For a fraction of a second, I saw genuine uncertainty cross his face.
Then he got into the vehicle.
They drove away.
I closed the gate again.
And for several minutes, I stood on the porch trembling so badly that I couldn’t hold my coffee.
I had won one small confrontation.
But I knew Richard Vale wasn’t finished.
What I didn’t know was that he had already begun making plans to take Hawthorne Ridge without my permission.
Chapter Five: The Price of Silence
Three days after the confrontation at the gate, I received an email from Richard Vale.
The subject line read:
A Mutually Beneficial Opportunity
It was written in the polished language of someone trying very hard not to sound threatening.
Richard explained that Vale Development Group was interested in purchasing a permanent access easement through the southern portion of Hawthorne Ridge.
In exchange, he offered me $175,000.
