When the phone rings at 3:30 in the morning, it is rarely good news. I grabbed the phone before the ringing woke up my husband.
"Hello."
"This is the alarm company for your store on Marine. There has been a report of glass breakage."
"Have the police been dispatched?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. We will be right there."
So began the comedy of errors. I flew into my office while shouting en-route, "Babe, get up. There's been a break-in." Why the alarm company called my home instead the manager's home was a mystery.
I continued to shout with the loudest voice I could "Babe! BABE!" There was no response so I walked back to the bedroom and he was snoring peacefully. At this point, there didn't seem to be any legitimate reason to wake him up.
Finally, my cell booted up, I got Tim's number and called him. "The cops are on the way. There has been a break-in."
I imagined that Tim was out the door before I finished that sentence. He is only five minutes from the store. We are several hours away.
Thirty minutes later, Tim called. He said that our front glass door was completely shattered and it looked as though they tried to reach in and open the door from the inside. The second alarm and flashing lights must have scared them away. I was certainly relieved but knew the cost of the door would be a at least two thousand dollars.
It was 4:45 A.M. Hubby was resting comfortably so thought I would go back to sleep. At 5:15 A.M. the police called.
"Why isn't someone waiting for us at the store?" The officer asked. "Aren't you the owner?"
"Yes sir, but I am not in your town. Our manager has already been there and you weren't."
"What is your manager's name?"
"Tim Chaid. No, wait a minute. That's not his name. That Tim was a friend of mine who died several years ago." The cop must have wondered what blonde bimbo was on this end of the line. I was grasping to remember Tim's name. He has been our manager for over eleven years but with stress, my brain stopped functioning.
"It's Tim Morris. Sorry about that!"
"Is that his legal name?"
"I don't know. I assume it is."
"Why aren't you here?" He persisted.