“If you had known I owned the store, you would have treated me differently.”
Victoria shook her head.
“No, I…”
“Yes.”
Naomi’s voice stayed controlled.
“You just said it.”
Officer Mercer handed the license back.
His manner had changed too.
“Ms. Carter, obviously there's been some confusion.”
Naomi turned.
“Obviously.”
“We were responding to a call.”
“Yes.”
“And trying to determine…”
Naomi interrupted.
“Would you be explaining yourself this carefully if Michael had never come downstairs?”
Mercer stopped.
That question landed.
He looked toward the body camera.
Naomi did too.
“Good.”
She tucked the license back into her wallet.
“Keep recording.”
Mercer’s face tightened.
Gregory stepped forward.
“Ms. Carter, I can explain.”
Naomi looked at him.
“You had several opportunities.”
His mouth closed.
Michael said:
“Naomi…”
She looked at him.
He corrected himself.
“Ms. Carter.”
She glanced toward the employees.
“Who called Michael?”
A young sales associate near the jewelry case raised her hand.
Naomi recognized her from personnel records.
Clara Nguyen.
Twenty-four.
Eight months with the company.
“I did.”
Naomi nodded.
“Why?”
Clara swallowed.
“Because this felt wrong.”
Naomi waited.
Clara continued:
“And because I recognized you from the annual company meeting.”
Gregory turned sharply.
“You knew who she was?”
Clara flinched.
Naomi immediately said:
“Don't.”
Gregory froze.
She looked at him.
“Do not turn this into her failure to rescue you.”
Silence.
Naomi turned back to Clara.
“Thank you for calling.”
Clara nodded.
Naomi then faced Michael.
“Preserve every camera angle.”
Michael nodded.
“Immediately.”
“Audio if we have it.”
“Yes.”
“Register timestamps.”
“Yes.”
“Employee schedules.”
“Yes.”
“Police incident number.”
Mercer looked at her.
She looked back.
“And body camera preservation.”
The officer said:
“You'll need to request that through records.”
“I will.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“Do we really need to make this bigger than it already is?”
Naomi turned.
Victoria looked almost offended now that she had apologized in her own mind.
“I made a mistake.”
Naomi nodded.
“Yes.”
“I thought something looked suspicious.”
“Yes.”
“I called the police.”
“Yes.”
“What more do you want?”
Naomi studied her.
“I want you to understand why a mistake made entirely by you nearly ended with me in handcuffs.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“That was the officer’s decision.”
Mercer looked at her sharply.
Now that consequences existed, she was already redistributing responsibility.
Naomi saw it.
So did everyone else.
Victoria continued:
“I never told him to handcuff you.”
Several people in the room reacted audibly.
A young man filming said: