Free California Wine by Casey Dawes

mystery to solve.
    Her resolve lasted until she got back in the car.
    • • •
    The following Sunday was a perfect Indian summer day. Elizabeth hated to waste it indoors, but she needed to figure out why the product orders were so high and Sunday was the only day Beauty by the Bay was closed. Time to count boxes.
    She parked up the hill from the beach town and walked to the store. Multicolored leaves dangled from the few deciduous trees. She drew in a deep breath, delighting in the scents of sweet fall bushes and pungent coffee aromas from a half dozen coffee shops.
    The bell tingled as she opened the door to her shop. She locked the door behind her and looked around the sunlit space. Hers. All hers. She’d built it from nothing. All of a sudden she realized she was proud of the accomplishment. Maybe she could build a product line.
    But no one was going to steal from her.
    With the printed inventory in her hand, she made her way to the storeroom. A skylight let in the bright fall day, but she turned on the lights anyway so she could see into the corners.
    Beginning with the top rack, she began to count the hundreds of boxes of lotions, lipsticks and bath salts. Two hours later, she slumped down to the floor and leaned her back against the wall. There were far fewer boxes than there should be. But why? The pulse in her temple began to throb.
    The front door clicked.
    Elizabeth quietly stood up. Who was there? Should she call out?
    She looked around and spotted an old towel bar she’d meant to reattach in the bathroom. She picked it up, prepared to use it as a weapon if necessary, feeling ridiculous as she did so. No serial killer would be stalking a small shop owner in a town filled with weekend tourists.
    The floorboards creaked and she saw a familiar shadow approach the storeroom entry. “Who’s there?” Lara called.
    Elizabeth released the towel rack.
    A second later Lara stood in the doorway, a large shopping bag in her hand. From the way she carried it, the bag appeared to be empty. “Oh. I didn’t know you were here,” she said with a frown.
    “I parked up the street … nice day,” Elizabeth said, eyeing the elegant paper bag from one of the nicer shops in the area. “I wanted a walk in fresh air before I tackled the inventory.”
    “Inventory? It’s too early for that, isn’t it? I thought you only did inventory in January for taxes.” Lara shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the bag slapping her calf with every movement.
    “I decided to do a spot check. Some of the numbers aren’t adding up.”
    “Can I help?” Lara smiled and put the bag outside the door.
    “No, I’m finished, thanks. What made you come in today? You aren’t scheduled until Tuesday.”
    “Oh, you know me. Always trying to lend a hand! I thought I’d make sure we had all our products displayed out front.”
    “What’s the shopping bag for?”
    “What?”
    Elizabeth gestured to the door. “The shopping bag.”
    “Um … I needed to … um … go to the grocer’s later. I like to take my own bag. Environmentally friendly, you know.” Lara fiddled with her right earring. “Is the inventory right?”
    “It’s short. Lara, what are you really doing here?”
    “I told you. I just came in to straighten up some things. I’d think you’d be grateful. Not all employees are as dedicated as I am.” Lara’s voice took on a more aggressive tone. “You know how everything is always a mess after Saturday’s rush. I wanted to get everything ready for you for Monday.” She took a step forward. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”
    Elizabeth squared her shoulders “Quite sure.”
    Silence rocked the room as the two women stared at each other. Elizabeth’s breath shortened. Somehow she didn’t think this was the right time to look up “stealing” in her employee manual. Instead, she took a deep breath and said, “I’d like your key.”
    “My key? Why? Are you firing me? What for? I haven’t