Chapter 4

The letter was short. Three paragraphs, typed, unsigned, but the substance was what mattered. Diane read it twice, to make sure she understood it.

Then she read it out loud to the room.

"'As part of the planned expansion of the Willow Creek clubhouse and pool facilities, Silverleaf Holdings will acquire the corner lot at 14 Alder Lane, currently owned by Diane Marsh. The acquisition will be facilitated through foreclosure resulting from unpaid fines. Following acquisition, the lot will be combined with adjacent parcels to create a new 12,000-square-foot community center, which Silverleaf will construct and lease back to the association at market rates for a period of twenty years. The undersigned have reviewed and approved this plan.'"

She looked up. "It's unsigned," she said. "But the account numbers match. The account numbers on the back of my check."

The retired dentist—Diane remembered his name now, Dr. Harold Kim—had gone pale. "I never saw that," he said. "I didn't know anything about—"

"Nobody's saying you did." Diane's voice was level. "But the board's account is listed here as the source of the initial financing. That's where the fine money was going. Into this expansion fund."

One of the other board members, a woman in a floral blouse whose name Diane could never remember, spoke up. "That's a serious accusation."

"It's not an accusation," Diane said. "It's a document. With account numbers. That I can trace."

The room fell silent again. The pool filter hummed. Somewhere outside, Diane could hear the distant sound of a police siren fading into the dusk.

"The police have Mark," Dr. Kim said slowly. "But they don't have the financial evidence. Not yet."

Diane looked at the stack of documents in the envelope. She looked at the check on the table. She looked at Susan, still clutching the recovered appeal.

"I know a banker," she said. "He traced the account on my check. He can trace these too."