“Yes.”
“You can't keep my car in here.”
Marcus nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Then move it.”
“You drove it in.”
“I'll drive it out.”
“Then do it.”
Patricia stared.
She turned toward the driver's door.
Then stopped.
The vehicle was positioned so tightly between Marcus's workbench and the opposite wall that she would have to maneuver carefully.
Marcus remained at the edge of the garage.
He didn't touch the vehicle.
He didn't threaten her.
He didn't raise his voice.
He simply watched.
Patricia opened the door.
Then looked back.
“You think you're clever.”
“No.”
“You're trying to intimidate me.”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Waiting.”
“For what?”
“For you to realize you made a mistake.”
She scoffed.
“I don't make mistakes.”
Marcus looked at the camera again.
“Yes, you do.”
The camera's small indicator light blinked.
Patricia noticed.
Her expression changed.
“You recorded this?”
Marcus nodded.
“You're recording me?”
“The camera records automatically.”
“You should have told me.”
“It's my garage.”
“You can't record people without permission.”
Marcus looked at her.
“You drove into my garage without permission.”
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
The garage door remained halfway down.
Late-afternoon sunlight cut across the concrete floor.
Marcus stepped back.
Patricia looked toward the street.
A neighbor had stopped near the sidewalk.
Another had stepped onto a porch.
The Maybach was too conspicuous to ignore.
Everyone could see it.
Patricia raised her voice.
“Marcus is preventing me from leaving.”
Marcus looked at her.
“You haven't tried to leave.”
“I can't.”
“You haven't tried.”
She glared.
“Open the door.”
“No.”
“You're holding me hostage.”
“No.”
“You're blocking my vehicle.”
“No.”
“You lowered the garage door.”
“Yes.”
“Then you're preventing me from leaving.”
Marcus pointed at the open space beneath the partially lowered garage door.
“You can still walk out.”
“I don't want to walk out.”
“Then drive out.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because you lowered the door.”
Marcus looked at the vehicle.
Then at the door.
Then at her.
“The door is high enough.”
Patricia looked.
He was right.
The Maybach could exit if she drove carefully.
She hesitated.
Marcus said nothing.
Finally, Patricia got back into the vehicle.
The engine started.
Marcus stepped farther back.
The Maybach began reversing.
Slowly.
The rear camera beeped.
Patricia turned the wheel.
The SUV moved backward.
Then stopped.