eyes.
Constance kissed him on the cheek and motioned Aggie and Blythe to follow her into the kitchen.
“Poor Dad. He’s exhausted from the trip home,” said Blythe. “I hadn’t realized how weak he’d become.”
“Aggie, thanks so much for hiring Rita,” said Constance with a new note of gratitude. “With my commitment to the Summer Soiree Ball for the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, I can’t give him the attention he needs.”
“I understand. I made sure Rita’s contract is for the whole day, so she should be here for the boys when they get out of school.”
“I can help out after five o’clock from time to time,” offered Blythe.
“Or before if it’s an emergency, Blythe,” said Aggie. “You can have time off from work whenever you need it.”
Blythe grinned. “A good thing I work for the family.”
“That’s something I want to discuss with both of you,” said Constance, her features sharpening. “But not until after the ball.”
“One thing at a time,” Aggie said, suspicious of where that conversation would go.
Before she left, she went into the den and kissed Brad goodbye. “Have a wonderful day here at home,” she whispered, observing the way his eyelids were drooping with sleep.
Blythe followed behind. “May I ride to the office with you? I left my car in Boston.”
“Certainly. Check out my new ‘wheels,’” said Aggie, pointing to the Mercedes SUV in shiny silver. “I figured this would be more comfortable for Donovan. He’s doing so well now that I sometimes forget he might have another bad spell. My understanding is they come and go.”
“Want me to drive? Test it out?” Blythe teased, grinning and her eyes sparkling.
Aggie tossed her the key fob. “Go ahead. It needs a workout.”
Blythe laughed and climbed in behind the wheel.
As Blythe tested the car, she and Aggie were quiet, content to enjoy the time together until Blythe went too fast, then Aggie couldn’t control herself. “Slow down, Missy. I don’t want the police to stop you in my new car.”
Chuckling, Blythe checked her speed. “Sorry.”
When they pulled into the parking lot at the office building, Blythe said, “What do you think Constance wants to talk to us about?”
Aggie grimaced. “Can’t be certain, but it won’t be good.”
###
After checking in with Suzie, Aggie and Blythe huddled in her office.
“Okay, let’s talk about what Logan found,” Aggie said.
Blythe drew a deep breath. “In comparing the numbers of certain items sold to inventory, purchasing, and requisitioning records, he discovered inconsistencies in the Hyannis store. Because of our suspicion, I checked personnel records. Most of the staff have worked there for years. We did hire two new people at Christmas. Only one stayed on.”
“Okay, continue,” said Aggie. Theft among her staff and customers was unusual, but it had happened. “Are we talking about one item, several items?”
“That’s just it. The inventory counts are off by one or two on a variety of items. And because it was many items in such a short period of time, both Logan and I think it was an inside job. Without careful reconciliations, anyone could have missed it.”
“I assume you made a list,” Aggie said grimly. “Better show it to me.”
Blythe handed her a printout.
Studying it, Aggie saw that most of the items were things someone could easily resell online—a tool kit, a coffeemaker, a crockpot, gardening tools, and other things that were stocked in the back of the store for ease of replenishing shelf displays.
“Let’s look at the employee records. I believe that whoever is taking these things is not using them for themselves but is selling them online. A short while ago, I received a notice from the Better Business Bureau to owners of retail operations, warning about this kind of activity, especially during the holiday season.”
In looking over the list of employees, Aggie mentally marked off each of the old-timers, including the manager, Paul Youngstrom. These people were loyal, settled in their lives, and didn’t appear to be in financial trouble when she last met with them at Christmas time. The last name on the list was Anna Fields, a twenty-two-year-old divorced mother of two, whom they had hired just this past December.
“Instead of waiting until next week for you and Logan to visit the Hyannis store, I think Donovan and I will take a trip down to the Cape. I’ve wanted him to see some of the stores anyway. This will be a perfect time to do it.”
“Who do you think is doing it?” Blythe said. “My bet is on Anna Fields.”
“Mine too,” said Aggie. “But we