“Ceramic spray is not barely anything.”
Madison folded her arms.
“You inventorying every ounce now?”
“I’m trying to figure out why we were short.”
Lauren stepped in.
“We’ve done it before.”
That surprised Alyssa.
“How many times?”
Neither answered.
Alyssa looked from one to the other.
“Guys.”
Madison rolled her eyes.
“Maybe four.”
Lauren said, “Five.”
Madison glared at her.
Alyssa exhaled.
“You can’t run your own detailing business out of Ridgeway after hours.”
“It isn’t a business.”
“You got paid.”
“So?”
“So stop.”
Madison stared.
“That’s it?”
“What else do you want me to say?”
“You going to tell Ray?”
Alyssa hesitated.
“Not if it stops.”
Lauren immediately nodded.
“Done.”
Madison looked less grateful.
“You don’t have to cover for us.”
“I’m not covering anything.”
“Sounds like you are.”
Alyssa’s patience thinned.
“I’m giving both of you a chance to stop before it becomes something I have to report.”
Madison smiled.
“You really enjoy this supervisor thing.”
Alyssa opened the supply-room door.
“Conversation over.”
For almost three weeks, no after-hours cars appeared.
Then a white Mercedes arrived at 7:30 on a Sunday.
Alyssa was not working.
Raymond’s camera alerts were.
He called her Monday morning.
“You know anything about somebody using Bay Two last night?”
Alyssa already knew what the question meant.
She felt sick.
When she arrived at work, Raymond showed her the footage.
Madison.
Lauren.
Another cash detail.
This time they had used a machine polisher.
The customer called Ridgeway later that morning.
A circular patch of clear coat on the rear quarter panel had been burned by the polisher.
He wanted the shop to pay.
Madison had apparently told him the work was “through Ridgeway” when he asked whether she was insured.
That changed everything.
Raymond called both women into his office.
Alyssa sat in the corner because she had been the supervisor who originally discovered the first incident.
Madison looked at her the entire time.
Raymond remained calmer than Alyssa expected.
“You used my shop after closing.”
Madison nodded.
“You used my products.”
“Yes.”
“You took payment privately.”
“Yes.”
“And you represented the job as Ridgeway work.”
Madison shook her head.
“I didn’t say exactly that.”
The customer had text messages.
Raymond read one.
We can do it at the shop. Same equipment we use on customers every day.
Madison looked away.
Raymond rubbed his forehead.
“I should fire both of you.”
Lauren started crying.
Madison did not.