“Did he tell you to enter the property?”

Elaine hesitated.

“He told me I needed to inspect it.”

“Did he give you the key?”

“I don't know.”

“You just said someone gave you the key.”

“I don't remember.”

The lieutenant studied her.

“You remember enough to dump ten days of rotten food into a private swimming pool.”

Elaine's eyes filled with tears.

“I didn't think this would happen.”

Daniel heard the sentence.

It was the first honest thing she had said all morning.

“What did you think would happen?” he asked.

Elaine looked at him.

“I thought you would finally leave.”

Daniel frowned.

“Leave what?”

“The neighborhood.”

There it was.

The motive.

Or at least part of it.

Daniel's voice dropped.

“Why?”

Elaine didn't answer.

The lieutenant did.

“That is what we're going to find out.”

CHAPTER SIX

The Evidence Room

By afternoon, Daniel's backyard had become a temporary crime scene.

The pool was photographed from every angle.

The bucket was bagged.

The keyring was placed into evidence.

The gate lock was examined.

The officers photographed fingerprints.

They collected samples from the rotten material floating in the water.

Daniel stood on the patio and watched.

His anger had faded.

What remained was something colder.

Understanding.

He finally remembered where he had seen the key design.

During a community security presentation at the police station.

He had attended because the HOA had repeatedly claimed the neighborhood needed increased security.

At the time, an officer had shown residents how restricted access systems worked.

Daniel remembered seeing the same long metal key.

He had never imagined holding one would matter.

Now it might become the central piece of a criminal investigation.

Lieutenant Cole approached him.

“We're going to need your original recording.”

Daniel handed over his phone.

“I can send you a copy.”

“Keep the original.”

“Why?”

“Because it's yours.”

Daniel nodded.

She looked toward the pool.

“I'm sorry.”

Daniel sighed.

“It can be cleaned.”

“That isn't what I meant.”

Daniel looked at her.

She lowered her voice.

“We don't know yet how deep this goes.”

“What do you mean?”

“The key was not the only thing missing.”

Daniel stared.

“What else?”

“I can't discuss the investigation.”

“Understood.”

“But I can tell you this.”

She looked toward the evidence bag.

“That key wasn't supposed to be outside the station.”

Daniel nodded.

“Does Victor have anything to do with the station?”

“We don't know.”

“Does the HOA?”

“We don't know.”

“Does Elaine?”

“We know she had the key.”

Daniel looked at the pool.

“That's enough.”

“No,” Cole said.

“It isn't.”

Daniel turned.

“What do you mean?”

“She could have received that key without knowing what it was.”

“So you're saying she may be innocent?”

“No.”

Cole shook her head.

“I'm saying we need evidence.”

Daniel understood.

That mattered.

Because anger wasn't proof.