She was a civil attorney who specialized in governance disputes, and she had no interest in turning a paperwork case into a police matter.

She advised me to keep separating ordinary disputes from evidence of possible financial misconduct.

“The fact that someone is unpleasant does not prove that they stole money,” she said at our first meeting.

“The fact that they refuse records does not automatically prove they are hiding theft.”

I accepted both cautions.

Over the following months we collected notices from homeowners, fee schedules from the association’s website, and copies of payments disclosed in county filings.

We found inconsistencies that deserved review but had not yet established where the money ultimately went.

Cecily’s appointment that Saturday was supposed to help us decide the next lawful step.

Instead, Cody demanded my groceries and his mother created a police incident in front of the very folder she had tried to keep closed.

CHAPTER FOUR: A REPORTER WITH QUESTIONS

Malcolm waited until the officers finished their initial interviews before approaching me.

He was a careful man in his forties who carried a notebook with a torn leather cover and checked every name twice.

“I came to discuss vendor billing,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to find the police here.”

“Neither did I,” I answered.

He asked whether the encounter would change the timing of our interview.

I told him that I needed to consult Cecily and make sure I would not interfere with the investigation.

Malcolm looked toward Bettina, who was speaking rapidly into her telephone beside her own driveway.

“Will you confirm that you’re the city’s police chief?” he asked.

“Yes, but that fact doesn’t resolve the disagreement.”

“I understand.”

He wrote down my answer and asked whether any officers present reported directly to me.

Webb worked in my department, and I knew that even well-intentioned officers could feel pressure in such a situation.

I explained that I had requested independent review and would not handle any complaint arising from the incident.

Malcolm asked whether Bettina had known my occupation before calling 911.

“I can’t tell you what she knew,” I said.

“She seemed surprised when Sergeant Webb addressed me.”

He thanked me for distinguishing observation from assumption.

Across the street, Cody pushed his bicycle toward his garage without looking up.

I saw Bettina reach for his shoulder and turn him sharply back toward her.

Whatever she said made him stiffen, but I could not hear the words.

I refused to invent them later when Malcolm asked about the gesture.