“About forty-six minutes before you held the door.”
“And you came here dressed like that?”
Elena looked down at the mint-striped robe.
“What's wrong with how I’m dressed?”
“Nothing.”
His answer came too quickly.
Lucy said:
“Dad thinks it’s fancy.”
Ethan looked at the sky as if requesting patience from God.
Elena smiled.
Then looked toward Gary.
His fear had transformed him.
Shoulders smaller.
Voice softer.
Face suddenly full of concern.
“Ms. Sterling, I had absolutely no idea.”
Elena’s smile disappeared.
“I know.”
Gary stepped forward.
“If you had identified yourself—”
“No.”
The word cut cleanly.
He stopped.
Elena placed the folder on her lap.
“That sentence is exactly why we’re going to have a problem.”
Gary swallowed.
“I meant—”
“You mean you would have treated me differently if you knew I owned the company.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Elena continued:
“I offered a second card.”
“You refused to process it.”
“You threw my first card onto the floor.”
“You told me to leave.”
“You pulled my prescription.”
“You never asked why the insurance rejection looked wrong.”
“And you became polite approximately twelve seconds after learning my title.”
Gary’s hands trembled.
“I was under pressure.”
“So was I.”
“There was a line.”
“The people in that line told you they could wait.”
“I made a judgment call.”
“Yes.”
Elena looked at him.
“That’s the part I want to understand.”
Gary seemed confused.
“You're firing me.”
Ethan glanced at her.
Elena said:
“I haven’t decided.”
Gary looked almost relieved.
The executive beside her looked surprised.
Elena continued:
“First, every camera recording from today gets preserved.”
“Every customer complaint from the past eighteen months.”
“Every prescription rejection override.”
“Every transfer-out request.”
“Every cash-price discrepancy.”
“Every accessibility complaint.”
Gary’s relief vanished.
“And until review is complete, you will not supervise this store.”
His face tightened.
“You're suspending me.”
“Yes.”
“With pay.”
Gary almost protested.
Then realized that would be foolish.
Elena turned to the executive.
“Call compliance.”
“Independent review.”
“No district management filtering.”
“Tonight.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
Then Elena looked at Ethan.
He was uncomfortable now.
Not intimidated.
Uncomfortable with becoming part of something bigger than his original action.
She said:
“Mr. Cole.”
“Ethan.”
“Ethan.”
“You’re a witness.”
He sighed.
“I knew this would get complicated.”
Lucy grinned.
Elena almost smiled.
“It already was.”
Ethan gave a statement.
So did the elderly customer.
The woman with the toddler.
The cashier.
The pharmacy technician.
Elena did not ask any of them to exaggerate.
The truth was enough.
By 6:30 that evening, Main Street Pharmacy was temporarily being managed by a pharmacist from a neighboring location.
Gary had gone home.