Chapter 7

When I got back to the office, Shane was talking to Peter. "She's been too influenced by her mother. I'll have my lawyer take care of it."

Peter frowned. "Mr. Preston, education isn't about lawsuits."

Shane turned to me. "Serena, you still have time to change your mind."

I placed a sheet of paper on the desk.

"Shane, I'll drop the divorce agreement off at the hospital this afternoon," I said.

Vanessa's head snapped up.

Shane glanced at the paper, like it was some kind of joke.

"Are you sure about this? After the divorce, how are you and Carla supposed to survive?" he asked.

"I'll make it on my own," I replied.

He chuckled. "Running that little shop of yours? Serena, don't confuse your pride with real strength."

I grabbed my bag. "See you this afternoon."

When I got back to the shop, the inspection was already over.

Lily was sitting on a stool, holding a notice of rectification, her face as dark as a burnt tart.

"Serena, they said we're missing a page from the fridge temperature log, and now we have to close for three days to fix it," she said.

Maya stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "I told you guys you were shady."

I glanced at the notice. "Which page is missing?"

The young inspector pointed at the logbook. "Last Wednesday."

Lily jumped up. "No way! I write it down every single day. I was on shift last Wednesday, too."

Maya smirked. "Oh, so just because you say you did, we're all supposed to believe you?"

I flipped to the middle of the logbook and sure enough, a page was missing, the tear still fresh.

I turned to Maya and said, "You were behind the counter last night."

She shot back, "Don't blame me for this."

Lily stormed over. "It had to be you. You ripped it out!"

The staff member stepped in. "Cut it out. The records are incomplete, so we have to follow the rules."

I asked, "What if we can prove the records exist?"

The older inspector replied, "If you can provide the original records or valid proof, we can review it."

Maya scoffed. "What are you gonna use as proof? Did you dream it up?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I walked over to the cash register and pulled out an old logbook.

Lily stared at me, stunned. "Serena, when did you start keeping this?"

I flipped to last Wednesday.

It had the day's deliveries, sales, fridge temperature, and even a goofy sun Lily drew.

Lily slammed her hand on the table. "Yes, that's it. Serena always made me keep two sets every day. She said electronics can break and paper can get lost, so doing it the old-fashioned way is the safest bet."

The young inspector took the logbook and checked it over, his expression softening a bit.

Maya shot back, "How do we know you didn't write it up now?"

The older inspector ran his fingers over the page. "These grease stains are old. Doesn't look like it was just written."

I pointed at the small screen in the corner. "Last night, after Maya came in, she went behind the counter. The footage shows her reaching into the record folder."

Maya's face changed. "Why are there cameras everywhere in your shop?"

Lily grinned. "To keep the thieves out."

After the inspectors watched the footage, their faces grew serious.

The older inspector turned to Maya. "We're going to file this as a malicious report and destruction of business records."

Maya's voice trembled. "I didn't do anything! I flipped through it!"

I said, "You're covering the losses."

Maya shot me a dirty look. "Don't push it."

I said, "Half a day shutdown, canceled reservations, wasted staff hours. I'll send you the invoice."

Maya spun around and stormed off.

Lily shouted after her, "Hey, you still haven't gotten your 11 dollars in change. Guess that settles your debt!"

After the inspector left, Lily flopped down onto a stool. "Serena, I thought we were done for."

I ripped off a copy of the rectification notice and kept it. "It's going to take more than that to shut this place down."

Lily looked at me. "Did you know she was gonna pull something shady?"

I said, "The Prestons always use the same old tricks."

She stared at the old logbook and suddenly whispered, "Serena, what did you do before? Who runs a bakery and keeps records more detailed than a hospital chart?"

I slid the logbook back into the drawer. "Just a baker, that's all."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Like I'd believe that."

My phone rang. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

I picked up.

A middle-aged man spoke up. "Mrs. Clark, you had an appointment to view the shop this afternoon. Are you still coming?"

Lily perked up instantly.

"Let's reschedule for tomorrow," I said.

The man sounded respectful. "Of course, I'll keep the place reserved for you. And by the way, the shop owners on South Street heard you were back in town. They're eager to meet you."

I gave Lily a look and headed for the kitchen. "Not yet."

After I hung up, Lily was waiting by the door.

"South Street? Serena, are you planning to open a branch?" she asked.

"Not yet," I replied.

"How many shop owners want to meet you?"

"A lot of people want to meet me."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Serena, you're hiding something."

I slid the tray into the oven. "Let's get today's toast in first."

She wouldn't let it go. "Did you plan the divorce from the start?"

I paused. "No."

Lily let out a sigh of relief.

I said, "It's already too late."