Naomi shook her head.
"I see no reason to go into an office. If there's a concern, we can discuss it here."
Victoria laughed without humor.
"How very convenient."
Naomi turned toward her.
"Ms. Hale, have you personally seen me steal anything?"
Victoria paused.
"No."
"Have you seen me conceal merchandise?"
"No, but—"
"Have I attempted to leave without paying?"
"Not yet."
"Then perhaps you should explain why you believe I have done something wrong."
Victoria's expression changed.
She had expected embarrassment, not questions.
She had expected a woman who would quietly comply rather than challenge her in front of employees.
Instead, Naomi stood perfectly still, waiting for an answer.
And the longer Victoria looked at her, the more convinced she became that something had to be done.
She reached into her handbag, pulled out her phone, and began dialing.
Richard stared at her.
"Ms. Hale, what are you doing?"
"Calling the police."
Naomi's eyebrows rose slightly.
"On what grounds?"
Victoria pressed the phone to her ear.
"On the grounds that I suspect a theft is about to occur."
Naomi looked at Richard.
He lowered his eyes.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she placed the dresses on a nearby display table, one by one, arranging them carefully so that none of the fabric touched the floor.
"All right," she said.
Victoria looked triumphant.
Naomi took her notebook from her bag and wrote down the time.
"What are you doing now?" Victoria demanded.
"Recording the time of this conversation."
"Why?"
Naomi closed the notebook.
"Because when this is over, I want to remember exactly how it happened."
Outside, a siren sounded faintly in the distance.
Inside Sterling & Ash, the afternoon had begun to change.
And neither Richard nor Victoria had any idea who was about to walk through the door.
Officer Marcus Reed arrived fourteen minutes later.
He was thirty-six years old, with twelve years of police experience and a reputation among his colleagues for being thorough. He had responded to shoplifting calls before, and he understood that some retail complaints were legitimate while others arose from misunderstandings or personal disputes.
Dispatch had informed him that a customer at a luxury department store suspected another shopper of attempting to steal expensive clothing.
The report did not include evidence of a completed theft.
Nevertheless, when Reed entered the store, Victoria hurried toward him.
"Officer, thank goodness you're here."
He held up a hand.
"Ma'am, let's take this one step at a time. Who called?"
"I did."
"All right. Tell me what happened."
Victoria pointed toward Naomi.
"That woman has been wandering around the store carrying merchandise. She's been looking at security cameras and writing things in a notebook. The manager tried to speak with her, and she became difficult."
Reed looked toward Naomi.
She was standing beside the display table, her hands visible, her expression composed.
Three dresses lay neatly in front of her.
"Did you see her conceal any merchandise?" he asked.
"No."
"Did you see her remove security tags?"
"No, but I don't need to see everything to recognize suspicious behavior."
Reed made a note.
"Did she attempt to leave the store without paying?"
"She was heading toward the entrance."
"Was she actually leaving?"
Victoria hesitated.
"Not yet."
Reed looked at her for a moment before turning toward Richard.
"Sir, are you the manager?"
"Yes. Richard Cole."
"Did you personally observe any theft?"
Richard swallowed.
"No, Officer."
"Has any merchandise been reported missing?"
"No."
"Has this customer attempted to leave without paying?"
"No."
Reed's pen stopped moving.
"Then what exactly is the complaint?"
Richard glanced toward Victoria.
She gave him a look that made it clear she expected his support.
He looked back at the officer.
"Ms. Hale raised a concern, and we thought it would be best to clarify the situation."
Reed exhaled slowly.
He had heard similar explanations before.
Sometimes managers called the police because they had genuine information. Sometimes they called because a customer had demanded it. Sometimes they simply wanted an officer to take responsibility for a problem they did not know how to handle.
He approached Naomi.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm Officer Reed. Could you tell me your side of the story?"
"Certainly."
Naomi explained that she had entered the store to compare several dresses, noticed some issues with the displays, and taken notes for her own reference. She had not concealed anything or attempted to leave without paying.
"I was asked to surrender the merchandise without being told what I had done wrong," she continued. "I asked for an explanation. Then Ms. Hale called you."
Reed nodded.
"Have you purchased anything today?"
"Not yet."
"Are you planning to?"
"I haven't decided."
"All right."
He glanced at the dresses.
"Would you mind explaining why you were looking at the security cameras?"
Naomi met his eyes.
"I was looking at the ceiling because I noticed the cameras were installed at different angles. I was also checking the accessibility routes and the emergency exits."
"Why?"
"Because I was evaluating the store."
Reed waited for more.
Naomi did not elaborate.
He assumed she was referring to an ordinary shopping evaluation, perhaps one conducted for a consumer review or a personal project.
"Do you work in retail?"
"In a manner of speaking."
Victoria made a dismissive sound behind him.
