"There were only two of them at first," the second woman added, panic rising again. "But when we came in… there were already two more waiting inside the shop. They said everything was arranged."
Beryl's jaw tightened.
He glanced briefly at the brands stitched onto their dresses, recognition flashing in his eyes. He knew the boutique instantly. Too well.
"Where exactly did you meet them?" he demanded.
"By the fountain," they chorused desperately. "Right in front of the ice cream shop."
Beryl turned without hesitation. "Take them to the police station. Get their official statements."
The words landed like a death sentence.
"Sir, please!" one of them screamed, grabbing at the head of security's pant leg as she was dragged up. "We're ordinary people! We were tempted by greed and poverty
