I said yes.
I left the station without an arrest announcement.
But I no longer felt as though I was arguing with a woman who could make up any story she wanted.
There were records outside her control.
There were people who remembered what happened.
The truth was becoming specific.
Chapter 35: The Complaint That Came Back
Patricia filed a civil complaint accusing me of damaging property and spreading false allegations.
The summons arrived on a rainy afternoon when I had just returned from physical therapy.
I took it to Leah, who read the pleading without comment.
Patricia claimed I had invited her to help monitor my recovery and later denied consent when a business dispute upset me.
She cited my comment about straightening the clock as evidence that I permitted her to work near it.
Leah explained that those were separate questions.
Allowing someone to move an object did not authorize recording inside a home.
She prepared a response denying the allegations and requesting that the court coordinate discovery with the criminal investigation where appropriate.
The case imposed new expenses and obligations on me.
I had to organize photographs, preserve messages, and answer detailed questions about the day the camera was found.
There were moments when I wondered whether Patricia’s real strategy was to make the process exhausting enough that I would give up.
Leah said litigation could be used aggressively, but she would not speculate about motives without evidence.
We focused on the documents.
The lawsuit also required Patricia to commit to a version of events.
She could no longer change her story freely each time a new neighbor asked a question.
A written complaint could be compared with texts, notes, camera records, and witness statements.
That did not make the process easy.
It made it possible to examine contradictions carefully.
Chapter 36: The House Inspection
I hired a licensed security consultant after discussing the plan with Sato.
The consultant, Mira Desai, inspected my home for additional unauthorized devices without disturbing anything investigators still needed.
She checked common areas first and explained what she was doing as she went.
I remained beside her with Elena.
The inspection did not uncover another hidden camera.
It did reveal that one exterior door lock was overdue for replacement.
Mira recommended ordinary security improvements such as updated locks, separate guest network access, and clear records of who held keys.
She did not sell me expensive systems I did not need.
When I asked how to make a home impossible to monitor, she said no responsible professional could promise that.
