Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 114775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Then, I see a young guy filling up the shelves down the biscuit aisle. I walk over to him.
“Excuse me. I got a call from my brother, Jesse. He said he was here…” I let my words trail off, not really sure what else to say.
Something unpleasant flickers in his gaze, and then he says, “Come with me.”
He puts the pack of biscuits that was in his hand back in the box and starts to walk away toward the back of the store. I follow him.
He stops by a door, swipes it with a fob, and opens it. He holds it open for me to pass through first.
“They’re just in the manager’s office,” he says, letting the door shut behind us.
Manager’s office? My stomach turns.
I follow him down the short corridor. He stops outside a door and knocks before opening it.
“The sister’s here,” he says to whomever’s in the room. Then, he stands aside, letting me through the door.
A guy—I’d say in his late thirties—is sitting behind a desk. I’m guessing he’s the store manager. A bigger guy in a security uniform is standing by the wall, and near him, Jesse is sitting in a chair.
His eyes meet mine. I see a glimmer of relief mixed with fear in them.
“Miss Smith?” the manager says, rising to his feet.
I step further into the room, closing the door behind me. “Daisy,” I tell him.
“I’m Jeff, the store manager. Please take a seat.” He gestures at the chair in front of his desk.
“Can you tell me what’s going on here, Jeff?” I try to keep my tone even. I sit and hold my bag in my lap.
“You’re Jesse’s guardian?” Jeff asks me.
I glance at Jesse. His eyes are pleading.
“That’s correct.” I swallow back my lie, looking back to Jeff.
“Okay, well, I’m sorry to tell you, but your brother was caught shoplifting by Brett.” He tips his head in the direction of the security guard who is standing by Jesse.
But I can’t look at Brett, the security guard. All I can do is stare at Jesse, who’s looking at everything but me. With a lump in my throat and a sick feeling in my stomach, I know this is my fault.
“I didn’t call the police because I thought we could deal with this in-house.”
The relief I feel at that is immense.
I pull my eyes from Jesse and look back to Jeff. “Thank you so much,” I say in earnest.
“Well, after Jesse said his parents had passed away in such tragic circumstances and that he was under your guardianship…I didn’t want to give the lad, or you, more grief to deal with. And I think he gets that he made a stupid mistake.”
“His parents had passed away in such tragic circumstances.”
One parent, and it wasn’t exactly a tragic circumstance. When did he get so good at lying?
My eyes slide to Jesse. It surprises me that he’s actually looking at me. But worry tightens my gut when I see the hint of defiance in his eyes. Almost like he’s daring me to call him out for lying.
Swallowing, I look back to Jeff. “What did he steal?”
“A six-pack of Kestrel Beer.”
Alcohol.
He’s stealing and drinking.
Jesus Christ.
“I am so sorry.” I lay my hands out in a pleading manner. “He’s never done anything like this before. He’s just…had a rough time of it as of late. Not that I’m making excuses for him because I’m not.” I glance at Jesse again. Keeping my eyes on Jesse, I speak to Jeff, “You said you wanted to deal with this in-house.” I look at Jeff. “What are you proposing?”
In my peripheral, I see Jesse sit up a little straighter.
“Well, the outside of the shop could do with a good clean. We lost our window cleaner a while back, and I haven’t gotten around to getting a new one. So, maybe Jesse could come tomorrow after school and clean the windows, and we’ll call it quits. How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” I say before Jesse can say anything. Standing, I hang my bag on my shoulder. “I won’t be able to accompany him, as I’m at work until six. But I’ll give you my number in case you need it. If Jesse doesn’t turn up, then you have my permission to call the police and report the attempted theft.”
Jeff smiles at me and hands me a pad and pen. I scribble my number down and hand it back to him.
Then, I turn to Jesse. “Let’s go.” I give a jerk of my head, and then I turn for the door.
I hear him following behind me.
I don’t speak until we’re outside.
I stop abruptly and turn to him. “What the hell were you thinking?” I throw my hands up in the air.
That defiance, mixed with good old anger and resentment, flashes through his eyes. “Thought I’d join the family business.”