“That is strange,” she said, her voice dropping. “It is not saying zero balance, and it is not saying active either.”
“What does the screen say?” I asked.
“It is showing an unrecognized error code,” Grace said, her eyes shifting toward the small paneled office behind the desk. “An eighty-eight alert. I have never seen that code on a gift card before.”
“Is the card expired?” I asked.
“Our cards do not expire,” Grace whispered, tapping her fingers on the edge of the terminal. “This code usually means the account is locked from the inside, like someone flagged it.”
She tapped three more keys on her terminal, but the screen only flashed in response. “Let me get Mrs. Vance,” she said.
A moment later, Evelyn Vance, the department store manager, stepped out of the small paneled alcove behind the customer service desk. Her silver name tag was pinned perfectly straight on her navy blue blazer. She looked at the card sitting on the counter, and her hand went to her neck, adjusting her silver name tag.
