Ca: Moved Out 22 Days Ago. Radio Silence From Ex-landlord. Sent Demands Letter, Ex-landlord Claims She Sent It On Day 19 With Lots Of Ambiguity. How To Proceed?

My partner and I moved out of our apartment in West Hollywood, CA, on Dec. 15, 2024. During our time there, we had a positive relationship with our landlord. She directed us to send our new address (in Connecticut) to her so she could mail us our physical check, which we did immediately. During the move-out walk-through with my partner, she vocalized to him that she would be deducting part of our security deposit for normal wear and tear, including hiring professional cleaners (we left the apartment in better condition than it was given to us in - she was your typical "paint over the stains" landlord). In addition - our apartment was given to us with tons of nail holes, which she accused us of placing.

Our address update was never responded to, nor did we receive the check and/or itemized receipt within 21 days. This morning, on day 22, I served her a notice that if these materials are not in our hands within 7 days, we will be proceeding with small claims court for our deposit (2,300 dollars). The landlord responded by letting us know she sent it on Jan. 3. Judging from the text messages we have with her about this - I am not sure how to proceed. The money isn't in our hands, and it now seems she is fabricating a story about meat being left in the fridge (we don't eat meat, and vacuumed the fridge upon leaving, which she saw in the walkthrough).

https://imgur.com/a/WAEdRUu

Would hugely appreciate advice on how to proceed here.