"I was already leaving."
He turned toward Nathan.
"Keep the documents. Save the original emails. Don't sign anything you don't understand."
Nathan nodded.
Daniel walked down the porch steps.
Richard called after him.
"You cannot interfere with this association!"
Daniel stopped beside the Tahoe.
He turned around.
"I'm not interfering with the association. I'm leaving a private driveway after being asked to do so by a homeowner who has every right to decide who may remain here."
Richard's mouth tightened.
Daniel continued.
"And if you believe you have authority to damage or remove someone's property, you should be prepared to identify the source of that authority."
Then he walked to his rental sedan.
He did not threaten Richard.
He did not mention his job.
He did not tell the president that the county prosecutor's office was reviewing records involving Northstar Compliance Services.
He simply drove away.
Richard watched him leave.
For a few seconds, the president appeared uncertain.
Then he turned back toward Nathan.
"Your guest has made this unnecessarily complicated."
Nathan folded his arms.
"No, Richard. He asked you for a rule."
Richard looked toward the SUV.
"Fine. We'll proceed through the board."
He placed the document back in his folder and walked toward his pickup.
The Northstar representative approached him.
"Mr. Harlan, I need to clarify something about the work order."
Richard turned.
"What?"
"Our company cannot characterize the vehicle as a security threat without supporting information."
"The association has already classified it that way."
"Do you have the board resolution?"
Richard hesitated.
"I'll send it to you."
"Thank you. We'll hold the report until we receive the supporting documentation."
Richard stared at him.
"You're delaying the work?"
"We're verifying the authorization."
Richard said something under his breath.
Then he climbed into his pickup and drove away.
The Northstar representative remained at the curb long enough to photograph the vehicle from the public road.
He then returned to his van and left.
Nathan stood alone in the driveway.
For the first time since the incident began, he felt that the situation might finally be moving toward a resolution.
He was wrong.
At 9:32, Richard sent a message to the entire HOA board.
He claimed that an outside individual had interfered with a legitimate inspection and that the association needed to take immediate steps to protect its enforcement process.
He attached the emergency policy.
Linda Price replied that she could not locate the referenced resolution in the official minutes.
The treasurer, Samuel Grant, asked whether the document had been approved by the board's attorney.
Richard responded that he would address procedural questions at the next meeting.
Samuel wrote back:
The question is whether this policy exists as an approved rule. Please provide the meeting minutes or resolution number.
Richard did not respond.
Instead, he sent a private message to Gregory Pike at Northstar.
We have a problem with the vehicle at 184 Willow Creek Lane. I need the inspection completed and the matter closed. Please advise.
Gregory replied eleven minutes later.
Do not authorize any further action until we review the documentation. I need to understand why the work order refers to an emergency resolution that we have not received.
Richard stared at the message.
Then he typed:
The authority is established. I will send the paperwork.
He opened the document he had edited the previous night.
For several seconds, he considered attaching it.
Then he remembered the original March meeting minutes.
The board had discussed a proposed policy.
It had not approved it.
Richard could send the edited document, but he could not produce a genuine resolution to support it.
He deleted the draft message.
Then he called Gregory.
The conversation lasted less than four minutes.
When it ended, Richard looked more anxious than angry.
Gregory had not threatened him.
He had simply said that Northstar would not accept responsibility for actions outside the scope of its contract.
Richard understood what that meant.
If the dispute escalated, the contractor would protect itself.
The association might protect itself.
And Richard would be left explaining why he had issued an unauthorized notice, attempted to arrange a tow, and classified a visitor's vehicle as a security concern without evidence.
He needed another way to regain control.
At 10:15, he walked into the HOA's small administrative office and asked Linda Price for the original enforcement records.
Linda looked up from her desk.
"Which records?"
"The vehicle file."
"Why?"
"Because I need to review the documentation."
"It's already in the shared system."
"I want the originals."
Linda closed the folder she was reading.
"Richard, the board has asked for an explanation of the policy you cited. Until that is resolved, the records need to remain intact."
"I'm not asking you to destroy anything."
"Then you won't object to keeping the originals in the system."
Richard stared at her.
For years, Linda had been one of his most reliable supporters. She handled meeting notices, prepared minutes, and helped organize community events. He had never expected her to challenge him in front of the office staff.
"You're making a mistake," he said.
Linda's expression remained calm.
"I'm trying to make sure the association follows its own procedures."
Richard left without another word.
At 11:02, Margaret Lewis sent Linda another email.
She had found additional invoices involving Northstar Compliance Services.
One payment was described as an emergency vehicle review.
Another was labeled administrative enforcement support.
A third referred to a security inspection program that did not appear in the association's published budget.
Margaret had prepared a spreadsheet showing the payment dates, invoice numbers, and descriptions.
She did not accuse anyone of wrongdoing.
She simply asked the board to explain the expenses.