"She's been evasive from the beginning."
Reed turned.
"Ma'am, please let her finish."
Victoria appeared genuinely shocked.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I need to hear from everyone involved. Please give us a moment."
She stepped back, visibly displeased.
Reed returned his attention to Naomi.
"Do you have identification?"
"May I ask why you need it?"
"I'm trying to establish everyone's identity and understand the circumstances of the complaint."
"Am I suspected of a specific offense?"
Reed paused.
He was accustomed to people asking whether they had to provide identification. Sometimes the question was an attempt to obstruct an investigation; sometimes it was a perfectly reasonable request for clarification.
He decided not to assume either.
"At this point, I'm gathering information. The store has reported a concern, but the manager has told me he didn't witness a theft."
"Then I would appreciate it if you distinguished the complaint from evidence of an offense."
Reed studied her face.
There was no shouting, no sudden movement, no attempt to leave.
She sounded like someone accustomed to making decisions carefully.
"That's fair," he said. "I don't have evidence that you've stolen anything."
Victoria stepped forward again.
"But you haven't ruled it out!"
Reed turned toward her.
"Ma'am, suspicion is not the same thing as proof. I'm asking questions."
"She could have taken something before you arrived."
"Do you have any evidence of that?"
"No."
"Then please allow me to conduct the conversation."
Victoria pressed her lips together.
For the first time since making the call, she seemed unsure of what to say.
Naomi watched Reed carefully.
He had not handled everything perfectly, but at least he was asking questions rather than treating an accusation as a conclusion.
"Officer," she said, "I would like to make one thing clear. I am not refusing to cooperate. I am asking that this interaction be based on facts."
He nodded.
"Understood."
He turned toward Richard.
"Could you check whether the merchandise is properly accounted for and whether there are any records indicating that an item has gone missing?"
"Of course."
Richard hurried toward the service desk.
Victoria watched him leave.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered. "I have been a loyal customer of this store for two decades."
Reed looked at her.
"Your shopping history doesn't establish whether another customer has committed an offense."
Victoria stared at him.
Naomi looked down at the three dresses.
She was thinking about her mother.
When Naomi was twelve, her mother had taken her to a small department store to buy a winter coat. They had saved for months, and Naomi remembered how proud her mother had been to finally afford something warm enough for the coming winter.
An employee had followed them from aisle to aisle.
When Naomi's mother asked why, the employee claimed she was merely checking whether they needed assistance.
Naomi had believed the explanation at the time.
Years later, she understood that her mother had recognized the truth immediately.
Her mother had not argued.
She had simply returned the coat to the rack and walked away.
Outside, she told Naomi something the girl never forgot.
"Never let another person's prejudice convince you that you have to earn the right to be treated with dignity."
Naomi had built her career around a different kind of determination.
She studied finance while working part-time, established a small clothing business with borrowed money, and spent fifteen years learning how to build companies without losing sight of the people who worked inside them.
She had purchased Sterling & Ash not because it was prestigious but because she believed it could become something better.
Now, standing beneath its expensive lights, she was watching an old problem repeat itself.
Richard returned with a tablet.
"I've checked the inventory system," he said. "Nothing is missing."
Reed nodded.
"Did you review the relevant security footage?"
"I haven't yet."
"Then please do so."
Richard looked uncomfortable.
"That may take some time."
"That's fine."
Victoria threw up her hands.
"This is unbelievable. Are we going to stand here all afternoon?"
Naomi answered before Reed could.
"You called the police. I assume you understood that someone would need to determine whether your allegation had a factual basis."
Victoria's face flushed.
"Don't speak to me as though I'm a child."
"Then don't accuse me of a crime without evidence."
A few customers looked up from the nearby displays.
One of them quietly put down a handbag.
Another began recording with a phone.
Victoria noticed.
"Are you filming me?" she demanded.
The customer lowered the phone slightly but did not put it away.
"I'm recording what's happening."
"You have no right to—"
"Ma'am," Reed interrupted, "please stop arguing with other customers."
Victoria turned back to him.
"Officer, I expect you to do your job."
"I am."
"Then why is she still standing here with those dresses?"
Reed looked at the table.
"Because nobody has established that she stole them."
For a moment, the only sound was the soft music playing through the speakers.
Naomi almost felt sorry for Richard.
He stood between the people who had the most immediate influence over his career and the person he had a duty to treat fairly.
But sympathy could not excuse his decision.
He had been given several opportunities to ask what the evidence was.
He had chosen to avoid upsetting a wealthy customer instead.
Naomi turned toward him.
"Mr. Cole, how long have you managed this store?"
"Nine years."
"And how many employees report directly to you?"
"Twenty-seven."
"Do you believe your employees should be able to explain why a customer is suspected of theft before calling the police?"