Leah stood near the display with the earring tray in her hands. Morales asked whether any jewelry was missing from the department. Leah swallowed hard and looked once toward Derek.
"No, officer. I counted my whole tray after I dropped it. Everything was there. I didn't see either of those women take anything."
"Did the manager ask you to verify missing merchandise?"
"No. He just started questioning them."
The answer seemed to land heavily in the room. Patricia looked down at her phone. Derek straightened the front of his jacket and began insisting there must have been a misunderstanding. Morales made a note and asked Curtis to describe his instructions. He admitted that Derek had ordered him to follow the wheelchair and that he had done so even though he saw no reason to suspect Willa.
"And did you witness any physical contact?" she asked.
Curtis looked at Willa. "Yes. I saw him shove the aide, slap the customer's hand, and kick the chair. I should have intervened sooner. I didn't."
Morales wrote his statement carefully. Curtis felt relief and dread in equal measure. He had finally said the truth aloud, and there was no way to put it back. Derek's expression made clear that Curtis would no longer be welcome under his management. For the first time that morning, however, Curtis no longer wanted to be.
Time moved strangely while they waited. Willa could hear the officers speaking quietly, the slight rattle of the air conditioning, and the familiar music she had once helped choose for the flagship. Her hand throbbed, and fatigue settled across her shoulders like a wet coat. Nadine knelt beside her and held the cold water bottle where she could reach it. Willa sipped, rested, and reminded herself to stay focused on the next minute rather than all the minutes still to come.
"I should have taken you straight home," Nadine whispered.
Willa looked at her. "You didn't bring this upon us. He did."
"But I could have stopped it."
"Honey, he was determined to hurt somebody. You stood between us. You have already done more than enough."
Nadine looked at the bruise on Willa's hand and shook her head. "You were only trying to get Amara a present."
"I still am." Willa's voice was quiet. "If the store can remember how to sell one."
The attempt at humor made Nadine laugh once despite herself. Then she reached down to straighten the blanket across Willa's knees, a small familiar gesture that restored some order to a morning that had become unrecognizable. Willa closed her eyes and rested for a few moments while Nadine kept a hand on her shoulder.