"Which is why you should review the footage."
Hayes nodded.
"Where is it stored?"
John walked toward the garage.
"Come with me."
HOA Karen immediately followed.
"I want to know what you're doing."
John stopped.
"You may watch."
The garage door stood open.
Inside, everything was organized with almost military precision.
Tools hung from labeled racks.
Shelves contained boxes of replacement parts.
A workbench stood against the far wall.
Several monitors displayed different camera angles around the property.
Officer Hayes looked around.
"This is quite a setup."
John nodded.
"I prefer knowing what happens around my property."
HOA Karen stared at the monitors.
One screen displayed the driveway.
Another showed the street.
A third captured the sidewalk.
The fourth showed the intersection leading toward House 412.
John walked to a computer terminal.
"Today's date?"
Hayes gave it.
John entered the information.
The system displayed several recordings.
John selected one.
The footage began.
At first, the street appeared completely ordinary.
Then a vehicle entered the frame.
Chad's vehicle.
It was moving much faster than the posted speed limit.
Officer Hayes leaned closer.
The vehicle accelerated down the residential street.
HOA Karen's face tightened.
John said nothing.
The footage continued.
The vehicle approached the turn near House 412.
Its speed remained dangerously high.
Then the driver lost control.
The vehicle crossed the curb.
The camera captured the impact with John's brick mailbox.
The mailbox broke apart.
Pieces scattered across the lawn.
The vehicle continued.
Two neighborhood children on bicycles appeared in the footage.
They were moving along the edge of the road.
The car passed extremely close to them.
Officer Hayes paused the video.
He looked at HOA Karen.
"Is this your son's vehicle?"
HOA Karen said nothing.
Hayes looked at Chad.
"Chad?"
The young man swallowed.
"Yeah."
"You were driving?"
Chad stared at the floor.
"Yes."
HOA Karen immediately stepped in.
"He panicked."
Officer Hayes turned toward her.
"That wasn't my question."
"He wasn't trying to hurt anyone."
"I didn't say he was."
"He just lost control."
Hayes looked back at the screen.
"He was traveling significantly above the posted limit."
HOA Karen crossed her arms.
"How do you know?"
"The footage."
She said nothing.
John selected another recording.
This time, the dashcam footage appeared.
The camera showed the road from the Mustang's parked position.
The timestamp was visible.
The vehicle approached.
The footage captured the sound of the impact.
Then Chad's vehicle stopped briefly.
John appeared from the garage.
He walked toward the street.
He was carrying nothing.
His hands remained visible.
He stood several feet from the vehicle.
The footage showed John speaking.
Officer Hayes increased the volume.
John's recorded voice was calm.
"Stay here. Traffic division needs to document the accident."
Chad looked toward him.
Then toward the damaged mailbox.
Then back at John.
The vehicle accelerated.
John stepped backward.
The car disappeared down the street.
Officer Hayes paused the recording.
Silence filled the garage.
HOA Karen looked at her son.
Chad looked miserable.
"You told me he attacked you."
"I said he scared me."
"You told me he threatened you."
"I—"
HOA Karen's voice cut in.