Marcus examined the screen.
A small architectural rendering appeared beneath the drainage photograph.
It showed the rear boundary of his property.
But the wall had been moved.
A paved access route crossed the area where his garden currently stood.
He stared.
That wasn't an as-built drainage plan.
It was a development concept.
And it depicted a road across land Grant Carlisle had repeatedly tried to obtain.
Marcus looked toward his attorney.
Andrea nodded slowly.
“Photograph the slide.”
He discreetly captured the image.
Then Vanessa advanced again.
Too late.
The photograph had been preserved.
And it raised a question that had nothing to do with the appearance of Marcus's swimming pool.
Why was the HOA president presenting a neighborhood drainage project using an illustration of a private development access road crossing a homeowner's property?
When residents were finally allowed to ask questions, Marcus stood.
He didn't shout.
Didn't accuse Vanessa of poisoning anyone.
And didn't demand that the board resign immediately.
He simply asked to speak.
Vanessa looked toward him.
Her expression hardened.
“Mr. Ellison, we've heard enough from you.”
A board member near the front frowned.
“He's a homeowner. Let him ask his question.”
Vanessa turned.
The speaker was Priya Shah, the association's treasurer.
Priya was forty-three, an accountant by profession, and one of the few board members who consistently requested supporting documentation before approving large expenditures.
She had disagreed with Vanessa about the drainage project's finances, but until recently she believed the president's aggressive manner reflected poor interpersonal judgment rather than possible misconduct.
Now she was beginning to reconsider.
Marcus looked toward her.
“Thank you.”
Then he addressed the room.
“My pool is closed because an accredited laboratory identified dioxin and furan contamination in environmental samples. The consultant has advised continued closure pending further investigation, and the relevant authorities have been notified.”
Vanessa scoffed.
“Allegedly.”
Marcus nodded.
“The findings are documented. The source is still being investigated.”
He paused.
“I'm not asking the board to declare a contractor guilty. I'm asking the association to preserve the records, cooperate with the environmental investigation, and stop threatening me for following professional safety advice.”
Several residents nodded.
Marcus continued.
“I also want to know why the drainage presentation includes a proposed road across my private property.”
The room became silent.
Vanessa stiffened.
“What?”
Marcus gestured toward the screen.
“That rendering shows a paved access route through my eastern yard. I've never approved that easement.”
Priya looked toward the slide.
For a moment, her expression changed.
She turned toward Vanessa.
“Where did that image come from?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“It's conceptual.”