She stepped aside and used her radio to contact dispatch. The male officer remained near the pool, asking Marcus to explain why he had been sitting there.
Marcus described the maintenance issue, the request from the property manager, and the technician who had been scheduled to meet him. He provided the technician's name and showed the officers the appointment message on his phone.
The male officer nodded.
“That's straightforward.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“I still want him removed.”
The officer turned toward her.
“On what basis?”
“He made me uncomfortable.”
“Being uncomfortable isn't automatically grounds for removing a person who has authorization to be here.”
She stared at him.
“Are you saying I can't protect my community?”
“I'm saying we need to establish what happened.”
The female officer returned from the side of the deck.
“Dispatch confirmed the credential. Mr. Reed is listed as an authorized board representative, and the property manager verified that he's here for the pool inspection.”
Marcus nodded.
“Thank you.”
Victoria's face had gone pale beneath her makeup.
The male officer returned Marcus's identification.
“Everything appears to be in order.”
Marcus accepted the card and placed it back in the wallet.
The officer looked toward Victoria.
“Ma'am, since Mr. Reed is authorized to be here, we're not going to remove him from the property. If you have a separate complaint, you can raise it with the association.”
Victoria's lips tightened.
“This is unbelievable.”
The female officer remained professional.
“Do you have any evidence that he threatened you?”
“He was disrespectful.”
“Did he threaten to hurt you?”
“No, but—”
“Did he touch you?”
“No.”
“Did he display a weapon?”
“No.”
The officer glanced at the baseball bat leaning against the patio chair.
“Was the bat brought into this interaction?”
Victoria looked at Ethan.
“He was holding it for protection.”
The male officer turned toward the young man.
“Ethan, is that your bat?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did Mr. Reed threaten you or your mother?”
Ethan looked at Marcus, then back at the officer.
“No.”
“Did anyone ask you to carry it?”
Ethan hesitated.
“My mom told me to bring it from the SUV.”
Victoria's head snapped toward him.
“Ethan!”