"That woman has lost her mind."
Despite everything, Isaiah laughed.
Anita continued more seriously. "Listen to me. Don't get into a fight over that car. Your father wouldn't want you hurt because somebody couldn't take no for an answer."
Isaiah looked toward the vehicle.
"I know."
"And keep those records your father always talked about."
He smiled faintly.
"Already doing it."
His mother was quiet for a moment.
Then she said something that stayed with him.
"Your daddy spent years teaching you how to protect things without becoming cruel. Don't forget that part."
Isaiah closed his eyes.
"I won't, Mom."
That evening, Rosa Delgado called an emergency meeting of the Hawthorne Estates board.
She didn't invite Pamela to a secret gathering or attempt to remove her through an informal vote. The association's governing documents required proper procedures, and Rosa was determined not to repeat the very mistakes she suspected Pamela had made.
Instead, Rosa contacted the association's attorney, provided the financial records, and requested guidance concerning the disputed event expenses, unauthorized notices, and claims that the president had attempted to arrange removal of privately owned vehicles.
The attorney advised the directors to preserve documents, stop any questionable expenditures pending review, and establish an independent process for examining the concerns.
Rosa spent much of Saturday night organizing records.
Kevin Moore, the association secretary, helped her.
They examined invoices associated with the proposed heritage event, payments to vendors, and communications bearing the association's name.
The deeper they looked, the more troubling the pattern became.
One invoice described transportation services for a community vehicle exhibition.
Another listed consulting services provided by a company called Crownline Automotive Media.
Kevin searched the company name in the association's vendor files.
There was no prior contract.
No approved procurement record.
And no board resolution establishing a legitimate reason to pay the business.
He looked toward Rosa.
"Have you heard of Crownline?"
She shook her head.
Kevin opened the invoice.
Then pointed toward the contact information.
The listed representative was Dylan Whitcomb.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Finally, Rosa leaned backward.
"Pamela approved a payment to a business represented by her own son?"
Kevin nodded slowly.
"That's what the paperwork appears to show."
Rosa closed her eyes.
The amount wasn't enormous by corporate standards, but it was meaningful for a neighborhood association funded by homeowners' assessments.
And it wasn't merely the money.
Pamela had repeatedly told the board that the heritage event was in its preliminary planning stage.