"I still believe she was acting strangely."
Hayes looked at her.
"Acting strangely isn't evidence of theft."
The other officer wrote something on his notepad.
Simone expected the matter to end there.
Instead, Caroline said something that changed the entire situation.
"Maybe you should look at the store's records."
Simone turned.
"What?"
Caroline smiled.
"I've heard there are questions about this place."
Elena's face changed.
Simone noticed.
"What questions?"
Caroline shrugged.
"Ask your accountant."
Hayes looked from one woman to the other.
"Are you alleging another crime?"
Caroline hesitated.
"No."
"Then we're done here."
Hayes closed his notebook.
Caroline walked toward the exit.
Before leaving, she looked back at Simone.
"This isn't over."
Simone didn't answer.
But when the doors closed behind Caroline, she turned toward Elena.
"What did she mean?"
Elena was silent.
"Elena."
"I don't know."
"You do."
Elena lowered her voice.
"There have been some accounting irregularities."
Simone's expression changed.
"What kind?"
"Not enough for me to say anything."
"How long?"
Elena looked down.
"Several months."
Simone slowly put down the invoice in her hand.
The police had come because Caroline thought she was stealing a dress.
But now Simone was beginning to wonder whether someone inside Bellamy House really had been stealing.
And perhaps the missing dress was the least important thing that had disappeared.
Simone closed the boutique early that evening.
She told the staff it was because of a maintenance issue.
It wasn't.
She didn't want rumors spreading before she understood what was happening.
At seven thirty, she sat in her office with Elena and the company's outside accountant, Marcus Hale.
Marcus had handled Bellamy House's books for five years.
He was careful, quiet, and obsessive about documentation.
Simone trusted him.
At least, she had.
She placed three reports on the desk.
"Show me."
Marcus adjusted his glasses.
"I don't know where to start."
"Start with the inventory."
He opened the spreadsheet.
"According to the system, we should have forty-eight high-value items in this category."
"And physically?"
"Thirty-seven."
Simone stared at him.
"Eleven missing?"
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"Some were transferred."
"Transferred where?"
Marcus hesitated.
"That's the problem."
Elena leaned forward.
"We don't have transfer records."
Simone's jaw tightened.
"Who authorized them?"
"Your operations director."
Simone froze.
"Greg?"
Marcus nodded.
Greg Holloway had worked for Bellamy House almost six years. He managed suppliers, purchasing, inventory, and several financial relationships.
Simone had once considered him indispensable.
"How much?"
Marcus opened another file.
"Across the last eighteen months, the unexplained transactions total approximately four hundred and twelve thousand dollars."
Silence filled the room.
Simone leaned back.
"Four hundred and twelve thousand?"
"Potentially."
"Potentially?"
"Some entries could have legitimate explanations."
"Do they?"
Marcus looked at Elena.
"We haven't found them."
Simone stood.
She walked toward the window.
Outside, downtown traffic moved beneath the streetlights.
The city looked normal.
Her business no longer did.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Elena answered quietly.
"We tried."
Simone turned.
"When?"
"Several times."
"I never received anything."
Marcus opened a folder.
"We sent reports."
Simone took them.
Her name appeared on the electronic distribution list.
But she hadn't seen them.
Someone had intercepted them.
She looked at Marcus.
"Who had access to my administrative email?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Greg."
The room became silent again.
Simone suddenly remembered Caroline's words.
Maybe you should look at the store's records.
Why would Caroline know?
She reached for her phone.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
You should stop asking questions.
Simone stared at it.
Elena saw her face.
"What is it?"
Simone showed her.
Marcus stood.
"That's not good."
"No," Simone said.
She took a screenshot.
Then another message arrived.
The boutique has survived before. It will survive without you.
Simone felt something cold settle in her stomach.
This was no longer an accounting problem.
Someone knew what she was investigating.
Someone was watching.
And someone wanted her frightened enough to stop.
Monday morning began with a meeting.
Simone called Greg Holloway into her office.
He arrived at 8:15, carrying coffee and a tablet.
"Morning."
Simone pointed toward the chair.
"Sit."
Greg sat.
"You look serious."
"I am."
She slid the inventory report across the desk.
Greg glanced at it.
"What about it?"
"Eleven missing items."
"Transfers."
"Where?"
"Various locations."
"Which locations?"
Greg paused.
"I'll have to check."
"You've had the records for eighteen months."
He smiled.
"You're upset because of that woman Saturday?"
Simone's eyes narrowed.
"What woman?"
"Caroline Whitmore."
Simone said nothing.
Greg leaned back.
"People like her cause trouble."
"She accused me of theft."
"Exactly."
"You seem unusually interested."
Greg shrugged.
"Everyone knows what happened."
Simone studied him.
"How?"
He looked confused.
"What?"
"How does everyone know?"
Greg didn't answer.
Simone stood.
want every transfer record by noon."
"That's difficult."
"Then work faster."
Greg left.
At 11:42, he returned.
He placed a folder on her desk.
"There."
Simone opened it.
The records were incomplete.
Some had dates.
Some had quantities.
Several lacked signatures.
She looked at him.
"These aren't complete."
"They're what we have."
"Then we'll reconstruct them."
Greg's face tightened.
"You should be careful."
Simone looked up.
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
"Good."