One was the HOA President.
Blonde.
Early fifties.
Perfectly styled hair.
Large sunglasses.
Bright orange tailored jacket and matching trousers over a cream blouse.
Gold jewelry.
Expensive handbag.
The color made her impossible to ignore.
The other person was worse.
Her husband.
A uniformed Police Officer.
Dark patrol uniform.
Duty belt.
Radio.
Body camera mounted high on his chest.
He stood directly in front of the gate.
One hand held a ring of keys.
The homeowner stopped.
Those keys looked familiar.
He reached into the small exterior lockbox mounted behind a decorative panel inside the driveway entrance.
Empty.
The keys had been inside that lockbox for contractors and emergency access.
Only one key opened the lockbox.
He kept it in the house.
Unless someone had another way.
The Officer rattled the pool gate again.
“Open it.”
The Black Homeowner did not approach.
He remained several feet away.
“This is private property.”
The HOA President immediately pointed through the glass.
“We’ve been over this.”
“Yes.”
“And the board approved temporary access.”
“The board cannot approve access to property it doesn’t own.”
The Officer raised the ring of keys.
“That’s enough.”
The homeowner looked at him.
“What are you doing with my keys?”
The Officer’s jaw tightened.
“Executing an access order.”
“What order?”
The HOA President opened her handbag.
Pulled out a folded document inside a clear plastic sleeve.
She pressed it against the glass.
The homeowner did not move closer.
He lifted his phone slightly.
“Hold that up.”
The HOA President smiled.
“I knew you’d finally understand.”
“I said hold it up.”
Something in his tone changed her expression.
She displayed the page.
At the top was a county seal.
Below it:
TEMPORARY ACCESS AUTHORIZATION.
Several paragraphs.
A signature block.
Reference number.
The homeowner zoomed with his phone.
Could not read everything.
The Officer slapped one palm against the gate.
“You’ve been notified.”
The homeowner looked at his body camera.
A small red light indicated recording.
Good.
Very good.
He asked:
“Are you acting as a police officer right now?”
The Officer glanced down at his uniform as if the question was ridiculous.
“What do you think?”
“I want you to say it.”
The HOA President scoffed.
“Stop playing games.”
The homeowner ignored her.
“Officer, are you acting under official authority?”
The Officer stepped closer.
“Yes.”
The answer settled into the morning like a dropped stone.
The homeowner nodded.
“Okay.”
The Officer pointed through the glass.
“Then unlock the gate.”
“No.”
The HOA President threw both hands outward.
“Oh my God.”