Working Novel

Chapter 1

It was just after 3 pm and the store was moderately busy. Mark toggled between cameras in his dark office lit only by the colored monitors in front of him. In each view, racks of clothes folded and hanging, were all displayed in neat and perfect lines, alternating in color, with no two like colors touching. The Dress pants were folded over their hanger once with sharp crease lines threating to cut the first hand attempting to disrupt their order. Numerous bright colored Jackets hung on a circler rack near one of the entrances. Their bright yellow discount stickers screaming for attention as thrifty shoppers slid them left, and then right. Each slide sounded off like a butcher sharpening his knife before its intended use.

Darting in and out of each CCTV screen toggled, eager sales representatives stalked their prey, while at the same time, glaring at the others, warning off the competition. The intensity was increased as the prey shuffled their feet quickly, tracking the floor with their eyes in an attempt not to be noticed. The struggle was real, and everyone was out for number one. There would be no cooperating for the good of the overall sales numbers. Off season was tracked by individual contributors.

In the retail business we called this the off season run. Sales representatives had spent all of their money when it poured like an endless fountain during peak season. Now it was as if God himself was standing next to the faucet tightening the shut off valve and laughing. Bills would be pushed off, cars would be repossessed, and the late-night bars would be closing early as their customers either chose to be sober or muster up the change needed for the always reliable Old E 40's.

Out of the corner of his eye Mark caught movement like the sudden disappearance of a shadow caught only by the tiny corner of one's eye, not able to catch the full view just enough to cause curiosity. Like anyone else Mark's position as a Loss Prevention Detective he followed his suspicion and pulled up a camera, he guessed, was in front of the possible direction of travel. Squinting Mark looked for any movement and studied every inch of the monitor just long enough to realize he was holding his breath. What was it he saw? What was it that caused this curiosity?

Day in and day out Mark arrives at work and is paid to watch the numerous screens in what he refers to as his dark room. His performance is evaluated every year by how many shoplifters he can identify and apprehend after his suspects are observed completing the five stages of retail theft. The first step is always the easiest. They watched individual starts by scouring the ceiling attempting to identify the soulless black eye. The black eye with no pupil and champion of every known staring contest. Next the watched looks across the store. If no eye contact is made with the gate keepers working the registers or the guards watching their departments the suspect is free to move on.

Steps two and three are almost the same motion. Selection and concealment. The experienced do this with multiple items in one fluid motion like a shooter in a speed competition. Two point nine seconds off the shelf and into the pants leg or coat pocket. The inexperienced will not see the anti-theft device and get caught right after the finish line. Next comes the walk.

Most thieves will walk the store numerous times like a curious shopper. There are two reasons for this, the first is to reduce the chances the loss prevention detectives will be able to maintain surveillance while they hold the item. The second is to draw out the time under surveillance and allow distractions to help break the essence of constant surveillance. Most of these distractions come as the newcomers run the door sounding off alarms from the anti-theft devices still left on the products.

The last step is only a benefit to the quickest pair of legs. The goal of the mouse is to cross the register line and get to their car before the cat breaks out of the door marked fire exit and catches them. The rules are simple, the cat cannot start perusing until the mouse crosses the register line. Most would think the mouse has the advantage, but the cat has also been known to hunt in packs, hence the use of the inexperienced as a distraction.

Mark has an advantage. See the mice always end up getting caught sooner or later, ending or at least, forcing them to take some time off. Mark has been catching these thieves every day for the last 10 years right after he graduated from High School. In fact, it was an unexpected run in with his now mentor, when he was in school that led him to where he was today.