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SUV. The puppies on yesterday’s scrubs had been replaced with adorable kittens frolicking with yarn.
    “Can I help you with that?”
    “Depends on what you’re here for.” She eyed him suspiciously.
    “I’m here checking on the irrigation and thought you might like a hand—nothing nefarious.”
    “In that case, here you go.” Meg dropped a grocery bag into his open arms and scooped up another for herself.
    He followed her through her single-car garage, which was lined with bicycles, suitcases, boxes labeled “Christmas,” and a step ladder. Holding the bag close, he entered her condo through the bright, orange kitchen. Puppy and kitten magnets decorated the refrigerator. The room fit her personality. “I noticed you’ve met your new neighbor, Andi.”
    “I hear you’re already fining her. You didn’t waste much time.”
    He was tired of coming up with diplomatic, professional answers that walked the line between defending himself and keeping blame away from Harry. Instead he chose silence. His company wouldn’t keep the Euphoria account for long if he went around bashing the board president. Luke placed his haul next to Meg’s on the counter and then followed her out to the van for another bag.
    Reaching inside the back of the van, he noticed a shadow stretching beside him. His heart skipped a beat. He instinctively knew it was Andi.
    “Hey, neighbor!” Meg waved wildly at her new neighbor, who stood on the sidewalk next to the SUV. “What brings you to my end of the prison camp?”
    Luke shook his head at her choice of words.
    “I’m here to complain.” She sneered at him. “Harry is going to fine me two hundred dollars because my garage door won’t open. I can’t get it fixed until Thursday.”
    “Wow! Two hundred dollars. You haven’t even lived here a week yet.” Meg looked Luke over like he was a piece of moldy cheese. “That must be some sort of record.”
    Luke knew he had been tried, found guilty, and executed for a crime Harry committed. “I have a few minutes. I can take a look at your garage, if you like.”
    “I would rather you tell us how to make Harry stop over enforcing the rules.” She pierced him with her dark-green eyes. “He has no empathy for others. And I know for a fact he has it out for us.”
    Luke didn’t correct her. Judging by Harry’s behavior the day they dropped by Andi’s condo, he decided she was right. Proving it was another matter. “The best way to stop Harry is for both of you to run for the board at the next election.”
    Andi threw her arms up. “He’s fining me daily. I’ll be bankrupt by then.”
    Luke remembered his promise to the cowboy. That morning, he had called the carpet cleaning company and verified the man had never ordered his carpets cleaned. He closed the case and filed it away because no violation had ever existed. He wished he could do that for Andi and all of her neighbors, but they, unlike the cowboy, had technically broken the rules.
    “Running for the board has been tried—and everyone has failed,” Meg said. “We would need at least five people to run for the board to make a difference, and I don’t know five people brave enough to take on Harry.” Suddenly, a mischievous grin played on her face. “But after our conversation last night, I did some research and came up with a way to fight back.”
    Luke suppressed a groan. “Think long and hard before you poke the grizzly bear with a long stick. Your lives here could get a whole lot worse.”
    “I doubt that,” Andi said, folding her arms over her chest. “Meg, tell us your idea. Or do you want Luke to leave first?”
    He tried not to take the question personally, but failed.
    “He can stay. He’ll find out soon anyway.” Meg bounced on her heels. “One second.” She reached into the back seat of her van and removed a compact silver camera. “Once we prove Harry is singling people out for fines, we can sue him.”
    “What?” Luke stared at Meg in disbelief.