He'd also begun noticing how often he checked the backyard.
From the kitchen.
From his office.
From the upstairs bedroom.
Every time he passed a window, his eyes moved toward the water.
The pool still looked perfect.
That bothered him more than he expected.
A broken pipe announced itself.
A cracked wall could be measured.
An engine problem often made a sound.
But the invisible contamination inside his pool offered no obvious warning to anyone who didn't know where to look.
The environmental investigator, Rebecca Sloan, arrived with Dr. Serena Patel and two technicians. Rebecca was fifty-one, precise in her questions, and careful not to tell homeowners what the investigation would conclude before the sampling was complete.
Marcus met them at the side gate.
He showed them the runoff path.
The patio drain.
The settled material near the wall.
And the locations where earlier samples had been collected.
Rebecca examined the photographs he had taken during the monsoon storms.
Then she looked toward the common-area channel.
“Do you have images from before construction?”
Marcus nodded.
“Several.”
He opened a folder on his tablet.
The photographs showed the older drainage route.
The new retaining wall.
And the changes in grading that occurred during the project.
Rebecca studied them.
Then asked.
“Were these elevations checked after the work was finished?”
“I requested the as-built survey. The HOA hasn't provided it.”
She made a note.
For several minutes, the technicians examined the area and identified locations for additional controlled sampling. The team documented conditions and followed the appropriate field procedures rather than treating the backyard as an ordinary landscaping inspection.
Marcus watched from a safe distance.
He asked questions when necessary.
But he didn't interfere.
At one point, Serena approached.
“How is your daughter?”
He looked toward the house.
“She's staying with her mother this week.”
Serena nodded.
“Good.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Do you think I overreacted by closing the pool?”
The scientist studied him.
For a moment, she seemed surprised.
Then answered.
“No. Closing it while we investigate was a prudent response to the findings.”
He looked down.
“I've had people telling me I'm inventing the whole thing.”
Serena's expression softened.
“People often feel reassured by water that looks clean. Appearance alone can't establish chemical safety.”
Marcus nodded.
She continued.
“And a few minutes of exposure without immediate symptoms doesn't prove there's no hazard. It also doesn't tell us that someone will necessarily develop health effects. Those are separate questions.”
He looked toward the pool.
For a moment, his face tightened.
“I just want to know whether Zoe was safe.”