He paused.
"But yesterday, she had multiple opportunities to stop."
Marcus remembered.
The survey.
The measurements.
The warning.
His own words.
She had kept cutting.
Thomas continued.
"That matters."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
At 9:15, another vehicle pulled into the driveway.
Then another.
Then another.
Marcus looked through the window.
Three members of the HOA board had arrived.
Behind them was the association's attorney.
Marcus sighed.
Thomas gathered his papers.
"Looks like the morning meeting just arrived."
Marcus opened the door.
The board members stood on the porch.
There was no Patricia among them.
The first man stepped forward.
His name was Daniel Harper, the treasurer.
He looked exhausted.
"Marcus, can we talk?"
Marcus stepped aside.
"Come in."
Daniel entered with two other board members, Susan Bell and Raymond Ortiz.
The attorney followed.
Everyone looked uncomfortable.
The broken fence was visible through the windows.
Daniel saw it.
He looked away.
"We're sorry."
Marcus said nothing.
Susan spoke.
"We should have stopped her."
Marcus looked at her.
"Did you know she was coming?"
"No."
"Did you know she planned to remove the fence?"
"No."
Raymond answered more quietly.
"She told us she was going to issue another violation."
Marcus crossed his arms.
"Another?"
Raymond nodded.
"She said the fence was violating a setback."
"And she said she was going to remove it herself?"
"No."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel shook his head.
"She didn't tell us that."
The attorney stepped forward.
"Mr. Reed, we're not here to defend what happened."
Marcus looked at him.
"Then why are you here?"
"Because the association needs to correct the record."
That sentence changed the atmosphere.
Marcus gestured toward the table.
"Sit."
They sat.
Thomas remained standing near the counter.
The attorney placed a folder on the table.
"Yesterday's actions were not authorized by the board."
Marcus waited.
"They were not authorized by the association's governing documents."
Marcus waited.
"And Patricia did not have authority to enter your property and destroy your fence."
Marcus nodded once.
"Okay."
The attorney looked slightly surprised.
"Okay?"
"That's what I needed to hear."
The attorney exhaled.
"There are additional complications."
"Such as?"
"She used association resources."
Marcus frowned.
"What resources?"
"The truck."
"The HOA truck?"
"Yes."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel nodded.
"She signed it out."
"Why?"
"She said she was conducting enforcement."
Marcus leaned back.
"So the HOA vehicle was used to transport her equipment?"
The attorney nodded.
"And she had two maintenance workers with her."
Marcus looked toward the window.
"Are they involved?"
"We've spoken to them."
"What did they say?"