Eileen finally unfolded the newspaper and showed me a photograph of Meredith leaving the courthouse
The article described the investigation but omitted nearly everything about Laura
I was grateful for that omission because my wife had never asked to become a public symbol
Eileen said the photograph was already making its way around the neighborhood
I asked whether people were discussing the stolen money or only the woman who had stolen my car
She said the answer depended on which porch you visited
Some residents wanted their dues returned and others wanted an explanation for the officers who had ignored earlier complaints
A few still defended Meredith because admitting they had trusted her would embarrass them
I tightened the fitting in my hand and considered how easily embarrassment could disguise itself as loyalty
Eileen opened a second sheet of paper and placed it beside the casserole
It was a copy of a notice calling an emergency association meeting for the following Thursday
The notice had been issued by the remaining board members and signed by an attorney I did not recognize
The meeting would determine who controlled the accounts while the investigation continued
I asked why she had brought the notice to me when every homeowner would receive one
Eileen looked toward the Mustang and told me the board intended to discuss selling property seized under disputed enforcement orders
The words made my hand stop moving
I asked her to repeat the phrase exactly
She pointed to a paragraph near the bottom of the page
The board had discovered a storage agreement covering vehicles and equipment removed from private lots
The agreement allowed a contractor to claim storage charges against the association and sell unclaimed property after a specified period
My Mustang had been scheduled to enter that system before Meredith diverted it to her own driveway
I stared at the paper while the garage seemed to become colder
The theft had never been an isolated act of greed
It had been one visible piece of a process designed to make private property disappear behind official looking notices
Eileen told me that Sandra had found the agreement while reviewing records that the former board refused to release
The contractor was listed as Ridgeway Asset Recovery
I recognized the name from the invoice Marcus had shown me
The companys address matched a warehouse outside town where old construction equipment and abandoned vehicles were stored
