Gerald laughed, the sound harsh and mocking. "Oh, you'll get your phone call. Don't worry about that. Right after we get you processed and booked at the station. Right after you're fingerprinted and photographed and officially entered into the system as the criminal you are."
"Sir," Lydia said, her tone remaining steady. "I'm entitled to a phone call. It's a constitutional right."
"Constitutional rights?" Gerald scoffed, opening the rear door of his patrol car with unnecessary force. "You should have thought about your constitutional rights before you decided to break into someone else's property. You'll get your phone call when I decide you get your phone call."
More neighbors had gathered now, forming a semicircle around the patrol car. Some held phones, recording the interaction, while others whispered among themselves. The crowd seemed divided, with some nodding approvingly at Gerald's tough stance, while others shifted uncomfortably, clearly troubled by what they were witnessing.
An older woman in a blue jacket tugged on her husband's sleeve. "Something doesn't feel right about this, Harold. That woman doesn't look like any burglar I've ever seen."
But Harold shook his head, glancing toward Mrs. Hargrove's approving smile. "Chief Hawkins knows what he's doing, Martha. If he says she's a criminal, then she's a criminal. We can't have people questioning our police force."
Meanwhile, three blocks away, reporter Natalie Cruz was receiving a phone call from her assignment editor. The viral video had already been shared hundreds of times, and the local news station was dispatching a camera crew to cover what appeared to be developing into a significant story.
Gerald continued his public address as he guided Lydia toward the patrol car. "This is what happens when criminals think they can target our community. They think because we live in nice houses and drive nice cars that we're easy marks. Well, I'm here to tell anyone watching that we don't tolerate criminal behavior in this neighborhood."
"What if she's not a criminal?"