KDBookOnline
Share Us
CAROL
You can also receive fines for noise complaints.
CAROL
I would appreciate the respect of your PROMPT response to my concerns, Mr. Chang.
Derek avoided quick replies when he was furious, so he slipped his phone in his pocket.
Ten minutes later, while grabbing crutches from the supply room, another barrage of messages came through. Still none of them from his mother.
CAROL
Also, I heard a very loud crash and what I believe was a howl from your apartment.
CAROL
While I understand that your female friend visits you sometimes and that this is not prohibited, her dog cannot be present in your apartment for a period longer than 24 hours straight per HOA bylaws.
CAROL
I did knock, and no one answered.
CAROL
Given that I am concerned about your friend who must be in the unit because why else would her dog be there.
“Jesus Christ.” Derek growled as a flurry of text alerts interrupted his attempt to reply.
CAROL
I hope you understand that I have your friend’s best interest at heart.
CAROL
After all, anything could be wrong.
CAROL
And there was no answer in the apartment.
Derek’s thumbs tapped so hard against the screen he had to remind himself that shattered screens from rage-texting probably weren’t covered under phone warranties.
He could easily imagine Carol Taylor beating on the door while wearing one of her electric purple Florida palm trees shirts paired with those clementine-colored stirrup leggings and Crocs—her chosen post–water aerobics uniform. Her brassy blond hair would be sprayed into that signature aggressive half bob while she sang the song of her people… i.e., nosy white lady complaints.
CAROL
This situation is why you gave me an emergency key. Wellness checks are permitted under certain circumstances based on section 10.7.1ab of the HOA handbook.
“Shit. No. No. No.” Derek swiped across the screen. He closed his eyes and sighed. There was nothing else to do. He swiped to Gallagher’s name. He’d only given her that key after she’d cornered him at an HOA meeting—the only one he’d ever attended—and told him a sob story about how the two apartments once flooded and the previous owner of Derek’s unit had lost everything when they couldn’t gain access to shut off the leaking pipe and that the water had nearly drowned one of her birds. That story seemed more ominous now.
DEREK
Need distraction. HOA Karen is trying to get into my apartment.
Three dots in Gallagher’s message box appeared and then disappeared several times.
DEREK