He nodded.
"Good."
Then he looked toward the pool.
"Has anyone been in the water since?"
"No."
He took another photograph.
Then he asked whether we had the original video files.
I confirmed that we did.
The new president provided her recording.
One officer looked toward her.
"You were elected president today?"
She nodded.
"The new board selected its officers during the organizational meeting this morning."
He wrote that down.
"Was the former president notified?"
"Yes. She attended the election and received the transition instructions."
He nodded.
Then he asked about the contractor.
The new president explained that the association had previously used ClearWater Community Remediation and that she had discovered a pending work order for my address during the transition review.
The officer looked toward the pool.
"Was the cleanup scheduled before the garbage appeared?"
"According to the timestamp in the management system, yes."
He studied her.
Then he looked toward me.
"We'll make sure that information is included for follow-up."
I nodded.
The officers finished documenting the scene.
They did not announce an immediate conclusion about the financial allegations.
They explained how the reports would be reviewed and how additional evidence could be submitted.
Then they left.
For the first time since the incident began, my backyard was quiet.
Except for the pool equipment.
It was still running, circulating water through a system that had been operating perfectly earlier that afternoon.
I looked toward the garbage.
Then I turned off access to the pool area so no child could enter it accidentally.
And I waited for the professionals.
The pool technician arrived with another worker early that evening.
He'd serviced our pool for years and knew exactly how carefully we maintained it. When he stepped onto the patio and saw the bags, he stopped walking.
For several seconds, he stared.
Then he looked at me.
"You're serious."
I gave a tired laugh.
"Unfortunately."
He examined the scene without touching the garbage.
Then he asked about the police report and whether the bags had been disturbed since the original photographs.
I explained that we'd left everything in place for documentation.
He nodded.
"Good."
He and his colleague assessed the situation, took the precautions they considered necessary, and explained that the contents of the bags needed to be handled safely before the pool could be returned to use.
I asked whether the birthday party could proceed the next day.
He looked toward the water.
Then back at me.
"I wouldn't promise that."