Cynthia opened by announcing that irresponsible electrical work had threatened neighborhood safety.
She never said who had ordered the workers to cut my line.
Several residents shouted that they had seen the video from their own doorbell cameras.
Cynthia raised her voice and warned them not to spread defamatory rumors.
Judith requested the floor and asked the board to identify the vote authorizing ClearPath’s inspection program.
Cynthia claimed the matter had been handled in executive session.
Judith calmly read the recorded dates of the last four executive sessions.
None included a vote on utility equipment or emergency enforcement.
The treasurer, Harold Finch, looked down at his printed agenda.
He admitted that he had signed checks after Cynthia told him the contracts were already approved.
A woman near the front asked why her family had paid a four-hundred-dollar electrical compliance fee.
A second resident said his bill had been six hundred.
Cynthia announced that individual account details were private.
That was technically true in many contexts, but it did not answer whether the fees had been authorized at all.
I stood when the chair recognized me and described the damage to my home without mentioning my ownership of Ridgeline.
I explained that the utility was reviewing false notices using its name and that the police were handling the physical incident.
I asked the board to suspend unauthorized collections and preserve all financial records pending independent review.
Cynthia struck the table with her gavel.
“You don’t get to run this neighborhood,” she said.
“Neither do you without the board,” Judith replied.
The room erupted, but the most important moment came from Harold Finch.
He pushed his copy of the ledger toward Judith and asked for a formal vote to obtain independent legal advice.
Chapter 10: The Worker Who Returned
Owen found me outside my workshop four days later.
He stood beside his battered pickup with both hands visible and asked permission to speak.
I recognized him as the younger contractor who had wanted to leave after the cable fell.
He looked about twenty-seven and had dark circles under his eyes.
“I already talked to the police,” he said.
“I don’t want you asking me to change anything.”
“I won’t,” I answered.
He told me he had left Vince’s crew after realizing what Cynthia had asked them to do.
He had expected ordinary cleanup work for a subdivision, not an order to interfere with a utility connection.
His employment paperwork listed ClearPath Property Compliance as the billing company.
He had never seen an electrical license for ClearPath.
