Officer Park looked at Marcus.
"Anyone threaten anyone?"
"No."
"Anyone touch anyone?"
"No."
Rebecca pointed toward the SUV.
"The contractor attached that boot using an order for a different license plate."
Officer Park examined the paperwork.
He read the plate.
Then he read the vehicle description.
Then he looked at the driveway.
"Is this private property?"
Marcus answered.
"Yes. My driveway."
Officer Park turned toward Patricia.
"Do you have written authority to immobilize vehicles on private residential driveways?"
Patricia opened her mouth.
For the first time that morning, she did not immediately have an answer.
And Marcus suddenly realized something.
The yellow boot wasn't the real problem.
The real problem was that Patricia had believed nobody would ever ask what gave her the authority to put it there.
Officer Nathan Park remained in the driveway while Patricia searched through her brown clipboard.
The morning sun had grown hotter.
Maya was now standing behind Marcus, watching everything through the open doorway.
Marcus turned slightly.
"Maya, go inside."
"But Dad—"
"Inside."
She reluctantly disappeared.
Marcus looked back toward Officer Park.
Patricia finally produced a copy of the HOA's parking regulations.
"Here."
Officer Park read the document.
He moved his finger down the page.
"Where does it authorize wheel boots?"
Patricia pointed toward a section.
"Enforcement remedies."
Officer Park read it.
"Fines. Suspension of common-area privileges. Towing from designated common areas."
He looked toward the driveway.
"Is this a designated common area?"
Patricia hesitated.
"It's subject to HOA rules."
"That's not what I asked."
"It's within the community."
"That still doesn't answer the question."
Rebecca stood quietly beside the SUV.
Marcus could see the restraint in her face.
She wasn't angry.
That almost made Patricia more uncomfortable.
Rebecca looked at the contractor.
"What's your name?"
"Jason Feld."
"Jason, who gave you this work order?"
"Desert Compliance Services received it through the HOA."
"Does your company independently verify ownership?"
"No. We act according to the client's authorization."
"Does your order identify this vehicle?"
Jason looked down.
"It identifies CKT-742."
Rebecca nodded.
"And this is CKT-724."
"Correct."
"Then your company is not authorized to immobilize this particular vehicle under this particular order."
Jason swallowed.
"Correct."
Patricia interrupted.
"The underlying violation remains."
Rebecca turned toward her.
"What underlying violation?"
"Repeated overnight parking."
"Of whose vehicle?"
Patricia didn't answer.
"Whose vehicle?"
"The association links guest vehicles to homeowner accounts."
Rebecca glanced at Marcus.
"How long has my SUV been here?"
"Since yesterday afternoon."
"Has it been here before?"
Marcus thought.
"Two years ago."
Patricia quickly said, "Exactly."
Rebecca looked at her.
"Two years ago?"
"Your vehicle has been observed at this residence."
"Once."
"That is still documented."
Rebecca folded her arms.
"Then explain the repeated overnight violations supposedly committed by my vehicle."
Patricia flipped through her papers.
"The homeowner has received several notices."
"I'm asking about my vehicle."
Patricia's expression hardened.
"The association maintains records."
"Records of what?"
"Vehicle activity."
Rebecca nodded slowly.
"Then show me the records."
Patricia closed the folder.
"This is becoming unnecessarily complicated."
Officer Park looked at her.
"It became complicated when the plate didn't match."
The contractor cleared his throat.
"I should probably remove the boot."
Patricia immediately snapped.
"I did not authorize removal."
Jason looked uncomfortable.
"Ma'am, the order identifies another vehicle."
Officer Park nodded.
"Remove it."
Jason unlocked the device.
The metal boot came off.
Rebecca photographed the wheel before the contractor touched anything.
When it was removed, she inspected the tire and rim.
There was no obvious damage.
She photographed that too.
Officer Park wrote down the details.
Wrong plate.
Private driveway.
Incorrect classification.
Contractor authorization.
Security cameras.
Patricia's statements.
When the officer finished, he looked at Marcus.
"Preserve your camera footage."
"I will."
"Don't delete anything."
"I won't."
Officer Park turned toward Patricia.
"If the association believes there is a violation, handle it through the appropriate civil process."
Patricia stiffened.
"Officer, we have enforcement authority."
"You can pursue whatever authority you actually have."
He paused.
"But don't immobilize another vehicle using an order that identifies a different plate."
Patricia's lips tightened.
"This is not over."
Rebecca answered calmly.
"Agreed."
Patricia looked at her.
Rebecca smiled politely.
"We simply disagree about what happens next."
The officer left.
Jason packed the wheel boot into his truck.
Patricia remained in the driveway for several seconds before finally walking away.
Marcus watched her disappear down the street.
Then he turned to Rebecca.
"Why do I have the feeling you knew exactly how this would go?"
Rebecca picked up her coffee.
"I didn't."
"You didn't?"
"No."
"Then why were you so calm?"
Rebecca looked at him.
"Because facts don't become stronger when you're angry."
Marcus laughed.
"You always say things like that."
"Because you keep getting angry."
"She put a boot on my cousin's car."
"Exactly."
"So what should I do?"
"Collect records."
"That's it?"
"That's everything."
She pointed toward the house.
"Emails. Notices. Photographs. Board communications. Contractor invoices. Anything mentioning your property or your vehicles."
Marcus frowned.
"You think this is bigger than one wrong plate?"
Rebecca looked toward Patricia's house.
"I don't know."
Then she looked at him.
"But whenever someone insists a mistake doesn't matter, I want to know why they're so determined to avoid correcting it."
That afternoon, Marcus sat at the kitchen island.
He opened his email archive.
He typed one word.
Parking.
Thirty-eight messages appeared.
The first warning was eight months old.
UNREGISTERED GUEST VEHICLE — SILVER HONDA ACCORD.
Marcus remembered the car.
His mother had visited for four hours.
He had replied immediately, explaining that guests were allowed.
Patricia had responded:
Future unregistered guest vehicles may result in enforcement.
Marcus had asked which rule required a four-hour guest to register.
She never answered.