That somehow made it stronger.
“You’ve already touched me once.”
Vanessa looked around.
The teenager near the minivan was still recording.
A man at the adjacent pump had his phone out now too.
A delivery driver stood near the store entrance watching.
The audience Vanessa had tried to create had changed sides.
Or perhaps not sides.
The evidence had simply arrived.
Vanessa looked at Avery again.
Her voice dropped.
“You don’t understand what this is going to do.”
Avery’s eyes narrowed.
“To whom?”
Vanessa hesitated.
Then realized she had almost said too much.
Avery caught it.
“So this wasn’t random.”
“It was an accident.”
“You demanded twenty-five thousand dollars.”
“I gave you an option.”
“You struck my parked car.”
“I said it was an accident.”
“Then lied about who caused it.”
Vanessa looked at the tablet.
Avery continued.
“And tried to get me to pay you privately.”
Vanessa’s breathing had changed.
“You’re making this sound criminal.”
Avery looked at her.
“I haven’t called it anything yet.”
Then she took out her phone.
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
“Who are you calling?”
“Police.”
“No.”
The word came fast.
Too fast.
Avery stopped dialing.
“Why not?”
Vanessa stepped closer again.
“We can resolve this.”
“We tried.”
“I’ll pay for your damage.”
Avery stared.
A minute earlier, Vanessa had been demanding money.
Now she wanted to pay.
That shift told Avery more than any apology could.
“No.”
Vanessa swallowed.
“Double.”
Avery almost laughed.
“What?”
“I’ll cover the repair.”
“And inconvenience.”
“Five thousand extra.”
The clerk looked at Avery.
The teenager’s mouth fell open.
Avery said slowly:
“You’re offering me money not to call the police.”
“No.”
“What are you offering it for?”
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Nothing.
Avery finished dialing.
When the dispatcher answered, Vanessa turned away.
Avery watched her walk toward the silver SUV.
“Don’t leave.”
Vanessa stopped.
Avery was still speaking to the dispatcher.
She provided the station address.
Described the collision.
Mentioned the shove.
The demand for money.
The security footage.
Vanessa turned slowly.
“I’m not staying here to be publicly humiliated.”
Avery lowered the phone slightly.
“You were comfortable humiliating me when you thought you controlled the story.”
Vanessa’s face went pale.
Avery put the phone back to her ear.
The dispatcher told her officers were en route.
Vanessa did not leave.
Perhaps because she understood that driving away would look worse.
Perhaps because three phones and two cameras were now recording.
Perhaps because, for the first time that afternoon, she no longer trusted the next move.
The police arrived eleven minutes later.
Officer Daniel Price came first.
His partner, Officer Rachel Mendoza, arrived less than a minute after.
Daniel was middle-aged, Black, broad-shouldered, calm.
Rachel was younger, white, dark-haired, observant.
Daniel stepped out, looked at the two vehicles, then at the cluster of people.
“Who called?”
Avery raised a hand.
“I did.”
Vanessa spoke immediately.
“There was a misunderstanding.”
Daniel held up one palm.
“Okay.”