Has Some Baggage With The Truth

(I am walking across our very large store and come across a handbag sitting on the floor. I look around for the owner, but no one is in sight, so I pick it up and carry it to the counter.)

Me: *to coworker* “I just found this handbag on the floor; I don’t know who it belongs to.”

Coworker: “Okay, I’m sure someone will come looking for it.”

(Ten minutes later, the manager rushes up with a regular customer behind her.)

Manager: “[Regular]’s handbag has been stolen.”

Me: *picking up bag* “Is this it?”

Customer: “Yes! How did you get it?”

Me: “I found it sitting in the middle of the store; no one was near it.”

Customer: “That’s not true; I was never out of sight of it.”

Me: “Sorry, but it was by [items], and I looked around, and figured it would be safer if I picked it up.”

Customer: *to Manager* “Your staff should know not to take customer’s handbags.”

Manager: “Hold on. You were asking me about [other items], three aisles away from where she found the bag, before you even noticed it was gone.”

Customer: “But I only just put it down because it was so heavy.”

(The manager just looked at me, shaking her head.)