Foot traffic in Manhattan that day was extremely light. Times Square, once a crowded tourist mecca, was empty. Residents around the city ventured out of their apartments only to get food or medicine and returned quickly to their homes. This June day was warm and the late spring sun drew scores of New Yorkers into Central Park. When the weather was really nice, the park got a little crowded.

“I can’t believe how many people are in the park today,” said Zoe as she and Sean cut east on a trail heading over to Fifth Avenue. Exiting in the 90s, they summoned an Uber to take them straight down Fifth Avenue to the Gucci flagship store on 56th Street.

“You do know there’s more than one Gucci store in the city, right?” said Sean. “There are two others, one on Wooster and another all the way downtown by the World Financial Center. If the masked woman had gone shopping at Gucci the day we saw her, how do we know she went to the Gucci store on 56th?”

“We don’t,” said Zoe as their car sped south. “But, if she lives somewhere around 14th Street, she’d never go all the way downtown to shop, that’s too far south. She might go to Wooster but since she had the shopping bag with her uptown it probably means she went to the store in Midtown. I looked at the Gucci website. I’m pretty sure the leather bag she had on was a GG Marmont Matelassé shoulder bag in navy. Price tag—almost $1,400.”

When they pulled open the door of the empty Gucci store, a wafer-thin blonde saleswoman wearing a black mask waved to them. “Welcome to Gucci,” she said as she approached them, maintaining her distance.

“She looks pretty eager, like she hasn’t had a customer all day,” whispered Zoe through her mask as the woman got closer.

“May I help you with something in particular?” the saleswoman said.

“Actually, yes,” said Zoe. “I wanted to see the Marmont Matelassé shoulder bag in navy.”

“Excellent choice. It’s very popular, follow me,” said the saleswoman as she led them over to a counter and put a small navy leather bag in front of them.

“You sell a lot of these?” said Zoe as nonchalantly as possible.

“As you can imagine,” said the clerk, “since we’ve been in lockdown, there haven’t been as many shoppers as usual. Before the virus, this bag literally sprouted wings and flew out of here on its own.”

“That’s impressive considering the price tag,” said Zoe.

“This is Gucci. Chic is expensive,” said the clerk dismissively as she opened the bag for Zoe to inspect the inside.

“Is this particular bag still selling? Even with the pandemic, are people still shopping?” asked Sean.

“The Gucci brand is indelible,” said the clerk. “Just yesterday, I sold a woman this very same bag.”

Zoe kicked Sean in the shin.