Chapter 3 - The Driveway
Mark smelled gasoline before he saw the damage.
He had just turned onto his street when the sharp scent entered through the truck vents. A police cruiser was not there yet. Only family cars filled the curb. His parents stood on the front porch. Claire held Lily near the garage.
Vanessa stood in the driveway with her sunglasses pushed into her hair.
Parker leaned against the Mercedes, filming.
Mark parked without closing the truck door.
The blue tassel inside Lily’s car was still swinging.
The windshield had cracked outward in thin white lines. The hood was wrapped around the maple tree. The driver’s door carried a fresh scratch carved through the paint.
PRINCESS.
Mark looked down at the pavement.
Fresh tire marks.
One hard reverse.
One fast acceleration forward.
Parker’s black Mercedes had damage along the front bumper.
Not enough to disable it.
Enough to tell the truth.
“What happened?” Mark asked.
Vanessa answered before Lily could speak.
“Your daughter blocked Parker in. She refused to move, so he taught her a lesson.”
Lily’s voice broke.
“I was inside getting my school bag. I said I’d be one minute.”
Parker laughed.
“One minute became attitude.”
Claire’s arm tightened around Lily.
Mark crouched beside the damaged hatchback.
He did not yell.
That worried Vanessa more than anger would have.
He began taking pictures.
Every tire mark.
Every piece of glass.
May you like
Every angle of Parker’s bumper.
Every detail Vanessa hoped would become an insurance disagreement instead of a crime.
