speaker. It was unmistakably Arthur Davis, the formidable Police

Commissioner known for his zero-tolerance policy on police

misconduct. “I thought we were doing golf tomorrow. Don’t tell me

you’re canceling on me again.”

“Arthur,” Marcus said, his voice entirely devoid of its usual

warmth. It was cold, precise, and razor-sharp. “I’m not calling about

golf.”

The commissioner’s tone shifted instantly, recognizing the gravity

in his friend’s voice. “What’s wrong, Marcus? Is it Lily? Are you

alright?”

“Lily is terrified, but she’s physically unharmed. I, however, am

currently standing in the driveway of my own home on Elmwood

Drive, handcuffed, barefoot, and bleeding, wearing only a swimsuit,”

Marcus stated calmly.

“What?!” the Commissioner roared, the sound making both Briggs

and Miller physically flinch. “Handcuffed? By who? Give me names,

Marcus!”

“I am being detained by Officer Briggs and Officer Miller,” Marcus

said, not breaking eye contact with Briggs, who now looked as though

he was staring down the barrel of a loaded cannon. “They received a

trespassing call. They refused to verify my identity, threw me to the

concrete, and told me my ID was fake because, and I quote, ‘I don’t look

like an executive.’ They did this in front of my seven-year-old

daughter.”

The silence on the other end of the line was terrifying. It was the

silence of a bomb dropping, right before impact. When Commissioner

Davis finally spoke, his voice was a low, dangerous rumble that sent

shivers down the spine of every person within earshot.

“Put the phone on the hood of the cruiser. Step back from Mr.

Vance. Both of you,” Davis commanded.

Miller scrambled to place the phone on the hood of the car,

backing away as if the device was radioactive. Briggs stood frozen, his

chest heaving, the reality of his monumental catastrophic error finally

crashing down upon him.

“Briggs. Miller. This is Commissioner Davis,” the voice boomed

from the phone. “You have exactly five seconds to remove those

handcuffs from Mr. Vance. If I hear anything other than a sincere

apology and the click of those cuffs opening, you won’t just lose your

badges today. I will personally see to it that you face federal civil rights

charges.”