Ethan nodded.
“I renewed it last month.”
Marcus looked at Sarah.
“Then something isn't adding up.”
Suddenly, two other officers appeared in the distance.
They walked toward Reynolds and Davis.
Reynolds looked confident.
“That's our supervisor.”
The supervisor approached with a serious expression.
“What happened?”
Reynolds immediately began explaining.
“This vendor may be operating without authorization. We asked him to shut down, but he's refusing.”
The supervisor looked at Ethan.
“Is that true?”
Ethan quickly shook his head.
“No, sir. I showed them my permit.”
The supervisor turned toward Reynolds.
“You saw the permit?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Reynolds hesitated.
“It may not be valid for this location.”
The supervisor frowned.
“May not?”
Davis suddenly looked at his phone.
“Wait.”
Everyone turned toward him.
“What?”
Davis stared at the screen.
“I think we have a problem.”
Reynolds looked annoyed.
“What problem?”
Davis showed him the phone.
“The permit number.”
Reynolds looked at it.
His expression changed.
“What about it?”
Davis lowered his voice.
“It belongs to this vendor.”
Reynolds stared at him.
“And?”
“It is valid.”
Silence.
Ethan looked shocked.
Sarah looked at Marcus.
Marcus simply stood there.
The supervisor took the phone.
He read the information carefully.
Then he looked at Ethan.
“Your permit is valid.”
Ethan exhaled in relief.
“But why were we told it wasn't?” Reynolds asked.
Davis looked confused.
“I don't know.”
The supervisor turned toward Reynolds.
“Who filed the complaint?”
Reynolds hesitated.
“I don't have that information.”
The supervisor stared at him.
“You were the officer assigned to respond.”
“Yes.”
“So you should know what the complaint was based on.”
Reynolds suddenly became defensive.
“We were following procedure.”
“Procedure requires verification.”
Reynolds said nothing.
Marcus watched him carefully.
Then he noticed something on the ground.
A small piece of paper had fallen near the officer's shoes.
Marcus pointed toward it.
“You dropped something.”
Davis picked it up.
It was a printed complaint.
The supervisor took it.
He read the paper.
Then his expression became serious.
“This complaint says the vendor was selling without a permit.”
Ethan looked confused.
“But I have one.”
“I know.”
The supervisor looked at the document again.
Then he noticed the timestamp.
The complaint had been filed that morning.
But the permit had been renewed two days earlier.
Someone had apparently submitted an outdated report.
The supervisor looked at Ethan.
“You're free to continue operating.”
Ethan almost couldn't believe it.
“Thank you.”
Marcus nodded.
But before leaving, he looked at the officers.
“Maybe next time, check the facts before shutting someone down.”
The supervisor agreed.
“That is exactly what should have happened.”
Reynolds looked embarrassed.
Davis remained silent.
Marcus returned to his table.
Sarah followed him.
She sat down and looked at him.
“You didn't have to get involved.”
Marcus picked up his lemonade.
“I know.”
“Then why did you?”
Marcus looked across the park toward Ethan's trailer.
“Because sometimes people don't need someone to fight for them.”
Sarah smiled.
“They need someone to stand beside them.”
Marcus nodded.
“Exactly.”
A few minutes later, Ethan walked over carrying four fresh lemonades.
He placed them on the table.
“These are on me.”
Marcus laughed.
“You don't owe us anything.”
“I know.”
Ethan smiled.
“But I want to.”