"For what?"
"Properties near the canal."
Daniel leaned forward.
"Why?"
"She said there were safety concerns."
Margaret shook her head.
"But there were never any safety reports."
"Who approved it?"
"Victor."
"Victor Lane?"
"Yes."
Daniel studied the note.
At the bottom was a sentence:
Owners who resist will be encouraged to reconsider.
Margaret looked ashamed.
"I should have spoken earlier."
Daniel closed the envelope.
"You came now."
"Is that enough?"
"No."
Margaret's face fell.
"But it's a start."
She nodded.
Then she whispered:
"There are more documents."
"Where?"
"The clubhouse basement."
Daniel looked at her.
"What kind?"
"Meeting minutes."
"How old?"
"Six years."
Daniel stood.
"Let's get them."
The clubhouse basement smelled like dust and old paper.
Margaret had a key.
They found boxes labeled by year.
Then six boxes marked SPECIAL COMPLIANCE.
Daniel opened the first.
Inspection reports.
Property photographs.
Violation notices.
Then something caught his attention.
Several homeowners had been accused of "unauthorized obstruction of development access."
Development access?
Daniel looked at Margaret.
"Was the canal ever common property?"
"No."
"Then why were they calling it development access?"
Margaret didn't know.
Daniel kept searching.
Then he found meeting minutes.
One line read:
The acquisition group remains confident that pressure through compliance measures will encourage voluntary sales.
Daniel's pulse increased.
The acquisition group.
There it was.
Not speculation.
Not rumor.
A written record.
Then he found a second name.
North Valley Development Partners.
Daniel knew the name.
It had been behind the proposed road project.
The next document was worse.
A spreadsheet listed property owners.
Next to each name was a status:
Cooperative.
Negotiating.
Resistant.
Daniel found Evelyn Carter.
Her name was marked:
Resistant — pressure recommended.
Daniel felt a chill.
Then he found his own name.
At the bottom.
Someone had added it recently.
New owner — resistant. Monitor closely.
Margaret covered her mouth.
"They already knew."
Daniel nodded.
"They knew before I moved in."
Then the basement door slammed shut.
Both of them turned.
Someone was standing at the top of the stairs.
Patricia.
Her face was pale.
"You shouldn't be down here."
Daniel slowly closed the box.
"Neither should you."
Patricia stared at the documents.
For the first time since Daniel had met her, she looked afraid.
The emergency HOA meeting was scheduled for Thursday.
Patricia expected to control it.
She prepared a statement accusing Daniel of harassment, intimidation, and spreading false information.
But Daniel arrived with a binder.
Margaret sat beside him.
Then another homeowner entered.
Then another.
Within ten minutes, almost every chair was occupied.
Patricia looked around.
"What is this?"
Daniel stood.
"You asked for an HOA meeting."
"I did."
"Good."
He placed the first document on the table.
"Let's talk about Guardian Ridge."
Victor Lane immediately stood.
"This is irrelevant."
Daniel looked at him.
"Is it?"
He placed another document down.
"Your company has received more than seventy thousand dollars annually."
Victor's face tightened.
Daniel continued.
"Yet several listed patrols never occurred."
Patricia interrupted.
"Those are administrative services."
Daniel nodded.
"Then why did Guardian Ridge photograph private property at night?"
Silence.
He placed photographs on the table.
The room changed.
Homeowners began whispering.
Daniel placed another document down.
"The original development agreement."
Then another.
"The acquisition spreadsheet."
Then another.
"The six-year-old meeting minutes."
Patricia's hands began shaking.
Victor said:
"These documents have been taken out of context."
Margaret stood.
"I was there."
Everyone turned.
"I attended those meetings."
Patricia stared at her.
Margaret continued.
"I didn't understand what they meant at the time."
Daniel looked around the room.
"Your HOA wasn't created to pressure homeowners into selling their land."
Nobody spoke.
"It was created to maintain a community."
A homeowner near the back stood.
"How much money have we paid Guardian Ridge?"
Daniel answered.
"Approximately four hundred thousand dollars over several years."
The room erupted.
Patricia slammed her hand down.
"Enough!"
But nobody listened.
Then the clubhouse doors opened.
Three investigators walked inside.
One displayed identification.
"We're here regarding financial records connected to North Valley Development Partners."