"So do I."
He looked surprised.
Amara continued.
"I wish someone had made it easier for you to speak sooner. That responsibility belongs to management too."
For the first time, Daniel's shoulders relaxed.
Gloria Bennett arrived for her interview carrying the same notebook she had held during the meeting.
She had been with Ebony Elegance for six years. She had started as a part-time stockroom assistant and gradually become one of the people who knew the Manhattan store's inventory better than anyone else.
She remembered where discontinued colors were stored, which handbag models had changed hardware, and which shoe styles tended to run narrow.
She also remembered Evelyn Parker.
"I knew that woman," Gloria said.
Amara looked up.
"Mrs. Parker?"
"Yes. She came in during the spring. She was polite. Very polite. She asked if we had a burgundy handbag in the smaller size."
"What happened?"
"Victor was standing near the front display. He heard her asking questions and came over."
Gloria paused.
"He asked whether she was looking for something specific. She said she was buying a gift for her granddaughter. She wanted to compare two styles."
"And then?"
"He told her the store was not a place for window shopping."
Amara felt the words land again.
"What did you do?"
"I was in the stockroom doorway. I heard him. I came out and offered to help her."
"Did Victor stop you?"
"He said he had it handled."
"Did you continue?"
"I asked Mrs. Parker if she wanted to see the burgundy style. She said yes. Victor told me to return to the stockroom."
"Did you?"
Gloria looked down.
"Yes."
Amara waited.
"She left a few minutes later."
"Did you report what happened?"
"I spoke to Lauren."
"What did Lauren say?"
"She said it wasn't right. She told Victor he shouldn't have spoken to the woman that way."
"Did Lauren make a formal report?"
"I don't know. I never saw one."
"Why didn't you?"
Gloria gave a small, tired laugh.
"Because I was afraid of losing my hours. I'm not proud of that."
"Did Victor change your schedule afterward?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"He started putting me on closing shifts. Sometimes I worked until nearly midnight. I have an elderly mother who needs help in the evenings. I asked him whether I could return to my previous schedule."
"What did he say?"
"He said people who weren't committed to the store shouldn't expect special treatment."
Amara wrote that down.
"Did you tell Patricia Reynolds?"
"No."
"Rachel Moore?"
"No."
"Anyone in headquarters?"
"No."
Gloria closed her notebook.
"I kept thinking someone above him would notice. I thought the cameras would show what happened. I thought the complaints would eventually catch up with him."
"Did they?"
"Not until now."
Amara looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Gloria blinked.
"For what?"
"For creating a system where you believed you had to choose between doing the right thing and keeping your job."
Gloria's eyes filled.
She quickly looked away.
"I don't want special treatment."
"You aren't asking for it."
"I just want to do my work without being made to feel like I'm disposable."
Amara nodded.
"That is a reasonable expectation."
Tasha Reed's interview was different.
She entered the room with her arms folded and a guarded expression.
"I don't know what you're expecting me to say," she began.
"Whatever is true."
Tasha sat.
"Victor was difficult. Everybody knows that. But this is a luxury store. There are standards. We can't act like every customer is going to buy something."
Amara did not interrupt.
Tasha continued.
"People come in, try on shoes, ask us to bring out five different sizes, take pictures, and leave. Sometimes they spend two hours here and don't purchase anything. Meanwhile, another customer is waiting."
"That's frustrating," Amara said.
"Exactly."
"How did Victor handle it?"
"He wanted us to focus on people who were likely to buy."
"How did you know who was likely to buy?"
Tasha hesitated.
"Experience."
"What kind of experience?"
"How they dressed. Whether they seemed familiar with the products. Whether they asked about prices immediately."
"Could someone dress casually and still afford a handbag?"
"Of course."
"Could someone wear an expensive watch and have no intention of purchasing anything?"
Tasha's expression tightened.
"Yes."
"Then appearance isn't a reliable measure."
"I suppose not."
Amara folded her hands.
"Did Victor ever instruct you to treat someone differently because of their appearance?"
Tasha was quiet.
"Yes."
"Tell me about it."
"He told us not to spend too much time with people who looked like they were only browsing."
"Did you follow that instruction?"
"Sometimes."
"Can you give me an example?"
Tasha looked toward the door.
"There was a woman who came in wearing a delivery uniform. She asked to see a pair of shoes because her daughter was graduating. I told her the style was expensive and showed her something cheaper."
"Did she ask for a cheaper option?"
"No."
"Did you ask what she wanted?"
"No."
"Why did you do that?"
Tasha's face reddened.
"I assumed."
"Based on what?"
"Her uniform."
Amara nodded.