She accused the board of abandoning safety.
Claimed Cedar Hollow could face enormous liability.
And warned that suspending the company might place homeowners at risk.
But by then, most residents were no longer persuaded by the warnings.
They'd heard similar language for months.
They wanted evidence.
Actual inspection reports.
Actual services.
Actual authorization.
And a clear accounting of where their money went.
The board voted to commission an independent review and pause further nonessential CedarShield work pending its findings.
The decision was not unanimous.
But it passed.
Evelyn sat rigidly in her chair.
For a moment, Michael watched her.
He didn't feel triumphant.
Not yet.
He thought about Peter Whitcomb and the collection letters.
About Sophie crying beside the grill.
And about neighbors who had been frightened into paying fees they didn't understand.
The truth hadn't been established.
The review might uncover carelessness.
Conflicts.
Or serious misconduct.
But at least the questions were finally being asked where everyone could hear them.
As the meeting ended, Evelyn approached Michael near the doorway.
Her expression was cold.
โYou think you've won?โ
He turned.
For a moment, he considered answering angrily.
Instead, he looked toward Natalie.
Then back at Evelyn.
โI didn't come here to win anything.โ
She laughed bitterly.
โOf course not.โ
Michael shook his head.
โI came here because you destroyed our cookout and then tried to make us pay for the privilege.โ
Her face reddened.
He continued.
โAnd because other people deserve answers about what happened to their money.โ
For several seconds, she stared.
Then she leaned closer.
โYou have no idea how much trouble you're causing.โ
Michael met her gaze.
โThen maybe you should stop making it necessary.โ
Evelyn stepped backward.
For a moment, her expression became unreadable.
Then she turned and walked away.
Michael watched her leave.
He thought the most difficult part was over.
He was wrong.
Because the independent accountant would soon discover that some CedarShield invoices had been paid for inspections that never occurred.
Others had been approved using board authorization records that appeared inconsistent with the actual meeting minutes.
And several payments had moved through accounts connected to Lucas Hartwell before being transferred again.
The barbecue had exposed the timing of one complaint.
The financial review was about to expose what happened after the complaints were filed.
The independent review took seven weeks.
During that time, Cedar Hollow became a very different neighborhood.
People began attending board meetings.
They read newsletters instead of throwing them away.
They asked for financial statements.
They compared notices.
And homeowners who had never spoken beyond a polite wave started discussing what happened to their association dues.
Grace was surprised by how many people had similar stories.