But then our garden began suffering strange damage.
The first incident involved a cut drip line near the roses.
The second involved a damaged moisture sensor.
The third involved a broken path light beside the side gate.
Each happened after an increasingly aggressive notice from the HOA.
Each required repair.
And each seemed designed to make our garden look neglected or poorly maintained.
I installed additional cameras.
Filed reports where appropriate.
And began keeping a careful record.
By the time Patricia entered my backyard carrying a hammer, I had already documented three separate incidents.
Detective Camila Ortega was coming to review those reports.
I didn't know who had caused the earlier damage.
But I knew I wasn't imagining it.
Someone had been interfering with our property.
And now, standing beside the broken sprinkler in a damp bath towel, I was looking directly at a woman who apparently believed she could finish the job herself.
Detective Ortega didn't immediately arrest Patricia.
That was the first thing that surprised the HOA president.
Patricia apparently believed the presence of a police detective would turn the dispute into a contest over who sounded more authoritative. She began speaking quickly, explaining that she was responsible for maintaining neighborhood standards and that my irrigation system represented an urgent conservation problem. Then she announced that she'd been forced to take corrective action because I refused to cooperate.
Camila listened without interrupting.
When Patricia finished, the detective looked toward the hammer on the grass.
“Did you strike the sprinkler with that tool?”
Patricia hesitated.
“I was attempting to disable an unauthorized fixture.”
“That's not what I asked.”
The HOA president looked toward me, clearly irritated.
Then she said, “Yes, but I had authority.”
Camila nodded.
“We'll examine that claim. For now, I need everyone to remain separated while we establish what happened.”
She asked me to move toward the patio, where I could speak to her without standing near Patricia or the damaged sprinkler. I was grateful for the opportunity to put some distance between us. The water was still spraying, and I could see it collecting beside the brick border.