“You literally did.”
Victoria turned.
“Stay out of this.”
He lowered the phone slightly.
“No.”
Victoria stared.
“You've been recording me without permission.”
He said:
“We're in a store.”
Naomi lifted one hand.
“Enough.”
The room quieted.
She looked at Victoria.
“You may leave.”
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“You are no longer welcome in this location today.”
Her face flushed.
“You can't ban me because I reported suspicious behavior.”
Naomi said:
“I am asking you to leave because you interfered with another customer’s use of the store, made repeated unsupported accusations, escalated the confrontation after staff verified no theft, and demanded an arrest without evidence.”
Victoria stared.
Then remembered who she was talking to.
Her voice softened again.
“This is humiliating.”
Naomi’s expression remained unchanged.
“Yes.”
Victoria looked stunned by the answer.
Naomi continued:
“Now imagine experiencing it without knowing the owner is about to walk downstairs.”
That ended the conversation.
Victoria grabbed her handbag.
Turned.
Walked toward the doors.
Then stopped.
She looked back at Gregory.
“You let this happen.”
Gregory stared at her.
Naomi noticed the absurdity.
Everyone had let something happen.
Everyone wanted the blame to belong elsewhere.
Victoria left.
The automatic doors closed behind her.
Officer Mercer looked toward Naomi.
“Ms. Carter, I need to finish my report.”
“Of course.”
“Would you like to make a statement?”
“Yes.”
He took out a notebook.
Naomi looked toward Michael.
“Private room.”
Mercer nodded.
“That's fine.”
Naomi turned toward the employees.
“Everyone return to work.”
Nobody moved.
She almost smiled.
“I mean it.”
People slowly dispersed.
Customers did not.
Many kept whispering.
Phones remained raised.
Naomi hated that.
She looked toward Michael.
“Ask anyone filming not to interfere with staff.”
“We can't make them delete footage.”
“I know.”
“Don't try.”
Michael nodded.
They moved upstairs.
In the executive office, Naomi finally set the dresses down.
Her arm hurt.
She had been holding them far longer than she realized.
Officer Mercer sat across from her.
Michael remained.
Gregory was asked to wait outside.
The officer began:
“Tell me from the beginning.”
Naomi did.
No dramatic language.
No speculation.
She had entered at 1:07 p.m.
She was conducting an unannounced store visit.
She selected several garments.
Victoria approached at approximately 1:24.
Asked whether Naomi had “an appointment.”
Naomi said no.
Victoria then asked whether staff knew she was “back here.”
Naomi ignored her.
Victoria followed.
At 1:31, Naomi walked toward the front display.
Victoria placed herself between Naomi and the exit.
Asked to see a receipt.
Naomi said she had not purchased anything yet.
Victoria called the manager.
Gregory arrived.
Instead of asking Naomi what happened, he asked her to “leave the merchandise with staff while the situation was clarified.”
Naomi refused because nothing required clarification.
Victoria called police.
Mercer arrived at 1:43.
The officer wrote.
Occasionally asked questions.