Price looked alarmed.
"Brent—"
"Turn around."
Simone didn't move.
"Are you arresting me?"
Callahan hesitated.
That hesitation was important.
Because he didn't have an answer.
Simone reached slowly into the pocket of her jeans.
Price immediately stiffened.
Callahan's hand moved toward his weapon.
Simone stopped.
"I'm reaching for my phone."
She pulled it out.
"I'm calling your supervisor."
Callahan grabbed her wrist.
Several people gasped.
The teenager's phone remained pointed at them.
"Don't touch me," Simone said.
Callahan tightened his grip.
"Put your hands behind your back."
"Officer, release me."
"Now."
Price stepped closer.
"Brent, that's enough."
Callahan ignored him.
Simone looked directly at Price.
"Officer Price, activate your body camera."
Price's face changed.
His hand moved automatically toward his chest.
Callahan snapped:
"Don't."
Price stopped.
The street became silent.
Simone looked from one officer to the other.
"Why don't you want him recording?"
Callahan released her wrist.
"You're under arrest."
"For what?"
"Obstruction."
Simone almost smiled.
Not because anything was funny.
Because she finally understood the shape of what was happening.
Callahan had created a situation in which every additional decision required another decision to protect the previous one.
A bad stop became an aggressive command.
The command became physical contact.
The physical contact became an arrest.
And the arrest would require a report explaining everything.
Simone knew exactly how such reports were written.
She had spent years reading them.
Callahan reached for his handcuffs.
Before he could put them on, a black sedan turned onto Hawthorne Ridge Drive.
It stopped directly behind the patrol cars.
A man stepped out.
He was wearing a dark suit.
He looked at Simone.
Then at Callahan.
Then at the garden hose.
"Inspector Carter?"
Simone nodded.
The man's expression changed.
"Are you all right?"
Callahan frowned.
"Who are you?"
The man reached into his jacket and produced an identification badge.
"Deputy Chief Marcus Bell."
Price's eyes widened.
Callahan's face went pale.
Marcus looked at Simone.
"What happened?"
Simone glanced toward the cameras.
"Everything was recorded."
Marcus looked at Callahan.
"Then let's find out exactly what happened."
The Badge
Callahan immediately changed his posture.
"Deputy Chief, we received a trespassing complaint."
Marcus didn't answer.
"From whom?"
Callahan hesitated.
"A resident."
"Name?"
"Elaine Mercer."
Marcus looked across the street.
Elaine disappeared behind her curtain.
Marcus turned back.
"And why was the homeowner sprayed with a garden hose?"
Callahan's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Price looked at the ground.
Marcus noticed.
"Officer Price?"
Price straightened.
"Sir."
"Did you activate your body camera?"
Price hesitated.
"No, sir."
"Why?"
Callahan interrupted.
"We were dealing with a rapidly escalating situation."
Marcus looked at Simone.
"Did you threaten either officer?"
"No."
"Did you refuse to identify yourself?"
"I told them my identification was inside."
Marcus nodded.
Then he looked at Callahan.
"Did you verify property ownership?"
"No."
"Did you run the address?"
"No."
"Did you speak to the complainant?"
"No."
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Then what exactly did you investigate?"
Callahan said nothing.
A woman across the street finally stepped onto her porch.
Elaine Mercer.
"I called because I was concerned."
Marcus looked at her.
"Concerned about what?"
Elaine crossed her arms.
"That woman."
Simone heard the words.
That woman.
Not Simone.
Not Mrs. Carter.
Not her neighbor.
That woman.
Marcus asked calmly, "What did she do?"
Elaine pointed.
"She was outside the house."
Marcus waited.
"Anything else?"
"She looked like she was going through things."
"Her things?"
"I didn't know."
"So you called the police because you saw the homeowner gardening?"
Elaine's expression tightened.
"I didn't know she was the homeowner."
Simone said quietly, "You did."
Elaine looked away.
Marcus turned to Callahan.
"Do you have probable cause for an arrest?"