"Officer, if I may, I'd like to know what law I've broken." "You don't ask questions. We came here to teach you a lesson." "I'm simply asking why you're here, officer."
"Because someone needs to remind people like you that you're not above the law." Officer Mason stepped forward and leveled the taser at Francis.
Francis calmly met the officer's gaze and kept his hands at his sides. "On your knees right now."
"You heard him. Don't make this difficult." By the time the officers learned who Francis really was, there would be no taking back what they had just done. The water hit the hood of the car in a clean, soapy splash.
Francis Willard worked the sponge in slow circles. The Saturday sun was warm on his back. This was his favorite part of the week. No phone calls, no case files, just him, his driveway, and the quiet hum of the neighborhood waking up.
He didn't hear the patrol car at first. He heard the gravel crunch under its tires. Francis looked up. A police cruiser had pulled to the curb in front of his house, lights flashing but no siren.
He frowned, set the sponge down on the hood, and watched the driver's door open. Officer Darius Mason stepped out. Francis recognized him right away. Three weeks back, they'd had words over a parking spot outside the grocery store.
Nothing serious, or so Francis had thought. "Morning," Francis said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Something wrong, officer?" Mason didn't answer right away.
He walked up the driveway slowly, like he wanted Francis to feel every step. His hand rested on his belt, fingers tapping near his holster. "Got a call," Mason said. "Suspicious person in the area."
Francis glanced down at himself. Old T-shirt, soaked jeans, a bucket of soapy water by his feet. "In my own driveway?" Mason's mouth curled, almost a smile, but cold.
"Description matches. Black male, athletic build, this neighborhood." He let the words sit there, heavy and ugly, daring Francis to react. Francis felt his jaw tighten, but he kept his voice even. He'd learned a long time ago that staying calm was its own kind of weapon.