music store in the Oakdale Mall. They were caught shoplifting."
Anna’s stomach dropped and then flipped over.
"Shoplifting? Are you sure?"
Detective Thomas reached into a drawer on his left and held up a plastic bag containing a brand new Lady Gaga CD. "Your daughter had this in her purse."
"I can’t believe this. She’s never done anything like this before." Incredulous, Anna looked at Mallory. She was staring glumly at the wall on the other side of her as if she expected it to grow gremlins. "Mallory? What’ve you got to say for yourself? Did you steal the CD?"
Mallory’s voice was barely audible. "Yes."
"Why? Why would you do something like steal a CD?"
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know? Of course you know. You have to know. Look at me, Eliza Mallory. Why did you steal a CD?"
Mallory unfolded herself and looked at a spot near the collar of Anna’s shirt. "Terry said it would be fun to put something over on the store. She said it would be real easy, and she’d done it lots of times before." Her eyes flew to the policeman’s as if realizing she’d just incriminated Terry.
Thomas nodded grimly. "Don’t worry. We know she’s done it before. She was picked up for shoplifting at a music store downtown a few months ago."
"Then Terry was arrested, too?" Anna asked.
"Yes. Terry was caught shoplifting when it was discovered she was carrying two CDs in her coat pocket that hadn’t been paid for. The store manager actually discovered your daughter starting to put this one into her purse. Not as much practice, I imagine. Let me make it clear that Mallory has not been arrested. Neither have the two boys. She never actually managed to put the merchandise into her pocket, so we couldn’t hold them."
Anna stared at him. "You didn’t arrest her? Isn’t that why I’m here? To bail her out?"
"No." He smiled. "With a child your daughter’s age, we never arrest them for a charge like this the first time they’re caught. We hope the trauma of being taken to the police station and having the parents called down for a talk will deter most kids from breaking the law again. Her name will go on file here, however, and if she’s ever picked up again, for anything, she’ll be arrested and tried under the juvenile statutes. That’s what is happening to her friend right now. She’s being booked and will be released to her mother’s custody to await her hearing."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not arresting her. I’m sure nothing like this will ever happen again."
He shrugged. "Sometimes kids get in with a bad crowd for a while. Or they act foolishly without thinking. They should have a second chance before their record is marred."
He turned to Mallory. "Young lady." He spoke in a stern, loud voice.
Mallory jumped, and she stared at him, frightened. "Yessir?"
"I hope you realize the seriousness of what has happened here tonight. Shoplifting is classified as petty larceny and, if you are caught doing it again, you will be arrested. There’s not a CD or dress anywhere worth risking being caught for. Maybe Terry has gotten away with stealing several times. Twice now she hasn’t. And if she is convicted for her crime, she could end up in a juvenile home. Is that what you want for yourself?"
Mallory shook her head with caution, as if she might vomit. It was clear she wanted to get out of there and go home. Detective Thomas looked her over with his experienced detective eyes. His expression told Anna her daughter was anything but okay, but he didn’t say anything. Obviously Mallory felt really unwell and it showed on her face.
Anna could almost see the reservation flit across his face. "Mallory," Thomas said, "Be truthful now with me, please. I want to help you. Have you ever done any shoplifting before today's incident? And what did you lift?"
Mallory shrugged, her contrition visible. "A couple of times, with Terry. We each took a CD downtown last week and I hid a top under my shirt at a dress
Anna’s stomach dropped and then flipped over.
"Shoplifting? Are you sure?"
Detective Thomas reached into a drawer on his left and held up a plastic bag containing a brand new Lady Gaga CD. "Your daughter had this in her purse."
"I can’t believe this. She’s never done anything like this before." Incredulous, Anna looked at Mallory. She was staring glumly at the wall on the other side of her as if she expected it to grow gremlins. "Mallory? What’ve you got to say for yourself? Did you steal the CD?"
Mallory’s voice was barely audible. "Yes."
"Why? Why would you do something like steal a CD?"
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know? Of course you know. You have to know. Look at me, Eliza Mallory. Why did you steal a CD?"
Mallory unfolded herself and looked at a spot near the collar of Anna’s shirt. "Terry said it would be fun to put something over on the store. She said it would be real easy, and she’d done it lots of times before." Her eyes flew to the policeman’s as if realizing she’d just incriminated Terry.
Thomas nodded grimly. "Don’t worry. We know she’s done it before. She was picked up for shoplifting at a music store downtown a few months ago."
"Then Terry was arrested, too?" Anna asked.
"Yes. Terry was caught shoplifting when it was discovered she was carrying two CDs in her coat pocket that hadn’t been paid for. The store manager actually discovered your daughter starting to put this one into her purse. Not as much practice, I imagine. Let me make it clear that Mallory has not been arrested. Neither have the two boys. She never actually managed to put the merchandise into her pocket, so we couldn’t hold them."
Anna stared at him. "You didn’t arrest her? Isn’t that why I’m here? To bail her out?"
"No." He smiled. "With a child your daughter’s age, we never arrest them for a charge like this the first time they’re caught. We hope the trauma of being taken to the police station and having the parents called down for a talk will deter most kids from breaking the law again. Her name will go on file here, however, and if she’s ever picked up again, for anything, she’ll be arrested and tried under the juvenile statutes. That’s what is happening to her friend right now. She’s being booked and will be released to her mother’s custody to await her hearing."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not arresting her. I’m sure nothing like this will ever happen again."
He shrugged. "Sometimes kids get in with a bad crowd for a while. Or they act foolishly without thinking. They should have a second chance before their record is marred."
He turned to Mallory. "Young lady." He spoke in a stern, loud voice.
Mallory jumped, and she stared at him, frightened. "Yessir?"
"I hope you realize the seriousness of what has happened here tonight. Shoplifting is classified as petty larceny and, if you are caught doing it again, you will be arrested. There’s not a CD or dress anywhere worth risking being caught for. Maybe Terry has gotten away with stealing several times. Twice now she hasn’t. And if she is convicted for her crime, she could end up in a juvenile home. Is that what you want for yourself?"
Mallory shook her head with caution, as if she might vomit. It was clear she wanted to get out of there and go home. Detective Thomas looked her over with his experienced detective eyes. His expression told Anna her daughter was anything but okay, but he didn’t say anything. Obviously Mallory felt really unwell and it showed on her face.
Anna could almost see the reservation flit across his face. "Mallory," Thomas said, "Be truthful now with me, please. I want to help you. Have you ever done any shoplifting before today's incident? And what did you lift?"
Mallory shrugged, her contrition visible. "A couple of times, with Terry. We each took a CD downtown last week and I hid a top under my shirt at a dress
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