She began by explaining that she would review the dispatch record, body-camera footage, witness statements, and any available recordings from residents.

She asked me to describe the event without referring to Bettina’s previous conduct.

I explained that Cody blocked the open trunk, demanded grocery bags, and refused to move when I told him they were mine.

I told Ellis that I had stepped to the side and kept my hands visible when the argument escalated.

She asked whether I had raised my voice.

“I spoke firmly, but I did not threaten him,” I said.

She asked whether I had used my position at any point before Webb arrived.

“No,” I replied.

I described my request that Webb handle the incident without favor and told Ellis I had taken no disciplinary or investigative role afterward.

Ellis listened without reacting.

She then asked a question that stayed with me for days.

“Would your account be different if you were not the chief?”

I looked at the empty chair beside the table.

“The facts would be the same,” I answered.

“My concern about how people might interpret them would be different.”

She thanked me and ended the interview.

Before leaving, I asked whether I could see any findings before they were finalized.

Ellis told me that I would receive notice through the same channels available to the other involved people.

I appreciated the answer even though waiting was uncomfortable.

That evening, Cody appeared at the edge of my driveway while I was taking the trash bins toward the garage.

He stood beyond the property line and asked whether we could talk.

I told him I would not discuss the investigation without another adult present.

He looked embarrassed but nodded.

“I didn’t know you were the chief,” he said.

“That isn’t the important part,” I replied.

“I know,” he said quietly.

He looked at the house where Naomi had switched on the porch light.

“My mom said people have to respect the board because otherwise the neighborhood falls apart.”

“People should respect rules that are fair and properly adopted,” I said.

“Respect doesn’t mean giving someone whatever they demand.”

Cody stared at the pavement.

“I think I made things worse,” he admitted.

I told him that admitting a mistake was a beginning, not a substitute for correcting it.

He promised to speak to the independent investigator and walked home before his mother came outside.

CHAPTER NINE: THE EMPTY LINE IN THE LEDGER

Paul requested a meeting with Cecily after discovering that a series of payments had been recorded under the access program without supporting work orders.