“You ruined food sitting ten feet from my mother.”
Chase looked down.
“I know.”
Marcus waited.
Finally Chase said:
“She told me you were trying to get her removed.”
“I had never attended a board meeting before last week.”
“I know that now.”
“She told you what?”
“That you were organizing people.”
Marcus almost laughed.
“Against her?”
“Yeah.”
“What else?”
Chase swallowed.
“That you’d threatened to sue.”
“I asked her for rule numbers.”
“I know.”
Marcus studied him.
“Why did you throw the trash?”
Chase’s jaw tightened.
“She said you were embarrassing her.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I wanted her to think I had her back.”
There it was.
Not complicated.
Ugly.
Human.
Marcus folded his arms.
“Why are you here?”
Chase took out his phone.
“There’s something you should hear.”
He played a recording.
Evelyn’s voice.
Then another man.
Marcus did not recognize him.
Evelyn said:
“The Holloway situation needs to end before the audit request spreads.”
The man answered:
“I can increase enforcement.”
“No. Too obvious.”
“What then?”
“Make them look like the problem.”
Marcus looked up.
Chase stopped the recording.
“Who’s the man?”
“Greg Tanner.”
“Who is that?”
“Regional manager for the HOA company.”
Marcus’s stomach tightened.
The management company.
Not just Evelyn.
“Why did you record this?”
Chase looked away.
“I record her sometimes.”
“Why?”
“She lies.”
Marcus waited.
Chase’s face hardened.
“My dad left when I was twelve.”
Marcus had heard that.
Chase continued.
“She told everybody he cheated.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“He showed me the divorce papers.”
Marcus said nothing.
“She was controlling everything.”
Chase laughed bitterly.
“I guess I learned from her.”
That was probably true.
It didn't excuse anything.
Chase looked toward the house.
“I’m sorry about your cookout.”
Marcus held his gaze.
“Okay.”
“That’s all?”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Forgiveness?”
Chase didn't answer.
Marcus nodded.
“Then start by helping clean up what you helped make.”
CHAPTER 6: THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY
The HOA management company was called Sterling Community Partners.
It managed thirty-one subdivisions.
Greg Tanner oversaw Briarwood Ridge.
Marcus requested all violation records issued during Evelyn’s presidency.
Sterling refused.
He requested financial contracts.
Refused.
Board minutes.
Partial release.
Then Marcus discovered something useful.
Briarwood Ridge was incorporated as a nonprofit community association.
Members had inspection rights to certain association records.
He sent a formal request citing the governing statute.
This time Sterling responded.
They offered an appointment.
Two hours.
No copies.
No photographs.
Marcus brought Janet.
Sterling objected.
Janet was a homeowner.