Then typed.
Yes. He has property documents. Says he owns the place.
The reply came quickly.
Don't discuss the buyer. We'll handle it.
The officer frowned.
He had not mentioned any buyer.
Not in the mailroom.
Not to the supervisor.
Not in the dispatch report.
He stared at the message.
For the first time, he began wondering whether he'd been sent into something more complicated than a routine suspicious-person call.
Then another message arrived.
Delete this conversation.
He looked toward the building entrance.
The teacher was no longer visible.
The officer hesitated.
Then deleted the messages from his phone.
He believed that was enough.
He didn't understand how many other records might preserve the communication.
And he had no idea that the person sending the messages was already beginning to panic.
Six miles away, in a luxury office overlooking a construction site, the developer was pacing beside a large window.
His assistant stood near the desk.
She held a phone in both hands.
Her face was pale.
The developer looked toward her.
“What do you mean he owns the building?”
The assistant swallowed.
“The officer says the man had property documents.”
The developer's jaw tightened.
“Of course he owns the building. That's the entire point.”
The assistant looked confused.
He turned sharply.
“The officer wasn't supposed to know that until after the incident.”
For a moment, the assistant stared.
Then she understood.
The developer had not merely wanted the police to investigate a suspicious person.
He had wanted an officer to confront the property owner without knowing he was the owner.
That way, the officer's assumptions and hostility might create the very public incident the developer could later exploit.
The assistant slowly lowered her phone.
“Sir, this could become serious.”
The developer laughed coldly.
“It's a police contact.”
“He has cameras.”
“Every apartment building has cameras.”
“The attorney is already there.”
The developer stopped pacing.
“What attorney?”
The assistant gave a brief description.
The developer recognized the lawyer immediately.
She had represented the teacher during several previous property disputes.
His expression hardened.
He walked toward his desk.
Then reached for the telephone.
“Call our security consultant.”
The assistant hesitated.
“What should I say?”
The developer looked toward her.
“Tell him we need the incident classified correctly.”
She swallowed.
“What does that mean?”
He turned.
“It means the official report needs to reflect that the building has a serious security problem.”
The assistant looked down.