"I guess not, but there must be some mistake," I replied, embarrassed at the way people in the store were staring. "We didn't steal anything!"

"Yes, ma'am, if you'll just follow me," the man said in a serious voice as he led us down the hall to a flight of stairs. After a short climb, we arrived in a large office where a man in a suit and tie was waiting. He stood up when we were led in.

"Do you have any idea what theft costs this company?" he shouted at me. "I- I don't know, but I didn't steal anything! And neither did my daughters!" I replied as the security guard who had stopped us took my purse and dumped it out.

"What is this woman's name?" the man in the tie asked the guard, who had picked up my driver's license.

"Blair Vincent," the man replied.

"Right, I'm Blair Vincent and these are my daughters, Amy and Jenny. We shop here all the time! You can't really believe that-" I started to complain but he cut me off.

"What I can't believe, Mrs. Vincent, is that you would steal in front of your own children! What kind of example does that set?"

"But I didn't steal anything!" I insisted.

"Oh, so you're saying it was one of your daughters? Which one?" he asked, eyeing fourteen-year-old Amy and six-year-old Jenny suspiciously.

"Neither!" I replied, then looked at my little girls. They looked scared to death, but could one of them have actually stolen something? "Did you find anything in her purse?" the man who was doing most of the talking asked.

"Afraid not. Looks like we're going to have to search her, sir," the security guard piped up.

"Search me?" I gasped.

"Afraid so, Mrs. Vincent. Remove your clothing," the guard said, sitting down on the table.

"I most certainly will not!" I shot back angrily.

"As you wish. Dave, call the police. I want all three of them arrested for shoplifting!" the manager said, getting up and starting to walk out the door.

"Wait, you can't have us arrested! Not my girls!" I squeaked, imagining my children taken away by the cops in handcuffs.

"I can and I will, Mrs. Vincent!" the store manager replied firmly, "unless you can prove to me that I don't have a reason to."

"But- but-" I stuttered, "Oh, okay. I'll do it, just don't call the police."......(cont)