Then the first violent bang against the gate.
When Patricia climbed over the fence, I felt anger more intense than anything I had experienced during the previous months.
But I remembered the detective's warning.
Do not confront her physically.
Do not attempt to create an incident.
Move to safety.
Let the cameras preserve what happens.
I called out that she had no permission to enter.
I demanded that she leave.
When she threw the fertilizer bag over the fence, I knew she was no longer conducting anything that could reasonably be described as a routine inspection.
When she opened the bag, I backed away from the area of the pool receiving the material.
I told her to stop.
She didn't.
She emptied the granules into the water.
Then kicked the bag toward the pool.
Every movement was recorded.
What Patricia didn't know was that the sheriff's office had already been examining records concerning a proposed emergency cleanup at my address.
The work order had appeared in a contractor scheduling system that morning.
It described contaminated pool water requiring urgent remediation.
But no contamination had yet been reported.
Investigators had contacted the contractor through appropriate channels, and information concerning the scheduling record had been preserved.
When I notified the detective that Patricia was trying to enter my property, the nearby deputies responded.
They did not need to be hidden in my yard.
They did not need to stage a confrontation.
They simply arrived while the incident was unfolding.
And when Patricia tipped the bag into the water, they were close enough to see the aftermath themselves.
The sound of the side gate opening was one of the sweetest sounds I had ever heard.
But it wasn't the end.
It was the moment the real investigation began.
The older deputy asked Patricia to remain where she was while they assessed the scene.
She immediately began protesting.
"This is an HOA matter."
The deputy remained calm.
"We understand you're associated with the homeowners association."
She raised her chin.
"I'm the president."
He nodded.
"That doesn't explain why you're inside this fenced yard without the owner's permission."
Patricia pointed toward me.
"He's refusing compliance inspections!"
The deputy looked toward my pool.
"Did you have authorization to enter the property?"
She hesitated.
"Association authority."
"Can you identify the specific authority you're relying upon?"
Her lips tightened.
"That's a legal question."
The deputy nodded.
"Then we'll document your explanation."
Patricia looked irritated.
She turned toward the younger deputy.
"Call your supervisor."
The older deputy said, "I am the field supervisor responding to this call."
For a moment, Patricia appeared stunned.
Then she reached for her phone.
"I'm calling the association attorney."
"You're free to seek legal advice," the deputy said. "For now, we need to establish what happened."
Patricia looked toward the gate.
Then toward me.
Her expression hardened.
"This man has been harassing the board for months."
I laughed once.
I couldn't help it.
She pointed at me.