"You think you can intimidate me?"
John said nothing.
"With what?" she demanded. "An old car and a flannel shirt?"
Officer Hayes stepped between them.
"All right. Everyone needs to take a breath."
HOA Karen turned toward him.
"Officer, do your job."
"I am."
"Then put him in handcuffs."
"Ma'am, I haven't established that a crime occurred."
HOA Karen stared at him.
"You heard what I said."
"I did."
"Then arrest him."
Officer Hayes glanced at John.
"Sir, step away from the vehicle for a moment."
John nodded.
"Certainly."
"May I see your identification?"
"Of course."
John reached toward his back pocket.
"Reaching for my identification."
Chad suddenly shifted backward.
HOA Karen folded her arms.
The entire moment seemed to satisfy her.
She appeared convinced that the situation was about to end exactly as she had imagined.
A quick arrest.
A humiliating walk to the patrol car.
Perhaps even handcuffs.
Then she would tell everyone in Shady Oaks that she had finally dealt with the troublesome man at House 412.
John's hand emerged from his back pocket.
But it was not holding a driver's license.
It was a heavy black leather credential case.
He opened it.
Officer Hayes looked down.
His expression changed instantly.
Inside was a federal gold shield accompanied by an identification card bearing the insignia of the State Inspector General's Special Investigations Division.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Officer Hayes looked at the identification.
Then at John.
Then back at the identification.
His posture straightened.
"Director Sterling?"
John nodded.
"Officer."
Hayes took an involuntary step backward.
His entire demeanor changed.
"Sir."
HOA Karen's smile disappeared.
"What?"
Hayes looked at her.
"Ma'am, please step back."
HOA Karen blinked.
"What did you just call him?"
Hayes did not answer immediately.
He was still staring at the credentials.
John calmly closed the leather case.
"Officer Hayes."
"Yes, sir."
"There is no need for the formalities."
Hayes swallowed.
"Understood, Director."
HOA Karen stared at John.
"Director?"
John placed the credential case back into his pocket.
HOA Karen's face slowly lost its color.
"What kind of joke is this?"
John remained silent.
She looked at Officer Hayes.
"He's not a director."
Hayes hesitated.
HOA Karen pointed toward John.
"He's some retired guy who spends all day fixing an old car."
John raised an eyebrow.
Officer Hayes looked uncomfortable.
"Ma'am, I have verified the identification."
HOA Karen shook her head.
"No."
"Ma'am—"
"No."
Her voice became smaller.
"This is ridiculous."
Chad remained silent.
John turned toward the Mustang.
"Officer Hayes."
"Yes, sir."
"Before we spend time documenting Ms. Vance's allegations, I recommend you examine the security footage."
HOA Karen immediately stiffened.
"What security footage?"
John pointed toward the underside of his garage eaves.
A small black camera was mounted there.
Its lens faced the driveway and the street.
"That camera."
HOA Karen's expression changed.
John then pointed toward the Mustang.
"And the dual-lens dashcam inside the vehicle."
Officer Hayes followed his gesture.
"Dashcam?"
"Yes."
HOA Karen's mouth opened.
John continued.
"Both systems were recording."
HOA Karen's confidence began to disappear.
"That doesn't prove anything."
"I agree."
John looked at Officer Hayes.