“A person can answer politely while somebody else is listening,” she said.
I asked whether the reports of garbage dumping and a potentially unsafe household could be connected.
“They may be,” Alina said.
“Our job is to establish that connection rather than assume it.”
Her answer frustrated me because it was careful.
Later, I would understand why the care mattered.
She requested permission to view the complete recordings rather than clips I had selected.
I provided the files with timestamps and a note describing which camera covered each area.
She warned me not to post the footage online or publish speculation about Vivian’s residents.
I agreed.
I did not want attention.
I wanted the woman at the window to have the freedom to open a door.
On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store for milk and strawberries.
A man in the produce aisle called my name.
He wore a navy jacket and held a bunch of bananas he seemed to have forgotten about.
I recognized the man from the blue sedan at Vivian’s house.
“I’m Miles Keene,” he said.
“I work for Vivian sometimes.”
I kept my voice neutral.
“What kind of work?”
He glanced toward the checkout lanes.
“I drive people to appointments.”
“Are you here to tell me to move my cameras?”
He looked startled.
“No.”
His eyes moved to a security mirror above the bread aisle.
“She told us not to speak to you.”
I waited.
“She said you were dangerous and that you were trying to get vulnerable people evicted.”
“That’s not true.”
“I know that now.”
He shifted the bananas into his other hand.
“One of the residents said she could see a girl swimming next door, and Vivian took away her window key.”
“Which resident?”
“I can’t tell you here.”
I asked whether anyone needed immediate medical help.
He shook his head, then hesitated.
“One man has been missing his specialist appointments.”
The phrase chilled me more than the earlier threats.
I gave Miles the county adult services reporting number I had saved in my phone.
“Please tell them what you personally know,” I said.
“They can protect information that I cannot.”
Miles took the number but did not enter it immediately.
“If Vivian finds out I talked, she’ll say I stole medication.”
I asked if he had taken any.
“No.”
“Then don’t let her accusation become the only record of what happened.”
He nodded once and walked away without buying the bananas.
