“Good.”
“I understand there was an incident.”
“There was.”
“President Whitmore tells us she entered the pool area under emergency inspection authority.”
Simone almost laughed.
“Did she tell you what the emergency was?”
“Possible contamination.”
“Did she tell you she brought the contamination with her?”
Silence.
Turner said:
“I don't want to speculate.”
“Neither do I.”
“Can you provide the footage?”
“I can.”
“Could you send it?”
“After you confirm in writing that Northstar will preserve all records relating to my property.”
Turner paused.
“Why?”
“Because I'm asking.”
“That is a broad request.”
“So were nine months of violations.”
Silence again.
Turner sounded less comfortable.
“I'll speak to counsel.”
“Please do.”
Two hours later, Simone received written confirmation.
She sent the clips.
At 4:12 p.m., Turner called again.
His tone had changed.
“Ms. Carter.”
“Yes?”
“We are recommending that Mrs. Whitmore temporarily suspend all inspection activity while the board reviews the incident.”
“Temporarily?”
“We need process.”
“Good.”
Simone smiled.
“I like process.”
Turner did not laugh.
That evening, Martin Hale appeared at Simone's door.
The retired accountant from the board meeting.
He looked exhausted.
“Can I come in?”
Simone considered.
Then opened the door wider.
Martin sat at the kitchen table.
Simone remained standing.
“I didn't know.”
“About what?”
“The pool.”
“The entries.”
“The bucket.”
Simone crossed her arms.
“What did you know?”
Martin looked toward the table.
“Brenda said there were repeated complaints.”
“From whom?”
“We never saw names.”
“Did you ask?”
“At first.”
“And?”
“She said management advised confidentiality.”
Simone stared.
“Northstar says complaints should be documented.”
Martin looked surprised.
“I didn't know that.”
“That's becoming a theme.”
He winced.
Fair.
Martin continued.
“She brought photographs to the board.”
Simone became still.
“Photographs of what?”
“Your pool.”
“When?”
“Several meetings.”
“From inside my yard?”
“I don't know.”
“What did they show?”
“Leaves.”
“Debris.”
“Cloudy water.”
Simone sat slowly.
“Did the board issue violations based on those?”
“Some notices.”
“Some?”
Martin looked ashamed.
“The contamination warning.”
Simone's chest tightened.
Brenda had not merely been dumping debris.
She had been photographing it.
Creating evidence.
Simone spoke carefully.
“Martin.”
He looked up.
“Did Brenda ever tell the board she personally inspected my pool?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
He gave dates.
Simone wrote them down.
Three matched mornings after unexplained debris appeared.
Exactly.