Soooo Close.

With two hours left in an otherwise dead shift... I glanced up at the monitor and noticed four people entering the electronics department. They seem to overtake the department as they all separated and entered different aisles. I sat up, not that my feet were up, and zoomed in on the shot of that department. I then noticed, it was two females, and two males. They wandered around the aisles then eventually gathered near the PSP, XBOX, NINTENDO display case. Ha! I remember you people!!

It suddenly dawned on me, our buddies with the fraudulent credit cards have visited us again! Just as they asked the employee for some help, I rang the phone at that register.

"Just give me a Yes or No...are they our credit card buddies again?"

"Yep."

I hung up and left the office preparing for another fraudulent transaction, and try to decide what I was going to do about it. I went right to the front door and planted myself between them and their exit. I wanted to notify the police department, but I wasn't sure if it was definitely the same people. I waited.

Eventually, all four left the store with nothing in their hands. I watched them walk to their car and dialed the electronics employee. I was advised they only asked questions about merchandise and never attempted to buy anything. Glad I didn't jump the gun and have them surrounded by police officers. However, something told me to keep an eye on these folks. From the front door, I watched them pile into a small white car with New York tags. This didn't surprise me since I knew they used rental cars every time they come in. So far, they haven't changed their M.O.

I nonchalantly walked to my car and as they pulled out of the lot, so did I. I kept my distance enough to see what direction they turned, but not close enough for them to realize I was still watching.

I saw them weave through traffic, which made it even easier to keep an eye on them, and finally get on a highway that leads right to our neighboring store. I called that store as I drove and gave them a heads up that these people were back in action, and just left my store. I then got stuck behind a slow moving truck and lost sight of them. Forunately, my sports car was a little bit faster than their four door sedan, and soon I was arriving outside the other store, just in time to see the four exiting their car again in their lot.

I called inside and told the LP there that I was outside, and that the four entering the store right now, was them. Unfortunately, the LP on duty was a new part time guy, who barely knew the history, and wasn't really sure who I was. I parked far away, and walked into a vestibule of the neighboring bookstore. From there I could watch the car, and outside the front door of the store. I advised the other LP, if he needs me, I would be waiting outside. We stayed in contact by cell phone, and he kept me overly-updated as to their actions inside his store. I knew when they reached the DVD aisle, when they walked toward the register, and when they picked their noses. It seemed this guy was all over them. He then told me they tried to buy something with a credit card, but the card was declined. They would be coming outside any minute, again empty handed.

I cracked open the bookstore door and peeked down the sidewalk to watch the four exit the store. Sure enough, they came out one behind the other and started walking across the lot. Suddenly, one of the girls turned around and walked back to the sidewalk, where there were several racks filled with clearance items. Just before the girl reached the sidewalk, a customer from the bookstore tried to come out of the store behind me. I stepped out, politely held the door for her, and stepped back inside. The next time I looked down the walk, I saw the girl walking away from the sidewalk carrying a large package containing a comforter toward the car.

I put the cell phne back to my ear...

"Hey, did she pay for that comforter she has?"

"What comforter?" the voice replied. "I wasn't watching, I was on another computer..."

He had one assignment: Watch these four people until they are gone. He rewound the video quickly and then said..

"No! I see it now! She just grabbed it off the rack and walked away!"

Yeah, no kidding. I watched as they all piled back in the car and began to pull away before the LP came outside to meet me. A stroke of luck then hit... I thought.

"They stopped right up there and went into the pizza joint! What do you want to do?" Translated: CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE STILL HERE!

He pulled out his cell phone, and then said... "Wish I could get Steve to answer." Steve, the guy I often work with in cases like these, was off, and nowhere near the store, but this guy wanted to talk to him before stopping a shoplifter? I was stunned...and frustrated.

"Do you think we should get involved?" the new LP asked me.

"If this was my store, the police department would be here by now, but this is your store. You do what you do here. They are right there in the lot, I have a license plate if you want to give it to them..." His face looked scared to death. "Look, credit card transactions are one thing, but now they finally made a mistake and stole something from the store! If you call the police, I will back you up, it was my idea, do you want me to call?"

Finally, after debating for a few minutes, he dialed 911. As expected, the four then came out of the restaurant and walked to the car. I could hear the LP still explaining what store he was at. This wasn't going well.

Again, I stood on the curb and watched the car disappear into traffic as two police cars came screeching into the lot. I wanted to just get in my car and drive away. I watched as the LP explained his version of what happened to the two officers. I provided my name and said goodbye. Just as I opened my car door, one of the officers called to me.

"Next time you see these guys, or something like that happen, call us right away, don't wait."

Really?