Laura and Jen stumbled out of the basement, squinting in the bright light of the main floor. They explained their ordeal to Melissa, who listened with a mix of horror and embarrassment.
“I am so, so sorry,” Melissa said, her face pale. “I had no idea… I thought you had left on your own. I can’t believe I didn’t check”
Laura, exhausted and relieved, managed a weak smile. “It’s okay, Melissa. It was an accident.”
As they gathered their things to leave, Laura took one last look around the townhouse. Despite the basement fiasco, she couldn’t help but feel that this place had potential. It was ironic that she’d spent the most time in the house she’d seen the least of
They piled into Melissa’s car for the drive back to Jen’s house. As they pulled away from the curb, Laura leaned her head against the window, her mind swirling with thoughts about the unexpected turn their house–hunting adventure had taken
Laura McKenna pulled into the warehouse parking lot, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The morning sun glinted off the corrugated metal walls of the building, casting long shadows across the asphalt. She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for another day of navigating office politics and proving her worth.
As she walked through the main entrance, the familiar smell of cardboard and industrial cleaner hit her nostrils. She nodded a greeting to the security guard, who barely looked up from his crossword puzzle.
Laura’s office was a small, windowless room tucked away in a corner of the administrative section. She flicked on the harsh fluorescent lights and settled into her creaky desk chair. The surface of her desk was cluttered with stacks of papers and post–it notes -reminders of all the tasks she still needed to complete
She booted up her ancient computer, drumming her fingers impatiently as it wheezed to life. While waiting, she scanned her to–do list for the day. Top priority was organizing the backlog of files in the storage room- a tedious but necessary task that had been put off for
far too long
With a sigh, Laura grabbed a notepad and headed to the storage room. The space was cramped and dusty, filled with rows of metal shelving units groaning under the weight of countless cardboard boxes. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work, methodically sorting through years of accumulated paperwork.
As she flipped through inventory logs and shipping manifests, something caught her eye. There were discrepancies in the records – high–value items that seemed to vanish into thin air with no explanation. At first, she chalked it up to simple clerical errors. But as she dug deeper, a pattern began to emerge.
Laura’s brow furrowed as she compared the inventory logs to the shipping records. The numbers didn’t add up. Pallets of electronics, cases of designer clothing, even entire shipments of jewelry–all marked as received in the inventory system, but with no corresponding outgoing shipments on record.
She chewed her lip thoughtfully. Could this be more than just sloppy booldkeeping? The possibility of theft crossed her mind, sending at jolt of adrenaline through her. If someone was stealing from the company, this could be her chance to prove herself to show that she was more than just a glorified tile clerk
But she needed more information before jumping to conclusions. Laura decided to start by casually questioning her coworkers about the inventory process. As she left the storage room, she spotted Sarah from accounting heading to the break room
“Hey Sarah,” Laura called out, falling into step beside her. “Got a minate?”
Carah glanced at!
watch. “I guess. What’s up?”
They entered the break room, which was mercifully empty. Laura grabbed a mug of coffee as she formulated her approach.
“I’ve been going through some old inventory records,” she began, trying to keep her tone casual. “I noticed a few discrepancies. Is that normal?”
CHAFTER TWENTY EX–A– Offer That Cant Be Bened
CHAPTER TWENTY–SIX – An Offer That Can’t Be Refused
Sarah’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What kind of discrepancies?”
Laura shrugged. “Oh, you know. Items marked as received but no record of them being shipped out. That sort of thing.”
Sarah took a long sip of her coffee before responding. “Well, errors happen sometimes. The system isn’t perfect.”
“Right, of course,” Laura nodded. “But some of these discrepancies involve pretty high–value items. Seems like something that would be caught in an audit, you know?”
Sarah’s posture stiffened almost imperceptibly. “Look, Laura, I’m not really involved in the day–to–day inventory stuff. You should probably talk to someone in logistics if you have concerns.”
Laura sensed Sarah’s discomfort and decided not to push further. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks anyway.”
As Sarah hurried out of the break room, Laura couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something. Her suspicions grew.
Later that morning, Laura ran into Todd from IT in the copy room. She decided to try a different approach.
“Hey Todd, quick question for you,” she said as she sorted through a stack of printouts. “Have you noticed any glitches with the inventory tracking system lately?”
Todd raised an eyebrow. “Glitches? Like what?”
Laura shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Just seems like there are some inconsistencies in the records. Thought maybe it was a software issue or something.”
Todd chuckled. “Well, that system’s ancient. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was acting up, Why do you ask?”
Laura tried to keep her tone light. “Just curious. I’ve been organizing some old files and noticed a few things that seemed off. Probably nothing, but you know how it is once you start noticing little errors, you see them everywhere”
Todd nodded, but there was a hint of wariness in his eyes. “Yeah, I get that. But hey, sometimes glitches can be convenient, you know? Especially during stock takes. Makes everyone’s job a little easier.”
Laura’s ears perked up at that. “What do you mean?”
Todd seemed to realize he’d said too much. He quickly gathered his papers. “Oh, nothing really. Just office chatter. Anyway, I should get back to work. Let me know if you need any tech support, okay?“”
As Todd practically fled the copy room, Laura’s mind raced. His comment about glitches being “convenient” during stock takes seemed oddly specific. Was he hinting at deliberate manipulation of the system?
Throughout the day, Laura continued her subtle interrogation of her coworkers. She chatted with Jerry from shipping about their tracking procedures, probed Rachel in customer service about any complaints related to missing items, and even managed to corner Bob, the surly warehouse manager, for a few questions about security protocols.
With each conversation, Laura’s suspicions grew. There was a palpable tension in the air, a sense that people were holding back. Even the most innocuous questions about inventory procedures were met with evasive answers and nervous glances.
By the end of the day, Laura had compiled a mental list of potential suspects. Bob, the warehouse manager, seemed particularly defensive when questioned about access to high–security areas. Mike, the overly friendly delivery driver, had a habit of lingering around the loading dock even when he didn’t have any pickups scheduled.
As she drove home that evening, Laura’s mind buzzed with theories and questions. She was onto something big, she was sure of it. But she needed more concrete evidence before she could take her suspicions to management.
Little did Laura know, her unofficial investigation was about to take her down a path that would shake the very foundations of her
world.
