And someone had chosen the very day his daughter turned seven.
But that wasn't the most disturbing part.
Because only forty minutes earlier, a local businessman had called Marcus and offered him seventy-five thousand dollars to withdraw a complaint involving a private security company.
Marcus had refused.
The businessman responded with a warning.
“You have a beautiful home, Marcus. And a beautiful little girl. It would be a shame if something ruined her birthday.”
Now a police officer had entered his backyard, slapped him, and threatened to arrest him in front of that little girl.
The coincidence was impossible to ignore.
The police chief looked at the officer.
Then at Marcus.
Then toward the birthday decorations.
Her expression hardened.
“Officer Cole, who told you to come here?”
He remained silent.
She repeated the question.
“Who sent you to this house?”
Cole looked toward the gate.
And for one brief moment, Marcus saw something unexpected in the officer's face.
Fear.
Not fear of losing a fight.
Not fear of the muscular man standing before him.
Fear of what might happen when the chief discovered who had really arranged the visit.
The woman in pink lowered her phone.
Then spoke quietly.
“Travis, I'm going to give you one opportunity to tell me the truth before I start reviewing the dispatch records.”
The officer swallowed.
“Chief, there was a complaint.”
“What complaint?”
“Loud music. Disorderly conduct.”
She looked around the backyard.
The music had stopped.
The party table was covered with cupcakes, paper plates, fruit, sandwiches, juice boxes, and a large pink birthday cake.
There were no fights.
No alcohol-fueled disturbance.
No obvious emergency.
Just frightened children and a father struggling to remain calm after being struck by a police officer.
The chief looked back at Cole.
“Who made the complaint?”
He hesitated.
“Anonymous caller.”
She stared.
“Then why was dispatch asking whether you had removed Mr. Bennett from the property?”
The officer's lips parted.
He had no answer.
The chief slowly looked toward the security camera mounted beneath the home's rear roofline.
Then toward a second camera above the wooden gate.
And finally toward the black camera attached to the officer's uniform.
Its indicator remained dark.