They reached the public path beside her fence just before noon.
Victor stopped at the entrance and examined the temporary closure sign.
Dana had asked the city to inspect the area after the cord incident.
The path had been cleared, but the closure remained until the final check.
Victor inspected the ground and the sight line from the street.
“The physical obstruction is gone,” he said.
“I’ll confirm with the department before the sign comes down.”
Celia appeared at the far end of the path.
She had not joined the group at the corner.
Now she stood with her arms folded and watched Victor make notes.
“You missed the real problem,” she called.
Victor looked up.
“What problem is that?”
“The fence beside the path is poorly maintained.”
Malik, who had repaired the fence, started to answer.
Lena touched his arm.
Victor approached the fence and examined it from the public side.
He found no visible instability.
“If you have a specific concern, you can submit it to the appropriate office,” he told Celia.
“I’ve submitted concerns for months,” she said.
“Then they should have reference numbers,” Victor replied.
Celia looked at Lena.
“She knows exactly how to manipulate people like you.”
Victor closed his notebook.
“I have not discussed her work history,” he said.
“I’m looking at a fence.”
The group continued without argument.
Celia remained beside the path until they turned the corner.
After the walk, Victor spoke privately with Ruth.
He said the street had ordinary maintenance needs but nothing resembling the crisis described in the complaints he had received.
Ruth thanked him for coming.
“We needed somebody who would tell us what was actually there,” she said.
“That’s usually a good place to start,” Victor replied.
Lena walked home with Malik.
“You were quiet today,” he observed.
“I was listening.”
“You usually have more to say.”
“Victor knew his job.”
Malik smiled.
“You make that sound like a rare luxury.”
“It can feel like one.”
They reached her gate and found a small sprig of rosemary growing through a crack beside the post.
Lena knelt to examine it.
Malik waited while she carefully loosened the soil around its roots.
“You know that’s a weed in the wrong place,” he said.
“It’s rosemary.”
“It’s growing through your walkway.”
“Then I’ll move it.”
She lifted the plant with both hands and carried it toward the garden.
Chapter Thirteen T: The Last False Alarm
