Night Shift (Book 1, the Night Shift series)

Chapter Two

Daniel arrived at Willard's an hour before his shift. He paused for a moment on the white marble tile of the circular foyer. A golden colored tree wrapped in twinkling lights formed a canopy of stars over his head. The Gift Shop to his right was bursting with shoppers trying to find the perfect souvenir before the store closed.

Unlike most department stores with wide open areas and high ceilings, Willard's was composed of smaller sections connected by archways and curving corridors. A shopper could discover new sections by going up a small spiral staircase, or down a few steps into a sunken room.

Housewares had lavish dining room displays set with crystal glasses and polished silverware. An intimate seating arrangement in Home Furnishings was propped with a cashmere lap blanket and a bookmarked paperback, giving the impression the reader had just left the room.

Every display in every department was a vignette of luxury, illuminated by some intangible quality—little, pretend worlds to play in, if only for the day. Willard's wasn't selling merchandise, Daniel guessed, it was selling dreams.

He walked around clusters of well-dressed women sauntering along the jewelry counters, and headed straight for the security office. Daniel gripped the door knob, but then he paused, wondering if he should knock first—Mr. Oliver didn't strike him as the chatty type.

An eruption of raised voices suddenly came through the keyhole. Daniel backed up, not keen on interrupting an argument his first shift. He waited in the middle of the aisle, but after a few minutes the voices were still going strong. Daniel looked at his watch and decided he had time to wander a bit, and hopefully bump into Monique.

The elevator was the old fashioned kind with a steel pull gate. He stepped inside and was greeted by a gentleman wearing a navy blue jacket and hat with a golden W on the front.

"Which floor?" The attendant smiled.

"First, please," Daniel said, silently giving thanks that the security guards didn't have to wear hats.

With a white gloved hand, the attendant pushed a button. "Ladies Fashion and Housewares," he said with a bravado that seemed ridiculous to Daniel. The old machine rattled and began to rise. The walls were painted gold and covered in a perfectly spaced pattern of tiny blue W's. Daniel squinted, wondering how the attendant didn't go cross-eyed looking at this view all day.

Above the gate, a blue half circle was marked with the floor indicators from G, for ground floor, up to the number four, where Daniel guessed the restaurant, The Matinee Room, was located. He watched the golden arrow, now pointing at the G, slowly move up. It stopped at the one, and a gentle bell dinged.

Daniel unbuttoned his pea coat, feeling foolish roving through all the fancy dresses. Circular racks of endless outfits dotted the large floor space. Rows of countertops displaying purses and belts created tiny glass mazes. He turned a few times, trying to locate the grand staircase to orient himself. He checked his watch again, and then shoved his hands in his jean pockets, suspicious Monique had set him up.

"May I be of service?" The voice was sultry and just behind his shoulder.

A smile automatically curled the edge of Daniel's mouth. Relief mixed with jittery anxiety as he turned to face Monique. She was once again in her blue vest and gold tie, just like all the clerks at Willard's, but Daniel noticed Monique had a knack for standing out.

She looked quite satisfied that he'd come to her area. "You showed up for night shift after all," she teased. "I guess ghosts don't bother you."

He laughed and shook his head. "I don't scare that easily."