Thirty minutes later, two marked police cruisers pulled up outside the modern house, their lights flashing blue and red against the afternoon sky. Officer Rodriguez and his partner walked up the paved walkway, where David and Chloe were waiting at the open door.
Officer Rodriguez: Mr. and Mrs. Hayes? We received a call regarding an attempted theft and insurance fraud report.
David: Thank you for coming so quickly, Officer. Please step inside. We have full video and audio footage of the entire incident.
Officer Rodriguez: The suspect is a woman named Samantha Vance, correct?
Chloe: Yes. She left about forty-five minutes ago in a black luxury sedan.
Officer Rodriguez: We actually pulled that vehicle over two blocks away, ma'am. She was sitting in a parking lot calling her insurance agent to report a stolen item.
Jessica: I knew it! She was executing her fraud scheme right down the street!
Officer Rodriguez: We brought her back here with us. She's currently sitting in the back of my partner's patrol unit.
David: We want to press formal charges for attempted grand larceny, filing a false police report, and defamation.
Officer Rodriguez: We need to verify the security footage first, sir. Can you play the file for us?
Mark walked over to the TV console, pressing play on the system remote. The high-definition video filled the screen once again, showing Samantha reaching into her pocket, taking the watch, and later pointing her finger at Chloe while shouting accusations.
Officer Rodriguez: That's as clear as it gets. The timestamp matches your call precisely.
Chloe: Can I see her, Officer? I want to look her in the eye before you take her to central booking.
Officer Rodriguez: You have the right to address her, ma'am, as long as everyone stays calm.
Chloe walked out onto the front porch, accompanied by David, Mark, and Jessica. The police cruiser sat parked near the curb, its back door opened by the second officer. Samantha stepped out in handcuffs, her black leather coat looking rumpled, her face pale and streaked with mascara tears.
Samantha: Chloe... please! Tell them to take these cuffs off me!
Chloe: You brought this on yourself, Samantha.
Samantha: I was desperate! You don't know what it's like to lose everything while watching your friends live in luxury!
Chloe: Being broke doesn't give you the right to destroy other people's lives!
Samantha: David has millions! A sixty-thousand-dollar insurance claim wouldn't have hurt your family at all!
David: But sending my wife to prison for a crime she didn't commit would have destroyed our family, Samantha!
Samantha: I wasn't going to let her go to prison! I was just going to force you to pay me to drop the charges!
Jessica: You are a sick, selfish monster, Samantha.
Officer Rodriguez: That's enough. Watch your head, ma'am. Get inside the vehicle.
The officer guided Samantha back into the rear seat of the police car and shut the door firmly, locking her inside as the engine roared to life.