“Do not celebrate.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Celebrate?”
“You'd be surprised.”
He pointed outside.
“She tried to plant drugs in my garden.”
“I know.”
“I'm not throwing a party.”
Maya nodded.
“Good.”
Daniel looked toward Lorraine.
“What's going to happen?”
“That depends on what the packets are.”
“What her intent was.”
“What investigators find.”
“What she already did before coming here.”
Daniel thought.
“Before.”
“Yes.”
Maya's eyes sharpened.
“If she intended someone else to discover those packets, she may have created records first.”
Daniel understood.
Anonymous complaint.
Police tip.
HOA notice.
Something.
Elena entered the kitchen twenty minutes later.
Her expression told Daniel Maya had been right.
“Did you receive any unusual calls this morning?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Emails?”
“No.”
“HOA notice?”
“Not today.”
Elena looked toward Maya.
Then Daniel.
“At eight forty-two, police communications received an anonymous tip.”
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“What tip?”
“Caller alleged illegal narcotics were being stored in the rear garden of this address.”
Silence.
Daniel felt cold.
“What time did she enter?”
“Nine seventeen.”
Elena nodded.
Daniel whispered:
“She called before she planted them.”
“Potentially.”
Elena kept the distinction precise.
“We haven't tied the call to her yet.”
Maya asked:
“Did caller describe location?”
“Yes.”
“Specific?”
“Very.”
Daniel looked toward the rosemary bed.
Elena nodded.
“Exactly there.”
Maya exhaled.
“That helps.”
Daniel did not feel helped.
Someone had designed the sequence.
Call first.
Plant second.
Then perhaps another call to accelerate response.
If Elena had not been inside the house, what would have happened?
Police arrive.
Find drugs.
Lorraine produces photographs.
HOA president claims neighborhood concern.
Daniel denies knowledge.
Would officers believe him?
Maybe.
Maybe eventually.
But first?
Handcuffs?
Search warrant?
Employer notified?
Neighbors filming?
His name online?
Daniel gripped the counter.
Elena noticed.
“Sit.”
“I'm fine.”
“Sit anyway.”
He did.
Elena continued:
“You are not under suspicion based on what we witnessed.”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“Based on what you witnessed.”
“Yes.”
“If you weren't here?”
Elena did not answer immediately.
That honesty hurt more than reassurance.
She said:
“We investigate evidence.”
Daniel looked up.
“And she was creating evidence.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
Elena pulled out a chair.
“You did the right thing not confronting her.”