"That doesn't prove they broke anything," Casey said before he could begin. "It proves something changed, and that gives us something specific to ask about." Warren studied the two images. The difference was obvious once she placed them side by side, which irritated him because he had driven past the construction for months without understanding what the crews were making.
He looked at her over the rim of his coffee cup. "You think they did it on purpose?" Casey did not answer immediately. The question asked for knowledge she did not have and for an accusation she knew could have consequences.
"I think the water doesn't care what they meant," she said at last. "I think we need to find out where it's coming from and make them explain why it ended up here."
The first two days brought no improvement. More water arrived overnight, spreading across the remaining rows and leaving a thin line of floating debris against the fence on the western margin. Warren called his crop insurance representative, took photographs for a claim, and asked a neighboring farmer to help keep track of when the water rose. By the third morning, nearly all eighty acres of the soybean planting were unusable, although the deepest standing water covered a smaller area.
On May 10, Gerald Voss drove up the lane in a black pickup with polished wheels and tires that had never been allowed to stay muddy. He wore a clean blue shirt, a dark vest embroidered with the bank's name, and boots new enough to advertise themselves. Warren watched him get out, close the door, and survey the flooded ground before offering a handshake. Gerald's expression was sympathetic in a way that seemed practiced rather than felt.
"This is a terrible thing to see," Gerald said. "I wish I were here under better circumstances."
"You could be," Warren answered. "You could tell me why the ditch on the developer's land is pointing at my soybeans."
Gerald glanced toward the trees, then back at the field. "Drainage issues are complicated. My understanding is that the contractor is completing permitted improvements, and the recent weather has created temporary conditions." Warren pointed toward the creek, which still lay within its banks. Gerald did not look in that direction for long.
"What I came to discuss is a way to protect you from a second bad season," Gerald continued. "Cornerstone could help restructure the remaining debt if you were willing to release the lower tract. There's a buyer prepared to move quickly, and the sale could give you breathing room."
Warren looked at him for a long moment. "You mean the company doing the drainage work?"