“We need to see what he told the county before he started digging,” Rachel said.

“I want the municipal permit files for his property, specifically the site plans for the pool and the fence.”

“Can you just call the zoning office and ask for them?” I asked.

“They will take their time for an attorney,” Rachel said, closing her folder with a quiet snap.

“But you are a taxpayer.

Go down to the county records office in town, stand at the desk, and do not leave until they hand you the complete physical file.”

By noon, the humidity inside the county records building felt twice as heavy as the air outside.