Page 161 of Love Me Stalk Me
And then, right on cue?—
They crack.
After ten seconds.
"Look, man," the one on the left finally says. "This is all just a misunderstanding. We were just trying to make a little cash on the side. You know, grab some merch, flip it for?—"
I hold up a hand, and he immediately stops talking.
I tilt my head. "You think I'm stupid?"
The guy swallows. "No, man, I?—"
"You think I don't know what you're doing?" I lean forward, letting my tone go low. "You're not here to grab a couple bags to resell online. This is organized. You don't move unless someone tells you to move. You don't steal unless someone orders you to steal. And you don't scope out a store unless someone tells you exactly what to look for."
The guy shifts, his confidence starting to crack. The cheap leather of his jacket creaks as he moves. His friend, the one on the right, clears his throat. "We don't know anything. We're just, you know, low-level?—"
I snort. "Bullshit."
I let my expression go hard.
I let my presence settle over them.
"You two are fucked," I say simply. "You know that, right?"
They go still.
I lean back slightly, letting the words sink in.
"I've got contacts in the precinct," I continue. "I can make a call, right now, and give them exactly what they need to charge you with grand-scale larceny."
One of them laughs, but it's weak. "Come on, man. We didn't steal anything."
I smirk.
They just walked into my favorite trap.
I tilt my head. "You ever open a law book?"
Silence.
I chuckle, shaking my head. "Attempt and the actual crime have the same fucking consequences. The law doesn't care if you're badat your job."
The guy on the right shifts uncomfortably. "We're not?—"
"Save it." I snap, cutting him off. "We both know you're working for someone. And we both know you're not dumb enough to try pulling this shit without orders. So here's how this goes. You start talking, or you take your chances with the DA's office."
They glance at each other.
I see the hesitation.
Then, finally?—
"We don't know much," the first one admits. "We just...we get orders. We go to stores, collect information. That's it."
"From who?"
He shakes his head. "It's always anonymous. We get a time, a place, a location. Occasionally we're ordered to steal merchandise, other times we're just told to get a feel for security."
