When the meeting ended, Ben stayed behind to help Ruth stack chairs.
“Do you think we’re being unfair by not inviting her?” he asked.
Ruth considered the question.
“She knows about the public meetings,” she said.
“This one was for people who wanted to work without being shouted at.”
“She’ll say we’re excluding her.”
“She may be right that we excluded her from this room,” Ruth replied.
“That doesn’t mean we have to surrender every room to her.”
Ben looked toward Lena, who was folding a table.
“What do you think?”
“I think the next public meeting should have clear rules that apply to everybody,” Lena said.
“And I think tonight we got something done.”
Ben smiled.
“Maisie will be pleased about the crossing.”
“Tell her the city hasn’t approved anything yet.”
“You really can’t help yourself, can you?”
“I prefer accurate promises.”
Chapter Thirteen P: The Other Complaint
Harriet Vale called Lena on Friday with an update that made her sit down.
Clearway had discovered three additional referrals connected to Alder Street.
One concerned Ruth’s steps.
Another concerned Ben’s driveway.
The third described an unsafe backyard gate at a house belonging to a woman named Farah Nasser.
Farah lived two streets away and had never attended a neighborhood committee meeting.
“Why would she be included?” Lena asked.
“That’s what we need to understand,” Harriet said.
She explained that the referrals had been submitted through different contact names but shared similar descriptions.
Clearway had suspended the work orders while it checked whether anyone had authorization to request them.
Lena asked Harriet to contact the homeowners directly.
“I can give you Farah’s public number,” Harriet said.
“Please don’t,” Lena replied.
“She should hear from the company first.”
Harriet agreed.
An hour later, Farah called Lena herself.
She was a nurse who worked nights at a rehabilitation clinic.
“Harriet said you might know why someone is making complaints about my gate,” she said.
Lena explained the dispute without claiming that every incident had the same cause.
Farah listened quietly.
“A woman came to my house last month,” she said.
“She asked whether I would sign a neighborhood safety statement.”
“Did she give her name?”
“Celia Brant.
”
Lena looked toward the window.
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her I wasn’t part of her neighborhood.”
Farah said Celia had become angry and accused her of benefiting from community improvements without contributing.
She had then asked whether Farah’s back gate met current standards.
Farah had shut the door.
“Two days later, someone put a warning sticker on my fence,” she said.
“I thought it was a prank.”
Lena asked whether Farah had reported it.
“No.”
“Would you be willing to tell Dana Webb?”
Farah hesitated.
“I don’t want trouble at my house.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.
”
Lena let the silence stand.
Farah finally said she would consider making a report if Dana could speak to her outside work hours.
Lena offered to pass along the request.
Farah thanked her and ended the call.
