Most records were ordinary.
A customer purchased an item.
Payment was received.
Inventory decreased.
The goods were delivered.
But a smaller group of transactions raised questions.
And several involved the Manhattan flagship.
The manager who had thrown the owner's handbag was authorized to approve certain high-value merchandise adjustments.
He also had access to special client accounts.
And he had regularly communicated with the finance department about unusual returns.
Again, none of that proved misconduct.
Managers needed authority to handle customer issues.
Luxury retail involved complex transactions.
But the combination warranted closer examination.
Then the blonde saleswoman's notebook supplied a crucial detail.
One entry described a limited-edition handbag arriving at the store, being placed in a private consultation room, then disappearing from inventory before any customer appointment occurred.
The manager told employees it had been transferred to another location.
But the saleswoman remembered seeing the same item carried out of the store by a man who wasn't wearing a company uniform.
She had written down the date.
The approximate time.
And the description of the bag.
The audit team compared her note with the inventory record.
The transaction had been classified as a damaged return.
The bag was later written off.
The timing didn't make sense.
The investigation expanded.
The acting chief executive approached the owner with the preliminary findings.
She was standing beside a window in her office overlooking Manhattan.
On the wall behind her hung a framed photograph of her mother at a sewing machine.
The executive placed a folder on the table.
"We may have another problem."
She turned.
"What kind?"
"Inventory controls."
She opened the folder.
For several minutes, she read.
Then looked up.
"Have we established a loss?"
"Not fully."
She nodded.
"Then don't characterize it as theft yet."
The executive looked surprised.
She continued.
"We need to identify what moved, where it went, who authorized it, and whether the accounting was accurate."
He nodded.
"Of course."
She studied another page.
"Are the relevant systems preserved?"
"Yes."
"Are employee records and communications being handled appropriately?"
"Yes."
She looked toward him.
Then asked, "How long have you suspected something was wrong?"
The executive froze.
For a moment, he seemed unable to answer.