Ordinarily, Mike O’Malley didn’t concern himself with shoplifting busts-that was left to mall cops and the junior men in the Springfield police department. In Lucy’s case he made an exception. I’d called him as soon as I realized she wasn’t being kidnapped-she was being arrested by undercover security.
True, Lucy did look suspicious with a crooked wig and dark glasses and two bags full of clothing with tags and no receipts, but mall security took O’Malley’s word for it that she was probably not a thief, simply another New Yorker with hard-to-fathom habits. That seemed to satisfy them and they let her go.
“Doing a little shopping, are we?” he said outside the security office. Lucy hugged him, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, he returned the favor.
“Martinets,” she said. “I could sue them. I haven’t been arrested for shoplifting since I was fifteen.”
“You mean you haven’t shoplifted since you were fifteen,” Mike said.
“Right. That’s what I meant.” Lucy caught her reflection in a Williams-Sonoma window and straightened her wig.
“Anyone who didn’t know better might think you two were up to something.”
“Not us,” I said. “Just doing a little comparison shopping. In fact, Lucy…”-I paused to organize my thoughts-“is doing a feature on secret shoppers, people hired by stores to check up on their employees. That’s why she was wearing the wig.” My explanation drew puzzled glances from both of them and I couldn’t tell who looked more skeptical at my stream-of-consciousness tale spinning.
When we parted, Lucy was effusive in thanking Mike for coming to her rescue. “Thanks for helping me beat the rap.” He left us in the mall’s garage. Then it was my turn to look askance. “Beat the rap? Is that wig too tight? Are you back in fugitive mode?”
We spoke little driving back to my place. The meeting with Brookfield was a bust, literally; but, as Lucy pointed out, at least she hadn’t been hauled off to jail. But I hadn’t learned anything either. Could I have misinterpreted what he said? What had he said that was so awful? For all I knew, Kevin Brookfield really was a handsome single guy who wanted to buy a nursery. Not that I had a chance to find out because he was long gone by the time mall security released us.
The red light changed to green and then back to red but my foot stayed on the brake as a very depressing thought came to me. “I may have totally alienated the perfect man for me.”
Lucy patted my arm. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”