Late in the afternoon the front door opened and Mr. Carter walked in. He owned the store and visited every so often without advance notice. He carried his usual small notebook and pen. His eyes moved slowly over every display and station as soon as he stepped inside. Cole and Elara both saw him arrive but neither changed pace or posture. They kept doing exactly what they had been doing all shift.
Mr. Carter went straight to the register where Cole stood. He nodded a quick greeting then flipped his book open. “Just a routine spot check today. I want to see how the new operating guidelines are being followed. I heard you two have been sticking close to them already.”
Cole answered in a steady clear voice. “Yes sir. We treat every step and conversation exactly as written. All work related a
