“There must’ve been some misunderstanding.
I was actually coming by because the tenant has an overdue balance.”
Rachel held up one of Sarah’s receipts.
“Which balance?”
Mercer stared at her.
“I’m sorry, and you are?”
“Rachel Kim.
Wells Residential Holdings.”
His grip tightened around the clipboard.
Nathan opened the door wider.
“Come in.”
Mercer hesitated before stepping inside.
The moment he saw the folder on the kitchen table, color began leaving his face.
Nathan pointed to the ceiling.
“Your last inspection report says there was no active water damage.”
Mercer barely glanced up.
“That stain could be old.”
Rachel walked to the bucket.
“It’s positioned beneath the leak.”
“Tenants put things everywhere.”
Emily felt heat rise in her chest.
Nathan noticed.
“Emily,” he said gently, “tell me what happens when it rains.”
Mercer’s head snapped toward her.
The look he gave her was different from the one he gave Nathan.
Harder.
It was the look of an adult who expected a child to know when to stay silent.
Emily almost did.
Then Noah shifted against her shoulder.
She remembered holding him beneath blankets on nights when the heat stopped working.
“Water comes through there,” she said, pointing.
“Mom puts the bucket under it.
Sometimes she has to empty it twice.”
Mercer laughed once without humor.
“Children exaggerate.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“She’s twelve, not invisible.”
Mercer raised both hands.
“I’m only saying we need proper documentation.”
Rachel opened the folder again.
“We have documentation.
Your documentation.”
She removed several printed maintenance reports.
“This property was billed for a roof repair eight months ago, a heating-system service six months ago, interior water-damage remediation four months ago, and another heating inspection five weeks ago.”
Emily stared at the pages.
Nathan looked at Mercer.
“Were those repairs done?”
“I’d have to check with contractors.”
“You approved the invoices.”
“My office handles hundreds of transactions.”
“Then let’s make this easier.”
Nathan pointed toward the ceiling again.
“Show me the roof repair.”
Mercer said nothing.
“Show me the water remediation.”
Still nothing.
