The lieutenant brought two officers. One was a veteran with twelve years of service, experienced enough to take direction without needing much explanation. The other was Nolan Price, only twenty-six months into the job, still young enough to ask questions that more experienced officers sometimes regarded as interruptions. Price had recently completed additional training on documentation and de-escalation, and he was proud of the uniform without being entirely comfortable with the habits he had observed in some of the people wearing it.
As the vehicles moved through Stonehaven Park, Hanley gave the officers a short briefing. An unknown male had approached a prominent resident, threatened him, and allegedly interfered with his vehicle. The suspect might still be in a house across the street; no one had established whether he was a guest, occupant, or person who belonged there. Price listened, then asked whether anyone had verified the property ownership or called the supposed suspect for his account.
"We'll do that when we get there," Hanley said. "First, we make sure Mr. Voss and his guests are safe."
Price nodded, though he noticed how readily Hanley had used Grant's name. He recognized the surname from civic posters and the charitable dinner that had appeared in department newsletters. There was nothing improper about knowing a donor or taking a complaint seriously, but the briefing had already decided who needed protection and who required scrutiny. Price looked through the windshield at the quiet, tree-lined street and wondered how a blocked driveway had become a possible vehicle theft.
The police vehicles arrived in a slow procession of headlights. Grant's sports car was still positioned across the entrance to Adrian's driveway, a detail visible before any officer stepped outside. Hanley's vehicle stopped near the street, while the other cars settled in positions that left room for residents to pass. Porch lights came on at two neighboring houses, and someone behind a curtain watched three police vehicles assemble over a disturbance that had produced no raised voices for nearly an hour.
Grant was waiting at the edge of his property. He approached Hanley's vehicle before the door was fully open and extended a hand with the confidence of a man greeting a colleague at an event. Hanley accepted the handshake and asked what had happened. The ease of their exchange told Price more about their relationship than the briefing had.
"Brett, I'm glad you're here," Grant said. "He's right across the street, in that house. I don't know whether he has a weapon, and I don't know what he'll do if he sees us talking."
"Take it from the beginning," Hanley replied.
Grant supplied the account he had rehearsed. The man had appeared without an invitation, made aggressive demands, reached for Grant's car key, and threatened to report or otherwise retaliate against him. Grant said he feared an attempt to take the sports car, though the vehicle was plainly still parked in front of Adrian's home. He said Serena was frightened and that guests had witnessed the incident.
Price glanced at the sports car, then across the street. "Is that the vehicle they're arguing about?" he asked.