Robert smiled faintly.
“I've known him longer than most people.”
That sentence made Claire uneasy.
She closed the door.
“Sit.”
The two officials entered the living room.
Claire remained standing.
“Tell me what's going on.”
Robert opened the folder.
“We reviewed the footage from yesterday.”
“I assumed you did.”
“There is something we noticed.”
“What?”
He turned a photograph toward her.
It showed the damaged signal box.
Claire frowned.
“What about it?”
Robert pointed to the wires.
“These aren't ordinary security wires.”
“I know.”
“They're part of a secure communications system.”
Claire nodded.
“Yes.”
Robert looked at her.
“Who installed it?”
“The federal program.”
“Do you know why?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
Claire hesitated.
“I can't.”
Robert nodded.
“That was our concern.”
The woman opened her folder.
“We believe the HOA president may have accidentally exposed a security vulnerability.”
Claire looked at the photograph again.
“Because she broke the casing?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of vulnerability?”
Robert lowered his voice.
“The box isn't just transmitting Atlas's location.”
Claire went still.
“What else?”
“Encrypted operational data.”
Claire's stomach tightened.
“Like what?”
“Mission routing.”
“Can she access it?”
“No.”
Claire exhaled.
“Then what is the problem?”
Robert looked at her.
“She photographed it.”
Claire's face changed.
“She what?”
“We recovered images from the HOA security archive.”
The woman placed several printed photographs on the table.
Claire looked at them.
The first showed the signal box.
The second showed Atlas.
The third showed the side of the house.
The fourth showed the rear yard.
Claire stared.
“When were these taken?”
“Over the past six months.”
“By Victoria?”
“Mostly.”
Claire felt cold.
“She was documenting us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Robert didn't answer immediately.
“That's what we're trying to determine.”
Daniel entered from the hallway.
He was drying his hair with a towel.
“What happened?”
Claire turned.
“These people are from the Inspector General's office.”
Daniel stopped.
“What?”
Robert stood.
“Mr. Morgan.”
Daniel shook his hand.
“What's going on?”
Robert pointed toward the photographs.
“Your HOA has been collecting information about your property.”
Daniel stared.
“For what reason?”
“We don't know yet.”
Daniel looked at Claire.
Then Atlas.
Then the photographs.
“Is this about the dog?”
“Partly.”