The day was going smoothly—normal. Her boss had finished his meeting with the AutoZone deputy manager, and the man said goodbye with a polite nod to her and a firm handshake to her boss. Nothing happened beyond a few fleeting glances between them before her boss retreated back into his office until noon. At 1:30 p.m., he rushed out of his office, running late for a business lunch with an old colleague. There were more glances, but nothing out of the ordinary, which she considered a blessing.

Wh