Then he looked at both officers. “Was either of you physically threatened?”
Pierce answered first. “No, sir.”
Danner hesitated. “No.”
Hayes nodded once. “Body cameras active?”
Both said yes. Camille spoke.
“Preserve them immediately.” Hayes looked at her. “Done.”
“Dispatch audio.” “Yes.”
“Vehicle cameras and GPS.” “Yes.”
“The original 911 or nonemergency call in its full form.” Hayes nodded again. “Everything.”
Danner started, “Chief, I can explain—” Hayes held up one hand.
“You will explain inside a formal process, not while standing on the complainant’s lawn.” Then he looked at Camille.
“Would you like them removed from the property?” “Yes.”
Hayes gestured toward the gate. Pierce moved immediately.
Danner took one step, then turned back. “Commissioner, I honestly didn’t know.”
Camille looked at him. “You still think that matters more than it should.”
His expression tightened. She continued.
“You think the mistake was spraying the wrong homeowner.” Danner said nothing.
“The mistake was believing there was a homeowner you could treat that way because she was not important enough to make you nervous.”
Hayes said nothing until both officers were outside the gate. Then he looked toward Judith. “Ma’am, we’ll need your full statement.”
Judith nodded. Camille watched her.
Judith whispered, “I’m sorry.” Camille answered, “Figure out exactly what you’re sorry for.”
The neighbor’s face crumpled slightly. She left without another word.
Camille stood alone with Hayes in the garden. He looked at the wet clothing again.
“This is going to be everywhere by tonight.” Camille sighed.
“Probably.” “Do you want me to call the mayor?”
“She already knows something happened?” Hayes nodded.
“Dispatch recognized your personnel record and called command.” Camille almost laughed.
“Efficient eventually.” Hayes did not.
He looked genuinely miserable. “I am sorry.”
Camille shook her head. “Don’t apologize for officers before the investigation.”
“I’m apologizing for the department having put you in this position.” She studied him.
“That one I’ll accept.”
Hayes left after confirming an outside investigative unit would be contacted. Camille sat on the stone bench beside her small blue handbag and looked toward the garden.
The entire confrontation had taken less than twenty minutes. That fact disturbed her more than the water.
Nothing complicated had existed at the beginning. A caller said someone might not belong at a house.
The person gave the owner’s name. She knew the gate code.
Moving boxes were visible. Records were available.