Page 53 of The Night Ride
It didn’t take me long to count out each till and store those in the safe, then go through the day’s profits.I double and triple checked.Between both tills, I was missing a little over one hundred dollars.Not a significant amount of money given the profit made today, even with the cost of staff and deductions.But it was still enough to pay a bill for the bakery.
Through it all Aiden was at my side.I wanted to get an accurate account before I watched the video.Now that I had I turned toward him.
“Show it to me.”
“Are you sure?We could just turn it over to the detective.You don’t have to view it.I can verify it was her in the video.”
It was so sweet that he wanted to shield me from this.I think he could tell from my expression just how much this was bothering me.But then, it wasn’t every day a girl discovered someone she considered a good friend had committed an act of betrayal.As if I was too dumb to figure it out.
“No.I need to see it.”It wouldn’t help the grief raging inside me, but then I would at least know and could begin to move on.
He nodded and brought it up on my phone for me.We sat in the accounting room with the video playing.And just as he described, Tracy filched money from each till but never returned it.Watching her slide the cash into her pocket burned my butt.
How dare she think she could take from me without consequences!
I took the phone from him and stopped video.Then pulled up the detective’s number in my contacts.
“There’s more.”
“I’m sure there is.We can hand it over to the police and they can deal with her.I don’t need to see anymore.”Because what I had seen, made me downright furious.
But underneath the fury was a pain I couldn’t ignore.There would be time for tears later.For now, I had business to contend with that I couldn’t ignore.
The detective picked up on the second ring.“Detective Garrison.”
“Hi, Detective Garrison, this is Beth Ryder at Sweet Dreams Bakery.”
“What can I do for you Miss Ryder?We’re still investigating—”
I interrupted him.“I understand that, and I think I have, what you would call a lead.I had cameras installed last night and today they caught one of my employees.”
“Is that a fact?Are you still at the bakery?”He sounded thoroughly pleased.
“Yep.And I have the accounting for today showing the missing funds.”
“My partner and I are on the way.We should be there in twenty if you don’t mind waiting.”
“Not at all.”We hung up, and I rose from my spot.
“Where are you going?”
“To put together a few boxes of goodies for their station.”There was enough left over from today I would rather not see it go to waste.
“I’m sure they will appreciate it.”
I did as well.And I needed to do something.Because as much as I wanted to play it off like this didn’t faze me, it hurt.She was someone I had relied upon, considered a very dear friend, and she stole from me.
I didn’t know how to rectify what she had done with what her friendship, her counsel had meant to me ever since I moved here.She and her husband treated me like I was family.
But it had all been lies.
I put together three large boxes of pastries and cookies for their station by the time the detectives arrived.I let them in with a tight smile.
“Thanks for coming.”
Detective Garrison entered with his partner behind him.He smiled.“It’s a slow night.And if we can get this case closed and prosecuted, it will be better for you.”
“Before I forget, I have boxes of goodies you can take to the station when you leave.”
