People who had stopped coming.
Henry’s name appeared three times.
The officer looked at Kyle.
“Sir, I’m going to need you to step away from the desk.”
Kyle’s face had gone gray.
He didn’t argue.
I opened the notebook.
Amber stood beside me.
Near the back, one page was labeled:
EASY
Underneath were names.
Customers who were elderly.
Customers with disabilities.
Customers who often ate alone.
Customers less likely, perhaps, to challenge a duplicate charge.
Then I reached the final page.
A heading had been written across the top.
STAFF
Amber’s name was there.
So was Luis’s.
And the name of the former cook who had warned me.
Beside each was a date.
A dollar amount.
And a single word.
WATCH.
I looked at Amber.
“What does this mean?”
She stared at the page.
“I don’t know.”
But the fear in her face said she had an idea.
Then the officer flipped one page farther.
