Chapter 2Never Extort A Chief Legal Officer

After hanging up, I stood on the pavement just outside the utility building, letting the chill of the afternoon settle my nerves. A few minutes later, Gary swaggered out the front doors, jingling his keys.

"Still here? What, did you actually call the cops?" he jeered, pausing on the steps. "Let me give you a reality check, Val. The cops show up, they tell you it’s a civil dispute, and they tell you to take it up with me. You’re wasting your breath. Just pay the twelve grand, and maybe I’ll be nice enough to send a guy to unlock your pipes before dinner."

I didn't even look at him. I just kept my eyes on the street.

Five minutes later, a blue-and-white cruiser pulled up to the curb. Two officers stepped out, scanning the area.

I walked straight toward them, retrieving my ID and the absurdly long, itemized water bill from my bag.

"Officers. I’m the one who called. That man right there is Gary Higgins, the district utility manager," I said, pointing directly at him. "My condo has been completely vacant for two years while I worked abroad. He is using fabricated data to extort me for twelve thousand dollars. When I provided state-certified proof that his equipment was faulty, he rejected it and illegally severed the water supply to my primary residence."

The older officer turned his gaze to Gary. Instantly, Gary’s arrogant sneer melted into a slimy, subservient grin as he practically jogged over.

"Officers, hey, how are you? Total misunderstanding," Gary said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "This lady is just trying to cause a scene. Her toilet had a massive leak, she racked up half a million gallons, and now she doesn't want to foot the bill. We're just following city protocol. Delinquent accounts get shut off. It's the law."

The officer held up a hand to stop him. "There's a legal procedure for shutting off residential utilities. Did you serve her with the mandatory written notices?"

Gary patted his chest confidently. "Absolutely. Taped 'em right to her front door. Been there for days. Not my fault if she doesn't read."

"That is a lie," I cut in sharply. "I flew back into the country yesterday. My door was completely clean. And more importantly, I have a certified engineering report proving the meter is broken. On what authority is he enforcing a shut-off?"

The officer glanced at the thick report in my hand, then back at Gary. "Since there’s a dispute over the physical property, we need to go to the residence and assess the situation."

Gary nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, fine by me! Let's go. In fact, let me call Kevin Russo, the property manager over at her HOA. He’ll tell you exactly what's going on."

He pulled out his phone and stepped away to make the call. Watching the smug tilt of his head, a cold knot of dread tightened in my stomach. Something wasn't right.

A short drive later, we pulled up to the circular driveway of my high-rise.

Kevin Russo, the property manager, was already standing out front, flanked by two security guards. When he saw our little convoy approach, his face broke into an exaggerated, welcoming smile.

"Gary, my man! What brings you by?" Kevin called out.

Gary jerked a thumb in my direction. "This resident right here. Racked up twelve grand in water bills and swears the place has been empty for two years. Kevin, you're running the building. You tell the officers—has this unit been empty?"

Kevin slowly turned to me, giving me a long, theatrical once-over.

"Officers," Kevin said, his voice dripping with faux sympathy, "Ms. Monroe is one of our regulars. I see her coming in and out of the lobby almost every single day."

I froze. The breath hitched in my throat.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice cracking like a whip. "I have been stationed at our corporate headquarters in London. I only transferred back yesterday. My furniture isn't even fully delivered. How could I possibly be living here every day?"

Kevin sighed, putting on the face of a disappointed parent. "Ms. Monroe, I understand nobody wants to pay a huge utility bill. But you can't just lie to the police. I literally saw you carrying groceries into the elevator two days ago."

He gestured to the guards behind him. "It's not just me. The concierge, the cleaning staff—we've all seen you."

The guards nodded in unison, their faces blank.

I let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "Wow. You got your stories straight. You're actually committing perjury on the spot?"

I turned to the officers. "They are lying. It’s incredibly easy to prove. Pull the fob swipe data for the lobby doors, or the elevator security cameras. It will prove I haven't been here."

The older officer nodded, turning to Kevin. "Mr. Russo, we'll need to see the security footage for her floor from the last two months."

"Of course, officer. Right this way," Kevin said smoothly, leading us into the marble-floored security room behind the concierge desk.

He tapped at the keyboard, pulling up the feed for my floor.

On the screen, the grainy image of a woman in a beige trench coat appeared. She was walking down the hall toward my door. It was only from behind, catching a sliver of her profile, but the haircut, the posture, the style of the coat... it was an uncanny resemblance to me.

And according to the timestamps Kevin clicked through, this woman had been showing up every few days for the last month.

Gary tapped the screen with a fat finger, beaming. "Well, look at that, officers. Cameras don't lie, do they? She’s been living here, burning through the water, and now she’s trying to cry extortion to get out of it."

I stared at the screen, my legal mind racing, dissecting the trap they had just sprung.

"Look at the timestamp," I said, pointing at the glowing numbers. "Tuesday at 3:00 PM. At that exact moment, I was sitting in a boardroom in Canary Wharf. I have corporate attendance records, flight logs, and meeting minutes to prove it. That woman is a body double. Your property management is actively manufacturing evidence."

Kevin’s face darkened. "Ms. Monroe, be careful. That sounds a lot like slander. The camera clearly shows you. Why are you still denying it?"

The officer sighed, looking between me and the monitors.

"Ms. Monroe, frankly, the evidence right now is not in your favor," the officer said gently, but firmly. "We have eyewitness testimony and video footage placing you at the scene. As of right now, the utility bill is a civil breach of contract. I highly advise you take this up in civil court. But as for your claims of extortion... there’s simply no probable cause for an arrest."

I swallowed the bitter taste of frustration. I understood the officer's position. Law enforcement operates on surface-level evidence in the moment. Until I could definitively prove the video was staged, their hands were tied.

After taking a brief statement, the police left.

The heavy metal door of the security room clicked shut, leaving me alone with Gary and Kevin.