Claire had not locked Diane out.
The front door was open.
She had specifically said Diane could enter as a guest.
What Claire had refused was the assumption that somebody could arrive with a household’s worth of belongings and claim a room because her husband had privately promised one.
Then, at 5:34, Mark’s car came into the driveway.
Almost at the same time, the police cruiser arrived.
Mark looked from Diane to Lisa, then toward the luggage, and finally toward the flashing lights.
For the first time that afternoon, the consequences seemed to become real to him.
Officer Ruiz stepped out and asked who had called.
Diane hurried toward him.
“Officer, thank goodness.”
She explained that her daughter-in-law was refusing to let her into her son’s house.
Lisa added that Claire was being completely unreasonable.
Ruiz turned to Claire.
“Ma’am?”
“Claire Bennett. I live here.”
Then he asked whether Diane lived at the address too.
