trying to do my job!" The lead officer, a stern-looking sergeant, approached me. "Sir,
keep your hands where I can see them. Step away from the woman." I complied, raising
my hands calmly. "Officer, I haven't done anything. There are cameras on the porch that
recorded the whole thing." But before the sergeant could respond, the heavy wooden
front door of my house swung open.
The officers' attention snapped to the doorway. Sarah stepped out. But she wasn't in her
usual jeans and sweater. She was fully dressed for her shift in her Class-A State Police
Captain's uniform. The dark blue fabric was perfectly pressed. The gold oak leaves on
her collar gleamed under the porch lights. Her duty belt was secured, and the
prominent, silver State Police badge was pinned to her chest. She looked imposing,
authoritative, and utterly in command.
The reaction from the local officers was instantaneous. They froze. Their hands
dropped from their belts. The sergeant's eyes went wide as he recognized the uniform,
the rank, and then the woman herself. Sarah's task force regularly coordinated with the
local precincts; these guys knew exactly who she was. The aggressive posture vanished,
replaced by an immediate, rigid professionalism.
"Captain," the sergeant said, automatically standing a little straighter. "We, uh... we
didn't realize this was your residence, ma'am." Sarah walked slowly down the steps, her
boots clicking sharply on the concrete. She didn't look at Brenda. She looked directly at
the sergeant. "Good evening, Sergeant Miller. Care to explain why my husband is being
detained in our driveway?"
Brenda, completely failing to comprehend the situation, shrieked, "He's her
husband?! I don't care if she's a security guard! Arrest him!" The sergeant winced at the
words 'security guard' and looked at Brenda with a mixture of pity and severe
annoyance. "Ma'am, please be quiet," he ordered sharply.
CHAPTER 11: THE TABLES TURN
Sarah turned her piercing gaze onto Brenda, who suddenly looked very small.
"Sergeant," Sarah said calmly, "I believe this woman called dispatch claiming she was
8
being violently threatened. Is that correct?" "Yes, Captain. That was the nature of the
call," the sergeant replied.
"Interesting," Sarah noted. She pointed to the camera above. "Because I've been
inside watching the live feed. My husband asked her to leave our property. She refused,
threatened him with foreclosure, and then faked a panic attack to dispatch. Would you