“No, but—”
“Then why are you threatening to arrest a minor?”
Gary glanced toward Brenda.
“We're authorized to detain trespassers.”
“Authorized by whom?”
“The HOA.”
I looked at the handcuffs.
“Are you attempting to restrain my daughter and transport her somewhere against her will?”
“No, we're just—”
“Because that's what you've been telling her.”
He swallowed.
Brenda stepped between us.
“Arthur, you're being unnecessarily confrontational.”
I finally looked at her.
“Brenda, your volunteers are wearing badges, carrying restraints, and threatening to arrest a seventeen-year-old girl on her father's property.”
“Our bylaws—”
“Do not give you arrest powers.”
“We voted!”
“You cannot vote yourselves powers that the law doesn't grant.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Chloe moved behind me.
I felt her hand touch my arm.
That small gesture told me more than anything else.
She was frightened.
And she had been trying very hard not to show it.
I lowered my voice.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
But her eyes were wet.
That was enough.
I turned back toward Gary.
“Put the handcuffs away.”
He looked at Brenda again.
She gave him a sharp look, as though expecting him to stand his ground.
Instead, he slowly lowered his hand.
And then we heard tires on gravel.
Two vehicles were coming up the driveway.
The first was a sheriff's cruiser.
The second was a dark SUV with government plates.
Brenda turned.
Her expression shifted from irritation to confusion.
“Who are those people?”
I looked toward the approaching vehicles.
“People who actually have law enforcement authority.”
The sheriff stepped out of his cruiser.
A moment later, Deputy Marshal Ramirez emerged from the SUV.
Ramirez was the kind of man who rarely wasted words.
He took one look at the three men in tactical vests, the badges, and the light bar taped to the vehicle.
Then he looked at me.
“Afternoon, Chief.”
Gary went completely still.
Brenda's eyes moved from Ramirez to me.
“Chief?”
Ramirez approached the porch.
“Heard we had some volunteers playing police officers.”
The sheriff examined Gary's vest.
Then the badges.
Then the handcuffs.
Finally, he looked at Brenda.
“Ma'am, I need you to explain exactly what your security team is doing.”
Brenda straightened her blazer.
“We are enforcing community standards.”