Then glanced toward the little blue mosaic star in the pool.
For a moment, she looked very young.
"Mommy wouldn't like them coming here."
The engineer swallowed.
"No."
He looked toward the water.
"She wouldn't."
The following Monday, the pool technician arrived.
He was a white American man in his mid-forties, tall and sunburned, with the patient manner of someone accustomed to explaining expensive maintenance problems to worried homeowners.
He had serviced the property for nearly five years.
He knew the pool well.
Its circulation system was unusual only because the owner, being a water-systems engineer, had designed several features more carefully than an ordinary residential installation required.
The pump operated on an efficient schedule.
The plumbing had clearly labeled valves.
The filtration equipment was maintained meticulously.
And the homeowner kept reliable records of water use, pressure, and maintenance.
The technician respected that.
He also found it amusing.
"You know," he said one morning, examining the owner's notebook, "most customers just ask why the water looks green."
The engineer smiled.
"And I ask for pressure readings."
"Exactly."
They laughed.
Then the engineer explained the unexplained water loss.
The technician examined the autofill mechanism.
Checked the accessible fittings.
Reviewed the equipment.
And considered the possibility of a small leak.
No obvious major defect appeared.
The technician recommended a more thorough circulation and leak investigation if the readings continued.
Then the homeowner showed him the photographs.
The unfamiliar towel.
The bottle cap.
The wet footprints.
The displaced furniture.
The technician's expression changed.
"Somebody's been here."
The engineer nodded.
"That's what I'm worried about."
The technician looked toward the gate.
"Who else has access?"
"My daughter and me."
He hesitated.
"And you?"
The technician shook his head.
"I don't keep an unrestricted key. I arrange service access with you."
The engineer nodded.
"That's what I thought."
The technician examined the latch.
Then frowned.
"Has anybody changed this hardware?"