Shoplyfter - Aubree Ice Review

Aubree’s eyes went wide with perfect, Oscar-worthy innocence. “A scarf? I… I don’t have a scarf. I didn’t take anything.”

She drifted to the fragrance section, then to the accessories—a deliberate route known as the “five-finger discount waltz.” She paused at a locked glass case containing silk scarves. The price tag on one, a hand-painted floral orchid design, read $1,200.

“My associate,” Morgan nodded toward Sandra, “observed you selecting merchandise and concealing it in your bag. Specifically, a silk scarf from the designer case.”

Morgan leaned back. The chair creaked. “Aubree. Pretty name. You know why you’re here?” Shoplyfter - Aubree Ice

“I honestly have no idea,” she said, crossing her legs. She looked at the posters on the wall: Shoplifting is a Crime. Up to $10,000 Fine.

He moved to her jean pockets. Empty. He knelt down and checked her boots. Nothing. He stood up, frustrated. His eyes landed on her bralette. The fabric was thin, but there was a slight, unnatural bulge near the left cup.

The Orchid Trap

“Have a seat, Miss…?” he finally said, gesturing to a plastic chair across from him.

She walked to the door and paused.

She unhooked the bralette with her back to him, letting it fall. She turned around, holding it in her hands. Nothing fell out. No scarf. No magnet. Just pale skin and a tiny, silver belly button ring. I didn’t take anything

“The bra,” he said, his voice flat. “Take it off. Or I call a female officer to do it for me. Your choice.”

Morgan’s face flushed. He had been played. There was nothing there.

Sandra held up a hand, her walkie-talkie crackling. “Yes. Could you please come with me for a moment?” Specifically, a silk scarf from the designer case

“You see, Detective, I never stole anything. I wanted you to profile me. I wanted you to bring me back here. I wanted to see how far a man like you would go to ‘find’ a crime that never happened. And you just stripped me in a back room based on a floorwalker’s hunch.”

“The scarf? It was never in my bag. It’s still in the case. You can check the cameras—but oh, wait. You can’t. Because you turned them off in here during the ‘search.’ Standard protocol, right? Privacy.”