist.
“By whom?”
Lena looked directly at Diane.
“The board security account.”
Diane stared.
“That account is shared.”
Lena nodded.
“With three board officers.”
“I did not suspend anything.”
Lena’s expression became cold.
“The login came from your unit’s registered device.”
Diane’s face changed.
Hayes whispered:
“Jesus.”
Chen shot him a look.
Diane pointed at Lena.
“You cannot prove I was the person using it.”
Marcus said nothing.
He did not need to.
For the first time, Diane seemed to understand the real danger she faced.
Not that Marcus was important.
Not that federal marshals had arrived.
Not that the police officer had become embarrassed.
It was that there was a sequence.
A login.
A suspended credential.
A false claim.
A kicked pass.
A body camera.
Facts lining up one after another.
Diane looked toward Marcus.
“This is harassment.”
Marcus almost laughed.
“Of whom?”