A smaller camera near the rear patio also covered part of the side passage and the entrance to the shed.
I hadn't reviewed every recording from that device yet.
Allison asked me to preserve the original files without changing them.
I agreed.
Then she said something that made me sit straighter.
"Ryan, I spoke with Carla Medina."
"The surveyor?"
"Yes."
"What did she find?"
Allison paused.
"She's identified serious inconsistencies between the new boundary flags and the recorded property information."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"How serious?"
She took a breath.
"Serious enough that you should not sign anything until her completed report is reviewed."
I looked toward the window.
For several seconds, I said nothing.
Then Allison added.
"And I think the association needs to explain who authorized those nighttime activities."
I closed my eyes.
Because the more we learned, the less Judith's behavior resembled overzealous enforcement.
It looked like a deliberate attempt to force homeowners into accepting boundaries that hadn't been established through a reliable process.
And somebody appeared willing to fabricate evidence against anyone who questioned it.
The rear patio recording changed the investigation.
It had been captured by a small weatherproof camera mounted beneath the corner of our porch roof.
Unlike the dome above the side entrance, it was aimed toward the shed and the narrow pathway behind our garage.
I installed it two years earlier after someone stole a bicycle from the backyard.
I'd almost forgotten how much of the side passage it covered.
When Allison and I reviewed the original footage through the appropriate process, we discovered that Judith's nighttime visit had been recorded more clearly than either of us expected.
At 1:19 on Friday morning, Judith and Grant entered the frame.
Grant carried the blue canvas case.
Judith held a flashlight.
They stopped near the shed.
For several seconds, they examined the area.
Then Grant placed the case behind the foundation, partially concealing it with landscaping fabric.
Judith looked toward the house.
Her face was clearly visible.
She seemed nervous.
Grant stood beside her.
The camera's microphone captured parts of their conversation.
Not every word.
The menacing wind noise and distance made some sections difficult to understand.
But several exchanges were audible.
Judith asked whether the case would be found.
Grant answered that the upcoming inspection should bring people toward the shed.
Then Judith said something that made me stop the playback.
"If the archive turns up here, everyone will know he took it."
I stared at the screen.