She looked at me, her eyes wide with a mixture of anger and fear.

I walked past her without a word, heading toward the foyer.

Nathan was standing in front of the double entry doors, his arm extended to block Arthur Sterling and the two other board members from stepping inside.

“This is a private residence, Arthur,” Nathan was saying, his smile tight and strained.

“We cannot host a meeting right now.”

“My wife is not feeling well.”

“She is upstairs resting.”

I stepped into the light of the foyer.

“I am right here, Nathan,” I said.

The board members looked past him, their eyes fixing on me, and then on the exposed drywall and modern design samples scattered across the floor.

Nathan’s face darkened, his jaw tightening as he realized he could no longer hide the truth.

Arthur Sterling looked past Nathan’s shoulder, his eyes scanning the gaping hole in the dining room wall.

The two board members beside him, older men in dark overcoats, frowned at the exposed pipes.

“You said this was a minor plumbing issue, Nathan,” Arthur said, his voice flat.