Now, finally, everyone saw what Marcus had been dealing with.
He should have felt vindicated.
Instead, he felt tired.
Pamela looked toward him.
“This could have been avoided.”
Marcus stared.
There it was.
Still.
He walked closer but kept several feet between them.
“How?”
“If you'd moved the vehicle.”
“No.”
“You knew I was serious.”
“That isn't the issue.”
“You deliberately defied me.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Pamela, listen carefully.”
She folded her arms.
“You sent an unauthorized demand.”
“I asked for the rule.”
“You couldn't provide it.”
“Then you entered my property with a bat and destroyed someone else's vehicle.”
“That sequence belongs to you.”
“Not me.”
Pamela’s eyes became wet.
Anger.
Humiliation.
Maybe fear.
“You always make me look unreasonable.”
Marcus’s expression softened slightly.
“I don't make you look like anything.”
She looked away.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Wade approached.
“Marcus.”
“Yeah.”
“Tow truck's here.”
Marcus looked toward the street.
Flatbed.
Pamela looked at Wade.
“I truly did not know that car was yours.”
Wade nodded.
“I believe you.”
She seemed relieved.
Then he continued.
“That’s why the situation concerns me.”
Relief vanished.
“If you knew it was mine, you wouldn’t have touched it.”
Pamela said nothing.
“You believed it belonged to Marcus.”
Silence.
“And you thought that made this safe.”
Pamela looked down.
Wade continued.
“You should think about that.”
Then he walked away.
The Rolls was loaded slowly.
Broken glass continued dropping from door frames.
Wade stood nearby.
Hands on hips.
Marcus approached.
“Insurance?”
“Covered.”
“Interior?”
“Probably replacing half of it.”
“Sorry.”
Wade looked toward him.
“You didn't swing the bat.”
“I left it in my driveway.”
“It's a car.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“A minute ago it was Caroline’s sacred chariot.”
Wade looked at the Rolls.
A faint smile.
“She would've hated that description.”
“She would've agreed about sacred.”
“She loved this stupid thing.”
Marcus nodded.
Wade remained quiet.
Then:
“There's a scarf in the back.”
“I know.”
Wade looked surprised.
“You know?”
“I’ve seen it.”
He nodded.
“I want it if they can save it.”
“They will.”
The tow operator overheard.
He walked over.
“I can retrieve it now if you'd like.”
Wade looked grateful.
“Please.”
The man opened the rear door carefully from the opposite side.
Glass crunched.
He reached in.
Pulled out a blue silk scarf.
Undamaged.
Wade took it.
Held it.