"Does your contract authorize you to enter private driveways?"
The employee hesitated.
"We don't enter the property. We photograph from the street."
"Then photograph from the street," Daniel said. "But don't cross onto the property without the owner's permission."
The second man shifted his weight.
"We don't want any trouble."
"Neither do we."
They remained at the curb and took several photographs.
Then the man with the clipboard made a phone call.
He spoke quietly, but Daniel heard enough to recognize Richard's name.
After the call, the employee approached the porch again.
"Our client would like us to verify the registration."
"The registration is visible from the street," Nathan said.
"Would you be willing to confirm the owner's identity?"
"No. If your client has a legitimate question, he can ask the homeowner directly."
The employee nodded.
"Understood."
The two men returned to their van and drove away.
Daniel watched the vehicle disappear.
Nathan rubbed his forehead.
"This is ridiculous."
"Yes," Daniel said.
"How many people does he intend to send here?"
"I don't know."
Nathan looked at him.
"Would it help if we called the sheriff's office now?"
"It may be appropriate to report the damage and the attempted tow, especially if you believe the conduct will continue. But let's be precise about what happened and what you want reported."
Nathan nodded.
He called the county sheriff's nonemergency line and explained the incident.
The dispatcher asked whether anyone was currently threatening them.
"No," Nathan replied. "The individuals have left. We're reporting earlier property damage and a disputed attempt to remove a vehicle from our driveway."
The dispatcher recorded the information and advised him that a deputy could follow up.
The call lasted less than ten minutes.
Afterward, Nathan saved the call reference number with the other records.
For the first time that day, the house became quiet.
Emily went upstairs to prepare for bed.
Nathan stepped outside to check the front door lock.
Daniel remained in the living room, reading the message from Laura Bennett again.
Northstar Compliance Services.
He recognized the name because it had appeared in a procurement review involving several small government contracts.
The company had been hired to perform compliance audits, document inspections, and administrative reviews for different public agencies. Investigators had noticed inconsistencies in several invoices, including charges for work that appeared to have been performed by subcontractors who were not listed in the original agreements.
The matter was still preliminary.
No charges had been filed.
Daniel had been assigned to review the records because the financial transactions crossed several county departments.
Northstar's owner, a businessman named Gregory Pike, had previously worked as a consultant for residential property-management companies.
That fact alone meant nothing.
Companies often served both public and private clients.
But when Daniel remembered Margaret Lewis's discovery of payments to Northstar from the HOA's maintenance account, he began to wonder whether the connection deserved a closer look.
He did not jump to conclusions.
He did not assume that the HOA had committed a crime.
He did not decide that Richard was involved in the procurement matter simply because he had hired a company with the same name.
Instead, Daniel made a note to raise the possible overlap with Laura the following morning.
If the records proved unrelated, the issue would go no further.
If they revealed a legitimate connection, the office could determine whether further review was appropriate.
That was how investigations were supposed to work.
Evidence first.
Conclusions afterward.
At 8:46, Daniel's phone rang.
The caller was an unfamiliar number.
He answered.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mercer?"
"Yes."
"This is Richard Harlan. I believe we've had some difficulty communicating."
Daniel glanced toward the window.
"That's one way to describe it."
Richard ignored the remark.
"I've been informed that you're refusing to comply with community regulations."
"I'm visiting a homeowner. The vehicle is parked in his driveway."
"You have repeatedly challenged my authority."
"I've asked you to identify the rule you're enforcing."
"And I've explained that the association has the right to protect the community."
"You haven't identified an approved rule that applies to this driveway."
Richard's breathing grew louder.
"Let me make something clear. I have served this community for six years. I know the rules better than you do."
"Then it should be easy to provide the relevant provision."
"You think you're clever."
"No. I think written rules should be available for people who are expected to follow them."
Richard fell silent.
Then he said, "You need to understand that people who refuse to cooperate can find themselves in serious difficulty."
Daniel's expression did not change.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm explaining the consequences."
"Then please explain them in writing."
Richard hung up.
Daniel stared at the phone for a moment.
He saved the call time in his notes.
Then he put the device down and returned to the living room.
At 9:15, Nathan came downstairs.
"Was that Richard?"
"Yes."
"What did he want?"
"To explain the consequences of refusing to cooperate."
Nathan laughed in disbelief.
"Did he threaten you?"
"He suggested that things could become difficult."
"That's a threat."
"It may be. The important thing is that I recorded the time and saved the details while the conversation was fresh."
Nathan shook his head.
"He's making himself look worse every hour."
Daniel looked toward the driveway.
"People don't always recognize the point at which persistence becomes recklessness."
Nathan sat down.
"Do you think he'll come back tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't be surprised."
"Then we'll be ready."
Daniel nodded.
But neither man knew that Richard was already preparing a more aggressive response.
At 9:37, Richard sat in his home office, reviewing the photographs taken by the security company.