He went to the gym, returned home, and spent the late morning reviewing engineering reports for a client.
At noon, he received a message from Ruth.
She explained that the independent review was moving forward and that the board had scheduled a secure video discussion for later that afternoon.
The directors wanted to clarify the disputed invoices and confirm the status of Andre's access agreement.
Natalie would participate.
Andre agreed to join for the portion concerning his property.
Ruth also mentioned that an external compliance specialist might attend.
She didn't provide details.
Andre assumed it was part of the financial review.
At three-thirty, he closed his laptop and finished a short workout.
Then he took a shower.
He was drying himself when his smartphone vibrated.
The security application displayed a motion alert from the side gate.
Andre opened it.
Cynthia stood outside the fence.
She wore a bright-blue floral swimsuit and carried a silver canister.
For a moment, he stared.
Then he saw the yellow warning label.
His stomach tightened.
He immediately contacted emergency services and explained that an unauthorized person appeared to be carrying an unidentified chemical container into his backyard.
He was instructed to avoid approaching the substance or allowing anyone into the pool.
Andre agreed.
Then he opened the scheduled HOA video call from his phone.
Ruth answered.
"Andre?"
He looked toward the screen.
"Something's happening at my house."
She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He turned the camera toward the backyard.
The board members watched as Cynthia opened the gate.
Then they saw her approach the pool.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The president crouched beside the water.
She lifted the canister.
And the first cloudy stream began pouring into Andre's private swimming pool.
The video conference fell silent.
Ruth Calder had been preparing to discuss a vendor invoice when Andre turned his phone toward the backyard. At first, she couldn't identify the woman beside the pool because the sunlight reflected strongly off the water.
Then Cynthia stood upright.
The bright-blue floral swimsuit was unmistakable.
Ruth leaned toward her camera.
"Cynthia? What are you doing?"
The president didn't appear to hear her.
She was looking toward Andre, who had stepped onto the patio wearing his yellow towel.
On the screen, the HOA vice president covered his mouth.
Another director whispered something nobody could hear clearly.
Then Cynthia raised the canister again.
Andre shouted for her to stop.
The cloudy liquid fell into the turquoise water.
Ruth felt a chill spread through her body.
She'd seen the invoices.
The proposed remediation agreement.
The industrial-materials reference.