He did not want his authority to be the reason she reconsidered her behavior. He wanted her to understand that the same rules applied to every resident, whether the person standing before her was a police chief, a schoolteacher, a delivery driver, or a teenager carrying a skateboard.
But he knew that authority could expose a person’s assumptions more quickly than any explanation.
Denise’s face had gone pale beneath the afternoon light.
“Chief?” she repeated.
Marcus nodded.
“Marcus Reed. Chief of Police.”
She stared at him.
“You’re the police chief?”
“Yes.”
“But you—”
She stopped herself.
Brooks’s eyes moved toward her.
“But he what, ma’am?”
Denise pressed her lips together.
“Nothing.”
Marcus looked at her steadily.
“Please finish the sentence.”
She shifted her weight.
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t need to know.”
“I mean, if I had known—”
“Would the car have been acceptable?”
She said nothing.
“Would I have been allowed to stand in my own driveway?”
Her cheeks flushed again.
“Of course.”
“Then perhaps we should discuss why that courtesy depended on my job.”
Denise looked toward Brooks.
“This is turning into something it doesn’t need to be.”
Marcus’s voice remained calm.
“You called the police and accused me of threatening you. You threatened to tow my car and remove me from my property. I’m not the one who made this a police matter.”
Brooks nodded.
“Chief, would you like me to document the call?”
“Yes. Please document the statements made and the fact that the vehicle is parked on private property. Include the witness information, if he is willing to provide it.”
“I can do that.”
Denise’s eyes widened.
“You’re filing a report against me?”
“I’m asking for an accurate record of the incident.”
“You can’t do that just because I complained about a car.”
“I’m not documenting your complaint as wrongdoing. I’m documenting what happened after you called.”
She folded her arms more tightly.
“This is harassment.”
Brooks took out his notepad.
“Ma’am, you are free to file a complaint through the association or the department’s public process. I’m not going to debate labels with you.”
Marcus glanced toward the house.