Chapter 18: Line of Sight and Subtle Sabotage - Part 4

Week 24 – Friday

Another busy day. All Theo could think about was operation rancid oil, but it would be odd if he just stalked outside "Something Fishy" the whole night just to watch the show. Theo concentrated on his own business as best he could, but wasn't really doing a good job. The team noticed Theo was a little different today, an odd smile somewhat evil looking here and there, also making more mistakes than usual. They didn't think too much of it though, there was plenty of work to keep them busy.

Week 24 - Saturday

Saturday night arrived, typically the busiest night of the week. Theo felt a nervous energy, but this time it wasn't just about sales volume. It was about testing Henry. Sarah was due to arrive around 6 PM to finalize the security camera plans. Perfect timing for a live-fire exercise.

Sarah arrived punctually, navigating the already bustling shop with a friendly wave. "Wow, busy again!" she commented, joining Theo near the less-crowded back prep area.

"Tell me about it," Theo said. "Okay, cameras. What did you find?"

Sarah pulled out her tablet. "Right. Based on your layout, budget, and desire for easy access, I strongly recommend going with Amazon Ring. Their PoE (Power over Ethernet) stick-up cams are solid, good resolution, decent night vision, and the app is super user-friendly for remote viewing. Plus, you can integrate a Ring doorbell cam for the front entrance easily. Less complex than some pro systems, but reliable and perfect for this kind of setup." She showed him images, specs, estimated costs for a 4-camera setup plus the doorbell.

"Looks good," Theo agreed quickly after a brief review. Simple, reliable, big brand name. "Let's do it. Can you arrange the install with that contractor you mentioned?"

"Already reached out," Sarah confirmed. "He can do it Tuesday morning if that works?"

"Perfect."

Just then, a fresh wave of customers flooded the front counter. Henry was taking orders, Olivia was packing furiously, Jenny was rushing chips from the fryer.

"Okay," Theo said to Sarah, making a snap decision. "Perfect timing. I need to see how Henry handles the peak rush without me hovering. Let's step out. We can grab dinner nearby, finalize camera placements on your tablet while we eat. My treat."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, surprised but agreeable. "Uh, sure. Testing the second-in-command? Bold move during Saturday dinner rush."

"He's ready," Theo said with more confidence than he perhaps felt. He quickly told Henry, "Henry! Taking Sarah out for an hour to finalize some security stuff. You're in charge. Keep things moving!"

Henry looked momentarily panicked, then squared his shoulders. "Got it, boss! No problem!"

Theo and Sarah slipped out the back door. They walked down the street to a decent, busy Italian restaurant Theo knew. Over pasta and wine, they used Sarah's tablet to map out optimal camera positions on a rough floor plan of the shop. Covering the till, front door, back door, main kitchen area. Sarah offered practical advice on blind spots and wiring runs.

"Thanks, Sarah, that's a huge help," Theo said, feeling a measure of relief about securing the premises. He took another bite of his pasta, then added, "Speaking of help... remember how you said to keep the social media consistent?"

Sarah nodded, taking a sip of her wine. "Yeah? Don't tell me you've already let it slide?" she teased gently.

"Not exactly," Theo countered, allowing himself a small smile. "Actually, I tasked Olivia, the really cheerful one who started Wednesday, with handling the day-to-day posting. Taking food pics, replying to comments, keeping the feed active. Told her to use her best judgment on responses, trying to empower her a bit, get her to take ownership while I focus elsewhere." He leaned forward slightly. "Honestly, you're the expert though. Any chance you could take a thirty-second look? Just see if she's generally on the right track? I haven't had time to really monitor it closely."

"Oh, delegating already! Smart move," Sarah said approvingly, already pulling out her phone and navigating deftly to the shop's new Instagram page Olivia had likely set up or taken over. She scrolled through the recent posts, photos of golden chicken, crispy chips, Henry's deep-fried creations. She tapped on a few comments, reading the replies.

"Okay, wow," Sarah murmured after a minute, looking genuinely impressed. "Her food photos are actually really decent, good lighting, appealing angles. And this reply here to someone asking about gluten-free options? Friendly, informative, perfectly handled." She looked up at Theo, nodding. "Yeah, she's got great instincts for tone. Picking it up super fast."

She scrolled a bit more. "Just maybe," she added, tapping thoughtfully on her screen, "tell her to try mixing in some simple 'behind-the-scenes' stuff occasionally. People connect with that authenticity, maybe a quick shot of Henry prepping the potatoes, or the chickens rotating on the spits. Doesn't have to be slick, just real. And short video clips are gold, even just five seconds of the chips sizzling in the fryer or pulling a perfectly cooked chicken off the rotisserie. Motion grabs way more attention in the feed than static images."

Theo mentally filed away the feedback. "Behind-the-scenes, video clips. Got it. Simple enough. Thanks, Sarah. Appreciate the expert eye."