“Step away from the door.”
Imani stared at him. “I’m sorry?”
“Step down. Away from the door.”
“Officer, I’m standing at my own residence. What is this about?”
His right hand came to rest on his duty belt near the holster.
The gesture was casual enough to deny and clear enough to understand.
“I won’t ask again.”
Imani stepped down.
One stair.
Two.
Three.
The distance between her and the place where she was legally safest expanded by eight feet.
Her keys remained in her hand.
Hutchkins moved up one step, placing his body between her and the door. “How long have you lived here?”
“Fourteen months.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a physician and healthcare administrator.”
His mouth tilted.
“Right.”
The single word contained a complete argument.
Imani felt anger rise but kept it behind her teeth. “Is there a reported crime?”
“I’ve been watching this street.”
“I’m aware.”
That answer made him look directly at her.
“You’re aware?”
“I’ve seen your vehicle pass my house repeatedly.”
“Maybe there’s a reason.”
“What reason?”
He ignored the question. “This is an expensive neighborhood.”
Imani’s eyes narrowed. “I know where I live.”
“You afford this place on a healthcare salary?”
Officer Brennan shifted again. “Derek—”
Hutchkins lifted one hand without looking at him.
Imani’s voice sharpened. “My finances are none of your business.”
“People say that when they’ve got something to hide.”
“People also say it when a police officer asks questions unrelated to any lawful investigation.”
The air seemed to change.
Hutchkins stepped down until he stood on the driveway only a few feet from her. “Who really owns this house?”
“I do. With my husband.”
“What does he do?”
“That is not relevant.”
“Boyfriend? Business partner?” He gave a short laugh. “Some rich guy puts your name on the paperwork?”
Imani stared at him.
There were insults that announced themselves clearly, and there were insults constructed to make the target do the work of proving what everyone already understood. Hutchkins seemed practiced at the second kind. He could ask just enough questions, imply just enough, and later claim he had never said what every witness heard.