Marcus got out.
The crew noticed him.
A man in a yellow safety vest walked over.
“Can I help you?”
Marcus pointed toward the equipment.
“Who's the client?”
The man hesitated.
“I'm just the surveyor.”
“I didn't ask what you do.”
The man looked uncomfortable.
“I'm not authorized to discuss the client.”
Marcus showed his badge.
The man's expression changed.
“Oh.”
Marcus kept his voice calm.
“Who hired you?”
The man swallowed.
Then looked toward the other workers.
“Redwood Strategic Holdings.”
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
The shell company.
He looked toward the eastern boundary.
“Have you been on my property?”
“No.”
“Have you surveyed the strip?”
The man hesitated.
“Yes.”
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel was already writing something down.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Did you have permission?”
The surveyor looked nervous.
“We were told there was an easement.”
Marcus stared at him.
“There is not.”
“I didn't know.”
“Who told you?”
The man gave them a name.
Marcus recognized it.
Another Crestline associate.
Marcus looked toward the narrow strip of land.
They were back.
Different name.
Different paperwork.
Same objective.
The surveyor packed his equipment.
The crew left.
Marcus remained standing.
Daniel looked at him.
“This is bigger than Patricia.”
Marcus nodded.
“I know.”
They returned to the field office.
By noon, the investigation had expanded again.
The new company had been created six months earlier.
Its directors were difficult to trace.
Its funding came through multiple layers.
And one of its registered addresses belonged to a law office.
A law office that had represented Crestline.
The pattern was clear.
The original development company had not disappeared.
It had changed clothes.
Marcus sat in the conference room while investigators covered the walls with charts.
Names.
Companies.
Payments.
Properties.
Emails.
Phone records.
At the center was Marcus's neighborhood.
A senior investigator entered.
“Everyone, listen.”
The room became quiet.
“We have confirmation.”
He pointed toward the board.
“Redwood Strategic Holdings purchased three properties adjacent to the proposed access corridor.”
Marcus frowned.
“Three?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The investigator pointed to another map.
“Because they don't need your strip if they can create a different access route.”
Marcus studied the map.