Then continued reviewing ordinary association business.
The neighborhood still needed landscaping.
The clubhouse required maintenance.
And residents continued paying monthly assessments with the expectation that the association would use them responsibly.
Rosa understood that the investigation couldn't become an excuse to neglect those duties.
But she also knew the board needed answers.
The accounting firm soon identified payments totaling several thousand dollars that had been charged to association funds without sufficient recorded approval.
Some went toward legitimate event planning expenses.
Others involved transportation deposits and promotional services linked to Dylan's business.
The records also showed that Pamela had described the proposed heritage event to vendors as fully authorized before the board approved a final plan.
That was a serious governance problem.
But the most troubling discovery wasn't a payment.
It was a document.
Kevin found it inside the electronic correspondence archive.
The file was titled Hawthorne Heritage Showcase — Vehicle Participation Authorization.
It contained a description of the yellow 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, Isaiah's address, and a statement claiming the owner had agreed to make the vehicle available for the event.
Near the bottom appeared a signature resembling Isaiah's.
Kevin stared at the page.
For a moment, he wondered whether Isaiah had changed his mind after the earlier disputes.
Then he checked the document's transmission history.
The file had been sent from Dylan's promotional business to an outside event organizer.
Pamela was copied.
The association's official approval section contained a typed notation indicating that the president had authorized the arrangement.
But there was no supporting board vote.
Kevin immediately contacted Rosa.
She opened the document.
Then whispered, "Please tell me this isn't what it looks like."
He shook his head.
"I don't know yet."
They sent the document to association counsel.
The attorney advised them not to make public accusations before verifying its history.
But the document created an urgent question.
Had Isaiah actually signed it?
When Danielle Foster showed Isaiah the copy, he stared at it for several seconds.
Then leaned forward.
"That's not something I signed."
She nodded.
"I want you to review the entire document carefully."
He did.
The vehicle description was accurate.
So was his address.
But the statement claiming he'd agreed to provide the car was false.
Then he noticed something strange about the signature.
It resembled the one he used when signing ordinary forms at community events, including a charity automotive gathering several months earlier.
He looked toward Danielle.
"Dylan was taking pictures at that fundraiser."