The Store Owner swallowed.
“What exactly is this?”
She stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
She no longer needed to.
“You were told to read the screen.”
“I’m asking you.”
“And I’m asking you to finish reading.”
He looked down.
The next line appeared.
CLIENT APPOINTED BY HOLDING COMPANY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Then:
ASSESSMENT SCOPE: FLAGSHIP OPERATIONS, PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES, SECURITY ESCALATION, DISCRIMINATION COMPLIANCE
The Store Owner’s mouth opened slightly.
The Black Woman watched him.
He scrolled.
At the bottom:
REPORT RECIPIENTS: BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE / ACQUISITION COUNSEL / CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE
The store went silent.
One Police Officer looked toward the Black Woman.
“You’re doing an audit?”
The Black Woman answered:
“I was.”
The Store Owner looked up.
“Was?”
She glanced around the showroom.
At the Police Officers.
At her bag on the floor.
At the bracelet case he had refused to open.
Then back to him.
“Now I have something more useful than an audit.”
He understood.
Evidence.
The Store Owner immediately shifted.
His voice softened.
“Ma’am, I think this has become a misunderstanding.”
The Black Woman said nothing.
“We’ve had theft problems.”
Still nothing.
“You came in without an appointment.”
The Sales Associate looked at him.
That was false.
The Black Woman caught the look.
“So I had an appointment?”
The Sales Associate froze.
The Store Owner turned sharply.
“Do not answer that.”
That was the wrong sentence.
The older Officer frowned.
“Why shouldn’t she answer?”
The Store Owner looked at him.
“This is an internal customer matter.”
“You called us.”
Again, silence.
The Black Woman bent slowly and picked up her handbag.
Nobody tried to stop her now.
She inspected the side.
Small scratch.
Nothing serious.
Then looked toward the Sales Associate.
“Was I scheduled?”
The Sales Associate hesitated.
Fear moved across her face.
The Black Woman recognized it immediately.
Not uncertainty.
Fear.
The Store Owner said:
“You don’t have to answer questions from a customer.”
The Black Woman turned.
“A few minutes ago you wanted everyone asking me questions.”
The younger Officer coughed.
The Store Owner’s face reddened.
The Sales Associate looked at the counter.
Then whispered:
“Yes.”
The Black Woman heard.
“So I was scheduled.”