She walked toward the garage camera.
She stood beneath it.
“You think this proves something?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“That you drove into my garage.”
She stared at the lens.
Then turned.
“You're trying to humiliate me.”
“No.”
“Then why are you filming?”
“Security.”
“Against me?”
“Against anyone.”
She looked around.
“Take it down.”
“No.”
“I'm ordering you to.”
“You don't have authority over my house.”
Her face tightened.
“I am the HOA president.”
“Yes.”
“That gives me authority.”
“Over the association.”
“Yes.”
“Not my property.”
She stepped closer.
“You clearly don't understand how the association works.”
Marcus smiled.
“I read the bylaws.”
That stopped her.
She stared.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When you sent me that violation letter.”
“What violation?”
“The one saying my garage workshop was an unauthorized commercial use.”
Patricia crossed her arms.
“It is.”
“No.”
“It is.”
“My workshop is private.”
“You use equipment.”
“So do a lot of homeowners.”
“Not welding equipment.”
Marcus looked toward the machine.
“Why?”
“Because it's unsafe.”
“It's certified.”
“I don't care.”
Marcus nodded.
“That sounds familiar.”
“What does?”
“You deciding rules based on what you don't like.”
Patricia's face darkened.
“You have a problem with authority.”
“No.”
“I think you do.”
“I have a problem with people pretending authority gives them ownership.”
Silence.
A police cruiser turned into the neighborhood.
Patricia smiled.
“There.”
Marcus watched the cruiser approach.
The officer parked behind the Maybach.
A uniformed officer stepped out.
He was a Black man in his early forties.
His name was Officer Aaron Bell.
He walked toward the garage.
“Good afternoon.”
Patricia immediately approached him.
“Officer, thank God.”
Bell looked between them.
“What's going on?”
Patricia pointed toward Marcus.
“He's refusing to let me leave.”
Marcus said nothing.
Bell looked at him.
“Sir?”
Marcus gestured toward the Maybach.
“She drove that into my garage without permission.”
Patricia interrupted.
“I had permission.”
“From whom?”
She hesitated.
“From the HOA.”
Bell looked confused.
“Your HOA gave you permission to park inside his private garage?”
Patricia frowned.
“Yes.”
Bell looked at Marcus.
“Is that garage part of your deeded property?”
“Yes.”