Nathan kept his hands visible and his voice calm.
NATHAN: "Officer, we invited friends over. We've been cooking and talking. We haven't been playing music, and nobody has argued with anyone."
ERIC: "We've been here having lunch. That's all."
MICHAEL: "The grill is on the patio, and everyone has been standing around it. Nothing else has happened."
Victoria shook her head.
VICTORIA: "Of course they're going to say that."
Nathan looked directly at her.
NATHAN: "I don't even know what you're accusing us of."
VICTORIA: "You know exactly what you're doing."
NATHAN: "No, I don't."
The male officer raised one hand slightly.
MALE OFFICER: "All right. Let's slow down. We'll establish what happened before drawing any conclusions."
The woman in the bath towel folded her arms, holding the towel securely in place.
VICTORIA: "I came here because somebody had to address the problem."
FEMALE OFFICER: "Did you speak with the homeowner before contacting the police?"
VICTORIA: "I didn't think that would help."
NATHAN: "You haven't spoken to me before today."
Victoria turned toward him.
VICTORIA: "That doesn't mean I haven't noticed what's going on."
NATHAN: "Noticing a barbecue isn't the same as identifying a violation."
The male officer looked between them.
MALE OFFICER: "Sir, please let us finish asking our questions."
NATHAN: "Of course."
Nathan stepped back toward the grill.
He wanted the officers to see the situation as it was.
He did not want to turn a confusing encounter into a confrontation.
He also did not want to apologize for something nobody had explained.
The female officer turned toward Victoria.
FEMALE OFFICER: "You mentioned a disturbance. Was there loud music?"
VICTORIA: "Not exactly."
FEMALE OFFICER: "Was there shouting?"
VICTORIA: "They were talking loudly."
JASON: "We were talking at a normal volume."
VICTORIA: "You don't get to decide that."
JASON: "Neither do you, just because you don't like the sound of our voices."
NATHAN: "Jason, let the officers ask the questions."
Jason exhaled and stepped back.
The male officer glanced toward the grill.
MALE OFFICER: "Has anyone been injured?"
NATHAN: "No."
MALE OFFICER: "Has there been a fight?"
NATHAN: "No."
MALE OFFICER: "Has anyone damaged property?"
NATHAN: "No."
The officer turned toward Victoria.
MALE OFFICER: "Did you observe any of those things?"
Victoria hesitated.
VICTORIA: "I saw them gathered back here, and I saw the smoke."
MALE OFFICER: "Did you see anyone threaten anyone else?"
VICTORIA: "No, but I felt the situation needed attention."
FEMALE OFFICER: "All right. We'll continue reviewing the information, but we need to distinguish between something that makes you uncomfortable and a specific disturbance or safety concern."
Victoria's face tightened.
VICTORIA: "So you're saying I shouldn't have called?"
MALE OFFICER: "We're not making that determination right now. We're asking questions so we can understand what was reported."
The answer did not satisfy her.
She had expected the officers to arrive, see the gathering, and immediately recognize what she considered a problem.
Instead, they were asking her to explain what had happened.
She looked toward Nathan and the three friends behind him.
VICTORIA: "This is exactly what I mean. They think they can do whatever they want, and everybody else is expected to accept it."
NATHAN: "We're expected to follow the rules. If you can tell me which rule we broke, I'll listen."
VICTORIA: "You don't get to demand that from me."
NATHAN: "I'm asking what the accusation is."
VICTORIA: "You're being difficult."
NATHAN: "I'm trying to understand why two police officers are standing in my backyard."
The female officer looked toward the gate, then back at Victoria.
FEMALE OFFICER: "Ma'am, are you a representative of the homeowners' association?"
Victoria lifted her chin.
VICTORIA: "I'm on the neighborhood standards committee."
NATHAN: "Which association?"
VICTORIA: "Maple Ridge Homeowners' Association."
Nathan nodded slowly.
He had heard of the committee, although he had never met Victoria personally.
He remembered receiving a packet of association documents when he purchased the house.
He had read the sections concerning lawn maintenance, parking, trash collection, and outdoor equipment.
He did not remember anything prohibiting ordinary backyard gatherings.
NATHAN: "If this is an association issue, why didn't you contact the management company?"
VICTORIA: "Because sometimes people need immediate intervention."
FEMALE OFFICER: "What immediate danger did you believe existed?"
Victoria glanced at the grill.
VICTORIA: "The situation could have become a problem."
MALE OFFICER: "Did anything happen that made you believe someone was in immediate danger?"
VICTORIA: "Not yet."
The words left a brief silence.