lawful process. I handed over the original video, gave a statement, and requested a case number. I refused the tempting idea of withholding a crime report merely to unveil it during a public hearing. Some things belong with investigators before they belong in speeches.
Mitch made the same point when I called him. "The facts are useful, but do not turn an allegation about her son into a threat," he said. "You can accurately describe what happened to your land. Leave the conclusions about responsibility to the investigation."
Over the next several days, small acts of harassment followed. My truck was egged outside the diner. Anonymous callers breathed into the telephone and disconnected. Someone left a dead animal on my porch, and I called a wildlife officer to have it removed safely while preserving the camera footage. None of these incidents independently established who was responsible.
Together, they changed how I moved around my own property. I checked the cameras before going to bed. I kept the porch lights on. I told my daughter enough that she would not be blindsided if she saw a sensational story online.
She called as soon as she received my message. "Dad, I'm worried about you."
"I know."
"You're talking about this like it's a retaining wall that's failing. It isn't. Somebody is trying to frighten you."
I looked out at the black line of trees beyond the porch. "That's what makes it hard. I know how to measure a wall."