Instead, I was documenting its condition as though preparing an engineering investigation.
The Friday before the incident, my sister called.
She wanted to know whether the children could come over the next afternoon.
My nephew had finished a difficult school project.
My niece had received a certificate at swimming lessons.
And both wanted to celebrate with burgers and an afternoon in the pool.
I smiled.
"Absolutely."
My sister laughed.
"You sure?"
"Of course."
She hesitated.
Then asked about the HOA president.
I told her the court order was in place and that there hadn't been another entry.
My sister sounded relieved.
"Good."
We discussed food.
The children wanted cheeseburgers.
My niece requested strawberries.
My nephew wanted potato chips and complained that his mother always brought vegetables.
I laughed.
Then my sister mentioned she'd be finishing a morning shift before coming over.
They would arrive around three.
I looked toward the clock.
"That works."
After the call, I went outside and checked the patio.
The afternoon was sunny.
The water looked beautiful.
I spent an hour cleaning outdoor furniture and preparing the grill.
Then I checked the gate.
The latch was secure.
The camera was operating.
And nothing appeared unusual.
I stood beside the pool for a moment.
The water moved gently beneath the sunlight.
I imagined the children laughing the following day.
Then I went inside.
I had no idea that someone had already arranged for a blue bag to appear at my property before they arrived.
Now, standing in the backyard while police examined the scene, I remembered that letter from Southern Water Integrity Services.
The bag on the patio was blue.
Its label appeared to identify it as a commercial pool-salt product.
The president had claimed it contained brain-eating amoebas.
I didn't know whether she believed that claim, whether someone had deceived her, or whether she was deliberately lying.
And I wasn't going to decide based on appearances.
The officers treated the substance as unidentified.
They kept everyone away from the pool and arranged for appropriate personnel to assess what had been introduced.
The female officer photographed the torn bag without touching its contents.
Then she looked toward the president.
"Where did you obtain this?"
The woman hesitated.
"A pool supplier."
The officer nodded.
"Did you put anything else into the bag?"
The president looked offended.
"Of course not."
The officer continued.
"Why did you tell the homeowner it contained brain-eating amoebas?"
For several seconds, the woman stared.
Then she laughed nervously.
"I was joking."
The male officer looked toward her.
"Ma'am, you were previously ordered not to enter this property, and you've just admitted placing an unidentified substance into a private swimming pool."
The president folded her arms.
"It's salt."