“Was that supposed to help?”
The second officer, Teresa Shaw, walked toward the damaged latch.
She photographed it.
Splintered wood.
Bent screws.
Fresh hammer marks.
Then the sack.
Then the scattered glass.
“Sir,” she said to Marcus, “do you have security cameras?”
“Yes.”
“Exterior?”
“Front, driveway, rear patio.”
“Gate?”
“Partial angle.”
“Save everything.”
“I will.”
Brenda interrupted.
“He monitors common areas illegally.”
Marcus looked at her.
“My cameras record my property.”
“You can see the sidewalk.”
“The city can see the sidewalk too.”
Perez raised a hand.
“Stop.”
Brenda looked offended.
“Officer—”
“No.”
His tone sharpened.
“You are not directing this.”
For the first time, Brenda appeared to understand that nobody present was interested in her title.
Allison turned to Marcus.
“Please don’t enter the water.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Don’t run the cleaning system until we document what entered.”
“Already off.”
She looked impressed.
“When?”
“Phone control. I stopped the pump when you walked in.”
“Good.”
Brenda scoffed.
“Everyone’s acting like I dumped poison.”
Allison looked at her.
“No one said that.”
“It’s glass.”
“Yes.”
“Then clean it.”
Marcus stared.
“Clean it?”
Brenda looked at him.
“You own a vacuum system.”
“I own a pool cleaning system, not a machine for removing shattered laboratory glass.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
Marcus glanced toward the officers.
Perez’s expression had become remarkably flat.
The kind of expression worn by people hearing something they already knew would appear later in a report.
Allison said:
“The pool may need to be drained and professionally inspected.”
Brenda laughed.
“For glass?”
“For glass fragments in plumbing, drains, filter housings, steps, and surfaces used barefoot.”
Brenda’s face changed.
Marcus felt anger tighten his jaw.
“How much?”
Allison looked reluctant.
“I can’t estimate.”
“Five thousand?”
“Possibly more.”
“Ten?”
“Potentially.”
Brenda interrupted.
“The HOA isn’t paying for that.”
Marcus turned slowly.
Nobody spoke.
Then Perez asked:
“Who said anything about the HOA paying?”
Brenda realized the mistake.
Her lips pressed together.
Perez looked toward Shaw.
“Separate her.”
Shaw approached.
“Ms. Whitmore, come with me.”
“I’m not under arrest.”
“No one said you were.”
“Then I’m leaving.”
“No.”
Brenda stared.
Shaw continued.
“You are being detained while we investigate a reported unlawful entry and property damage.”
Brenda looked at Marcus.
“This is what you wanted.”
Marcus answered quietly.
“You came here with a hammer.”
Shaw escorted Brenda toward the side gate.
When she reached the broken entrance, Brenda stopped and looked back.