My friend Claire works in a small business part-time and had a frightening experience recently.

The store owner, Claire’s boss, had been alone in the boutique on a Saturday in May. A man came in wrapped up in a scarf and trenchcoat and hat, even though it was a warm day. He kept looking around, and once they were alone in the store, he walked up to the cash register, pulled out a gun, pointed it at the owner, and demanded the money in the caisse. Trembling, the store owner turned it over to him.

It wasn’t much money– about 400 euros.

The store owner went to the police immediately and they were reassuring. This kind of thing never happened twice. They took down all the details anyway.

On Monday, the store owner told the other employees about the incident. That same day, a second employee was in the store alone and the same person came in. The hat, the scarf, the gun. This time, the robber got about 200 euros.

Claire worked on Wednesday.

“I was angoissée,” she said. “Two policemen were hiding in the office, and there were more in cars outside. We were all sure the man would come back. And when no one was in the shop, he did. J’ai eu mal au coeur [I felt sick] when I saw him come in, dressed exactly the same– the trenchcoat, the hat, the scarf wrapped around his face. He looked around to make sure we were alone, and then he came up to the cash register and pulled out a gun. ‘Give me all the money!’ he said.

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