In a semi-comatose state, I drove across the valley into the retail capitol of the area, and I think I passed one other car, obviously driving home from a night out. Me? I am just pulling into the lot I had left just a handfull of hours ago. there are two cars in the lot when i arrive. I know one is the opening manager's vehicle, the other I hope is the cleaner's SUV. I park and walk across the lot through the silent, but damned cold, early, morning air, to the brightly lit entrance. I peek in from the side and see no one. Trying to avoid a scene, I dial the inside phone number. Like the diligent employee she is, she ignores the phone while the store is closed. I stand peeking into the store like a kid staring at the Red Ryder BB Gun inside, just looking for any signs of life at this point, so I can be permitted inside. Finally, after seeing no evidence of people near the front, I gave the doorbell a short blast. Within a minute, the manager appears and opens the door for me.
"Good morning... do we have two guys here cleaning tonight?"
"No, just one guy so far." The words came out of the manager's mouth and bounced through my ears. I had to get her to repeat it. I thought to myself, "If this guy isn't here today, and I am at work at 4:00 am...there will be hell to pay, and he will be going down!"
I rummage through my pockets for my camera and produce a still shot of the guy I am looking for. With a large sigh, the manager said "Yes, hes the one who is here."
I sort of serpentine my way to my office in an effort to stay hidden from the cleaner. I make a few notes about what I will need to ask this guy to get him to confess. So far, every employee apprehension has ended with a confession of more items taken that I had been aware of. I want this to happen again. I had already spoken to the on duty Sergeant from the police department, mainly because he is fluent in Spanish, so i make the call to get him to respond over to the store. Little does this cleaner know...the clock is ticking on his career pushing the broom, and pocketing merchandise.
Within minutes, two officers are at the door. The Spanish speaking Sergeant couldn't possibly have been any more cooperative and friendly. Me, still dazed from lack of sleep.
"So, where is he?" Ah! good question. We then had to search the store for the cleaner. It was the strangest feeling. Here we were looking for a suspected thief, could be behind any corner, in any bathroom or backroom, but I was the one in the lead! Whenever I watched COPS or Dallas SWAT, the unarmed plain clothesed guy was the LAST one in the door. Well not tonight! I led the way as the two uniformed officers fell behind me. When I found the cart with all of the cleaning supplies at the bottom of the stairs leading to the employee rest rooms, Iknew we found him. I stepped back out of the hallway and looked at the cops behind me chatting about what flavor donut they liked best.
"He's upstairs in the bathroom..." I waited for their response.
"Ok. You going to get him or are we waiting for him to come down..." I listened closely and it was fairly clear that "cops going upstairs to get him" wasn't an option.
"Nope, I'll get'em." I said as I walked the cleaning cart and headed up the stairs. When I reached the top and pushed open the door, I wasn't sure who was more startled, me or the hispanic male who jumped back into the lockers behind him.
"Hi." I started simple.
"Speak English?" Now I was just getting to the point. He responded with a smile and said..
"A leetle..." (I heard that, you all just said it out loud...)
I pointd to myself and said... "Manager....comprende?" He nodded yes. Thank God.
"Come with me , uno momento.." as I motioned for him to follow me. He dropped the roll of paper towels and followed. He didn't know there were two police officers waiting for him in the Toy Department as we walked back down the stairs. As I pulled him down the hall out onto the sales floor the Sergeant yells out...
"Hola Senor!" My work here was done.
After some Spanish pleasantries, the Sergeant asked if I wanted to go to my office. On my desk were the notes I had prepared. I wnated to ask specific questions, but never did it with an interpreter before. Do I look at bad guy, do I look at the Sergeant...do I ask the question or just tell the Sergeant what I want to ask...oh the trials and tribulations....atleast in my head . Once we got settled, the Sergeant explained why we were here. I could tell it was going to be fun when the guy was already shaking his head no.... to something being said. Finally the Sergean paused and looked at me for direction.
"Have you ever taken anything from here without paying for it since you started working here?"
In severely broken English I made out the words Soda and Chips. As expected, the cleaners do eat while they are in the store....on us. By the time the back and forth interview came to a close, he had admitted to several Cokes and several Chips. He added one other thing.
"Oh too I took Pinnysoul."
The Sergeant and I looked at each other puzzled, mouthing the word...."pinnysoul."
(I will let you figure that out. It took me a while, I am not just giving you that one!)
"How about any movies?"
He shook his head no.
"How about the movie, "Low Riders?"
He shook his head no.
"Do you know we have cameras all over the store and we see what you take and not take?"
He shook his head yes.
"Do you understand that I saw a video of you taking a movie called Low Riders?"
He sat up in his chair and explained quite animated,
"I peeked it up....look....put down....sweep floor..."
Knowing I have a viddeo and photographs of him pocketing the DVD I asked...
"Ever put that DVD in your pocket...ever?"
He looked at the Sergeant and insisted "No."
Well, this went on for longer than it should have, so I finally pulled out photographs, which were still shots of the video.
"Is this you?" I showed the hispanic male the picture. He studied it and replied, "Si."
"Is this you holding the DVD?" Again with the "Si."
"Is this one you putting the DVD in your pocket?"
He sits back in his chair and replies... "No."
I looked up at the Sergeant who is just smiling and shrugging.
We wrapped up the interview with a stalemate. I was never going to get him to admit the movie, although all three of us were looking at it. I didnt need him to tell me what I was seeing, so we moved on.
"Ok, you are no longer employed here, understand that?" With a little help from the interpreter he understood he was no longer a working man.
We stood up to escort him from the store and I said in plain English,
"Do you need to get anything from the back room or do you have everything?"
He looked at me and pulled out his keys saying "No."
I followed him out of the office thinking...so, once again, a hispanic male knows more English than he led us to believe. Shocking.
In another minute or two, I was thanking the officers, locking the door, and looking around at a partially lit, empty salesfloor. I was only at work for 45 minutes, I had fired an employee, racked up another point on my quota of apprehensions...but I just wanted to go back to bed.
"Pinnysoul"...think about it.
Pine-sol!!!???!!! I theenk!!
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SueAnn