Chapter 1: The Money in My Bag
“Keep digging, you bitch. I'll make you look like the THIEF!””
Curtis thought it silently, watching Megan while glancing at Dylan beside the front desk.
A crooked smile touched his mouth.
At 31, Megan had been working at the roadside hotel outside Akron, Ohio, for barely three weeks. And in those three weeks, she'd made one mistake Curtis couldn't forgive.
She'd started asking questions about the money.
Not the money guests paid at check-in. Not the petty cash used to purchase supplies.
The missing money.
Every morning, the previous night's revenue report showed one amount. Every morning, the deposit envelope contained less.
And every time Megan asked Curtis about the discrepancy, he gave her the same answer.
"Accounting adjustments.""
But today, Curtis had decided she wouldn't be asking questions anymore.
The lobby smelled of burnt coffee and industrial floor cleaner. A vending machine hummed near the elevators. Behind the counter, the shift handover sheet lay beside a stack of receipts.
Megan's canvas tote sat open on a chair.
Curtis held a thick brown envelope in his right hand.
Dylan stood close enough to see everything.
Curtis lowered the envelope toward the open bag.
The second it touched the inside, Megan grabbed the handles and pulled the tote toward herself.
"YOU PUT THAT IN THERE!""
Her voice cracked through the quiet lobby.
Curtis released the envelope and withdrew his hand.
For half a second, his smile disappeared.
Then he transformed.
"What the hell are you doing?"" Curtis demanded.
Megan stared at him.
"You're the one who just put that envelope in my bag!""
Curtis pointed at the tote.
"Open it.""
"Why?""
"Because there's company money in there.""
"Exactly. And you just put it there!""
Dylan shifted his weight.
He was twenty-six, wore a hotel uniform with his name embroidered above the pocket, and had worked under Curtis for almost two years.
Megan turned toward him.
"You saw that, right?""
Dylan looked at Curtis.
Then he pointed at Megan.
"I saw her take it.""
The words landed like a slap.
Megan's mouth fell open.
"You saw WHAT?""
"Don't make this worse," Dylan said.
"YOU SAW HIM PUT IT IN MY BAG!""
Curtis slammed his palm against the counter.
The sound made a guest waiting near the coffee machine turn around.
"Empty the bag. Now.""
Megan tightened her grip on the handles.
"No.""
Curtis leaned forward.
"You're refusing a direct instruction from your manager?""
"I'm asking you to call your supervisor.""
"You're not in a position to make demands.""
"Then call the police.""
Curtis blinked.
That wasn't the reaction he'd expected.
He had expected tears. Panic. Maybe an apology.
Instead, Megan stood there with her shoulders squared and her fingers wrapped around the tote.
Curtis turned toward the adjoining office.
"Elaine! We've got a thief!""
A door opened.
Elaine Brooks, the regional operations manager, stepped into the lobby carrying a folder.
She was in her early fifties, with silver-blond hair and the kind of expression that made people reconsider whatever they'd been about to say.
She looked at Curtis.
Then at Dylan.
Finally, her eyes settled on Megan.
"Megan?""
Curtis immediately stepped forward.
"Elaine, thank God you're here. This employee was caught stealing company funds.""
Megan put her tote on the counter but kept one hand on its handle.
"That's not what happened.""
Curtis reached for the bag.
Elaine raised one hand.
"Don't touch it.""
Curtis froze.
"Elaine, I need you to understand—"
"I said don't touch it.""
She looked directly at Megan.
"What's going on?""
Before Megan could answer, Curtis interrupted.
"Fire her. Immediately. We have witnesses.""
Elaine slowly turned toward him.
"She's checking your cash records.""
Curtis's face changed.
The folder in Elaine's hand opened.
"Corporate assigned Megan to investigate the discrepancies in this property's deposits. I've been supervising that assignment.""
For the first time, Curtis seemed unable to find a response.
Megan watched him carefully.
He glanced at Dylan.
Dylan immediately looked away.
Elaine placed her folder on the counter.
"The money discrepancies have been reported to corporate three times. Megan was sent here because the previous reports weren't adequately explained.""
Curtis swallowed.
"That's ridiculous. She's a new employee.""
"She's not here as your employee.""
Elaine looked at the tote.
"She's here as an auditor.""
The silence was almost unbearable.
Curtis's hand hovered over the counter.
Elaine turned toward Dylan.
"Dylan. Tell me exactly what you saw.""
Dylan looked at the brown envelope inside Megan's bag.
Then at Curtis.
Then at Elaine.
His lips parted.
Curtis stared at him with a warning that required no words.
And for the first time since the envelope touched Megan's bag, Dylan looked genuinely afraid.
He had just accused an innocent woman of stealing.
Now he had to repeat that accusation to the person who knew exactly why she'd been sent there.
Curtis waited for him to lie again.
May you like
Dylan opened his mouth.
And the entire future of the hotel seemed to hang on his next sentence.
