“I bet she already knows our license plates by heart. »
“Leave her. It's not that we're breaking the law. Just an over-enthusiastic neighbor with too much time. »
Jack shrugged his shoulders. « Cookies smell good. »
Three days later, I woke up to a strange noise outside. It was early. Still dark. That cold, gray hour before dawn.
Sound. Sound. - Buzz.
Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What is that? »
I pulled the curtain open and stiffened. “Jack. Outside. Now, now. »
We ran down the hallway and threw the door open – barefoot, half dressed.
Two tow trucks. Both in our driveway. Both cars came half off the ground.
« Hey! » I cried. “What the hell is going on? »
One of the tow truck drivers didn't even look up. « Violation of the VvE rules. Only one car per house. The orders came in this morning. »
« From whom? » snapped Jack. “There is no warning! No message! »
Then we saw her. Lindsey.
She stood on the sidewalk in a lavender-colored bathrobe, her arms slapped over each other, a coffee mug in her hand. Her smile was wider than ever. Like she just won something.
« WOW, » I said, loud enough to be heard by her. “You really did it, didn’t you? »
Her smile faded for half a second. “What’s so funny? “She snapped.
I walked calmly towards her.
“Nothing,” I said. « Just the fact that you owe us twenty-five thousand dollars now. »
She blinked her eyes. « What – what do you mean? »
Jack walked beside me, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. I pointed to the small sticker on the rear window of my car. He was almost invisible unless you knew where to look.
Her eyes were getting smaller.
I smiled. “I bet you didn’t recognize that little mark. »
She was staring at it. With open mouth. And we just stood there. We watched her face change.
Her eyes narrowed, her lips slightly opened, as she took a slow step forward and peered towards the corner of the rear window. The small sticker was not striking – that was not the intention either – but for the right eyes it was unmistakable.
She tilted her head. « What... what is that? » she asked, her voice suddenly thin and uncertain.
Jack remained silent. He didn't have to say anything.
I didn't answer her either. I just looked her in the eye, smiled a little and then turned around to the house. Jack followed me without saying a word.
Behind us, Lindsey called again, this time louder. « Wait – hey! I asked you a question! »
We didn't look back. We didn't slam the door either. We just closed it. Soft and final.
Jack dropped himself on the couch and rubbed his neck. « She goes crazy when she thinks of that sticker. »
I smiled. “She should do that. »
We didn't even touch the cookies she gave us. They remained there untouched on the counter as a forgotten peace offering that was spoiled.
Later that night, after the streetlights went on and the neighborhood had retreated, I called. It was fast, concise and to the point.
“We have a problem,” I said. « Civil interference. Property manipulation. Maybe it would be wise to send someone in the morning. »
There was a brief silence on the other side, followed by a gentle, calm answer: “Understood.”
Click.
Jack looked at me from the other side of the living room. « Does anyone send? »
I nodded. « Yes. Early. »
Jack stretched his arms above his head and grinned. « Good. I want her to be wide awake when it happens. »
Jack stretched his arms above his head and grinned. « Good. I want her to be wide awake when it happens. »
The sun was not quite up when we stepped out the next morning. Just at the right time, the black SUV came around the corner and slowly came to a halt for Lindsey's home.
The driver's doorman opened and a man got out. He was wearing a tight black suit, a sleek white shirt and shiny shoes that barely made any noise as he crossed the street. Even in the early morning light, he was wearing dark sunglasses.
He stood beside me and nodded for a moment. I nodded back.
Together we crossed the street and stepped on Lindsey's porch. I called.
After a few seconds, the door opened cracking.
Lindsey stood there in a soft, pink bathrobe, with a mess of blonde hair on her head and a white mug in both hands with the text: Live, Laugh, Love.
She blinked her eyes as she took us in. “Eh... hello? »
The officer didn't smile. He grabbed in his jacket, took out a thin leather wallet and opened it, showing his badge and ID.
« Madam, » he said calmly, « as a result of your actions yesterday morning you will now be investigated for interference in an active secret federal operation. »
The color pulled away from Lindsey’s face. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“I – I don’t understand,” she finally said. « What operation? »
« You have started to tow away two marked government vehicles, » continued the agent, still calm and formal. « You have hindered and endangered two federal officials involved. »
“I didn’t know! “She stammered. « I mean, I thought I was just trying to follow the rules of the Association of Owners! »
« You did not check the vehicles before you removed them, » he replied without blinking your eyes. “As a result, you have delayed and harmed an ongoing federal investigation. The costs and losses caused by your actions amount to a total of twenty-five thousand dollars. »
Her mouth fell open. The mug slipped out of her hands and fell with a hard blow on the porch, where he broke into pieces.
Jack stepped forward, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. « Maybe, » he said dryly, « next time you don’t act like the sheriff of the suburbs. »
She looked at the broken mug, as if it might be an explanation for how it could all go so wrong.
The officer nodded briefly. « Our office will contact you for further action. Until then, you must not leave the area. Do not contact those involved. Do not destroy documents or files. »
She nodded, barely audible. Her mouth was still hanging open.
He turned around and walked back to the SUV without saying another word.
I looked at her one last time. « Next time you might just bake cookies and leave it at that. »
We walked back on the street silently.
Lindsey said nothing. Her door remained open, except for a crack. Her jealousies remained closed for the rest of the day. And those beautiful rose bushes she had been so proud of?
They never quite recovered from it.
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