Inside, the shop smelled of dust and old paper. The printing presses were gone, leaving pale rectangles on the floor. Upstairs, the office contained a folding table, a tripod, and a small camera pointed toward the gate. A portable battery powered the equipment. A phone lay beside it, its screen showing the live stream.

The account name was Save Our Trail.

Doreen stared at the setup. “Someone has been watching us from here.”

“Someone has been broadcasting a public street,” Mara corrected. “That’s different from knowing who they are.”

The property manager checked the rental record. The upstairs office had been leased to a company called Brightside Promotions, run by Hal Mercer.

Jessa made a small sound of disbelief. “Hal?”

Doreen closed her eyes. Hal had helped her hang lanterns for years. He had carried Frank’s wooden birds in a cardboard box after the funeral. She had trusted him.

A car door slammed outside. They looked down and saw Hal standing beside his truck, arguing with a woman in a gray coat. The woman was Priya Desai.

Mara hurried downstairs.

“What’s happening?” she asked as she reached them.

Priya held up a folder. “Mr. Mercer contacted the mill owners three months ago. He proposed a public-relations campaign to promote the redevelopment. The proposal was rejected.”

Hal flushed. “That has nothing to do with this.”

“Then why did you rent a room overlooking the gate?” Doreen asked.

He looked at the gathered neighbors. “Because people care about the trail. I was documenting it.”

“You told them to bring children into an active work zone.”

“I didn’t know the machine was moving.”

“You posted at ten forty-two, after the horn sounded.”

Hal looked away.

Jessa stepped forward. “You asked me for the rehearsal schedule. You told me you were making a tribute video.”

“I was.”

“Then why did you hide behind an anonymous account?”

Hal’s voice rose. “Because nobody listens unless they’re angry! I tried to get the mill owners to fund a proper festival. They ignored me. I tried to get the neighborhood to organize. Nobody wanted to do the work. So I gave people a reason to show up.”

Doreen felt the room tilt. He had not wanted the path preserved. He had wanted a crowd large enough to make his campaign valuable.

“You used us,” she said.

Hal met her eyes. “I gave you a platform.”

“You gave me a lie,” Doreen replied. “And I carried it farther than you ever could.”

16. WHAT THE CAMERA COULD NOT FIX

The police were called to document the unauthorized use of the print shop and the threats of confrontation. They took statements and asked Hal to leave the property while the manager reviewed the rental agreement. No one was arrested that morning. The questions about deception, access, and liability would take longer than a few angry minutes to resolve.