"She demanded my fuel for free, Officer," Mark said evenly, his deep baritone cutting through Brenda's hysterics. "And when I declined, she threatened to have my property seized."
Brenda let out a theatrical gasp, spinning around toward the officer with a triumphant sneer.
"Arrest him, Officer!" Brenda demanded, her voice rising into an ear-splitting pitch. "People like him need to learn who runs this neighborhood!"
Chapter III: The Grandfathered Boundary
Officer Harris took out his notepad, looking closely at the setup. Unlike a makeshift, hazardous drum setup, the pump was professionally installed with heavy-gauge grounding wires, an emergency cutoff switch, and an industrial fire suppression canister mounted securely nearby.
"Ma'am, step back a few feet," Harris said firmly to Brenda. He turned to Mark. "Sir, do you have permits for a commercial-grade fuel storage system on a residential lot?"
Mark reached into the unlocked cab of his green truck and pulled out a laminated folder stamped with the county seal. He handed it directly to the officer.