Serial: Down the River – Chapter Twenty-One

I’m finally revisiting the characters from The River City Chronicles nine years after their original timeline. I’ll be running the series weekly here on my blog, and then will release it in book form at the end of the run. Hope you enjoy catching up with all your faves and all their new secrets!

Today, Matteo figures out how to catch a thief, and Ainsley has a surprise client at Ragazzi…

< Read Chapter 20 | Read Chapter 22 >

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Chapter Twenty-One
The Thief and the Artist

Matteo stared at the list.

It was neatly lettered in his own hand, lining out all the employees at Ragazzi who had access to the cash drawer. He had narrowed it down to three who had been working on each of the nights the cash drawer had been short:

• Ainsley Kim
• Alex Masters
• Justin Sims
• Giovanni Mazzocco-Bellei

He’d discarded Gio right away. He couldn’t believe that his adopted son would steal from them—he had everything he needed, and a decent salary besides.

That left two servers and an expediter.

Alex and Justin had worked at Ragazzi for years. Alex was shallow and a bit vain—and apparently an ex of Brad’s—but Matteo had never thought of him as a thief.

Justin was their longest-employed expediter—nine years now—and didn’t have a dishonest bone in his body.

Which left Ainsley. She was suspect, if only because she was newest of the three. But she seemed like a good kid. Hard to believe she would do this.

Matteo sighed. There was no sure way to know who’d taken money from the till. They didn’t use surveillance cameras in the restaurant—maybe he’d have to revisit that decision after this debacle, but he hated the idea.

Still, he had a plan. He’d scheduled each of the three employees on separate shifts, and would wait and see if the cash drawer came up short again during any of them. Then he’d have to confront whoever seemed to be at fault.

He rubbed his temples, glaring at the list. He hated this sort of thing. He just wanted to run a good restaurant, with people who were like family.

The theft was a betrayal, and he was not looking forward to finding the thief.

#

Ainsley rushed from table to table, doing her best to keep everyone happy. They were short-staffed—usually Alex and Justin were on shift with her, but tonight she was paired with Margaret, a sweet but not particularly fleet-of-foot woman who often forgot customer orders, but still insisted she was able to keep it “all in my head.”

Connor was a perfectly fine expediter, but he’d called in sick with Covid. It was easy to forget, sometimes, that it was going around. Life had returned to some semblance of normal, and it was rare to see folks masking any longer.

The lovely Sophia was at the bar, but she didn’t serve food. That left Ainsley basically alone on the floor.

She sidled up to her latest table, and pulled out her portable cash register system, the one named after a crunchy breakfast food. “My name is Ainsley, and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

The dark-haired man looked up at her and smiled. “Yes please. I’d like a Negroni, no ice.”

Her mouth fell open. “It’s… you’re… I mean…” She shook her head, trying to clear it, to force sensible words to come out. “Jun Seo.”

His grin got even wider. “Yes, I am. Though I’m a little surprised to be recognized on this side of the ocean.”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. That was so unprofessional of me. I’ll get your drink right out for you.” She turned around and practically ran to the bar, not daring to look back. She leaned as far across the dark wooden surface as she could without falling over the other side. “Is the dark-haired Korean man by the window looking at me?” she whispered to Sophia.

The bartender looked over Ainsley’s shoulder. “Oooh, he’s handsome. Nope, he’s looking at his menu… wait. Yup. Totally staring at you.”

Her face flushed. “He’s… can I get a Negroni, neat?”

“Of course.” The bartender poured the drink. “Who is that?”

“He’s just an artist whose work I love. He’s in town for a gallery opening later this week.” She closed her eyes. “I can’t believe he’s sitting in my section.”

Sophia grinned. “And you’re too shy to talk to him.” She walked the drink around the counter and took Ainsley by the hand. “Come on.”

“What are you doing?” It came out as a squeak as Sophia dragged her back across the room.

“What you won’t.” She plonked the drink down on Jun Seo’s table. “Are you the famous artist?”

Ainsley felt a full-body blush coming on, starting from her feet.

He laughed pleasantly. “In some circles.”

Sophia nodded. “I’m not much for art, but my friend here really is, and she says you’re the shit.”

She sputtered “I didn’t say that—”

“Her own work is really good. You should have her help on your show.”

Ainsley’s mind went in three directions at once. Why is she doing this? What will he think of me? When did she see my work? Oh yes, when she came over that one time…

It had been a brief fling while Sophia and her boyfriend Caleb had been broken up, and they’d decided—mutually—that it should become nothing more. But back to the matter at hand. “I’m so sorry for Sophia, Mr. Seo…”

Jun Seo was grinning. Damn, he was handsome. Almost handsome enough that she’d have switched teams, if he asked. Almost. “I think it’s a fantastic idea. I love to meet fresh new artists. Do you know the Red Roof Gallery?”

She nodded, trying to get words out. In proper order. “It’s… He… the owner was in here a few nights ago.” She hoped she didn’t seem to be too much of a blathering idiot. “Yes, I know it.”

“Perfect. Come by tomorrow morning around nine.”

“I’d love that.” She had a chemistry class in the morning, but she could skip one class…

He nodded and took a sip of the Negroni. “This is excellent. Thank you. When you’re ready, I’d like to order.”

Ainsley shot daggers at Sophia, who just smiled back, as if she were the most innocent girl in the world, and backed away.

Ainsley took a deep breath, pushed an errant strand of hair behind her left ear, and fell back on her waiter training. “Of course, Mr. Seo. What can I get you?”

< Read Chapter 20 | Read Chapter 22 >

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Like what you read? if you haven’t tried it yet, check out book one, The River City Chronicles, here.