And money already spent.
She couldn't bear the thought of admitting that the entire initiative had been built around a property she had no right to use.
"Find another way," she snapped.
Victor was silent for a moment.
Then said firmly, "No. We need to account for what happened and stop."
Linda's expression hardened.
"You've already been paid."
"For services we believed were authorized."
She laughed bitterly.
"That's convenient."
Victor took a breath.
"Linda, don't do anything to that property."
The words made her pause.
For a moment, she wondered how much he understood.
Then she answered coldly.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
She ended the call.
But the truth was that she no longer had a plan capable of producing a legitimate outcome.
She had only a growing determination to make Devon appear responsible for the disaster she'd created.
The next morning, Linda visited the association's equipment-storage area near the clubhouse.
The space contained ordinary maintenance supplies, retired seasonal decorations, and equipment left from earlier community events.
A contractor had recently reported that several items needed inspection or disposal because they were damaged or no longer suitable for use.
Among them was an old electrical cable associated with temporary event equipment.
It had been marked for removal from service.
Linda had seen it weeks earlier while discussing the neighborhood's summer activities.
Now she remembered it for a different reason.
She wanted something visibly alarming.
Something that would make a photograph of Devon's pool look like proof of a dangerous condition.
She wasn't thinking carefully about the actual risk.
She told herself she would only create a dramatic image.
Perhaps a short recording.
Perhaps enough evidence to convince residents that the pool needed immediate intervention.
But an electrical cable with exposed damage was not a harmless stage prop.
Linda had no training that qualified her to assess it.
She didn't know whether it was safe to handle.
And she hadn't arranged for qualified personnel to control the situation.
Her intentions didn't make the object less dangerous.
She nevertheless removed it from the storage area.
Then she carried it to her SUV.
The security camera at the clubhouse captured her leaving with the item.
Linda didn't notice.
She was too focused on the imagined victory ahead.
Her intended story was simple.
She would photograph an apparent electrical hazard near Devon's pool.
Then claim she'd discovered the condition while trying to protect neighborhood residents.
She would argue that his refusal to cooperate with HOA inspections had allowed the problem to develop.