HE PUT IT IN HER BAG—THEN CALLED HER A THIEF

Dylan looked at Elaine.

Then he looked at Curtis.

His fingers began rubbing against the seam of his uniform trousers.

"I saw Megan with the envelope," he finally said.

Megan let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"That's not what happened, Dylan.""

Elaine didn't blink.

"I didn't ask what Megan did. I asked what you saw.""

Dylan shifted his eyes toward Curtis.

"I saw her near the bag.""

Curtis immediately jumped in.

"Exactly. That's what I've been telling you. She was standing right there, and the money disappeared.""

Megan shook her head.

"Nobody said the money disappeared. You put it in my bag.""

"Watch your tone," Curtis snapped.

Elaine raised a finger.

"Enough. Nobody speaks over anybody else.""

She pulled a chair toward the counter and sat down.

"First, nobody touches that envelope. Second, we're documenting exactly what happened. Third, I want the security footage preserved.""

Curtis's jaw tightened.

"The camera doesn't cover the handover counter.""

"Then we'll find out what it does cover.""

Elaine turned toward Dylan.

"Did you see Megan take money from the register?""

"No.""

"Did you see her remove money from the deposit drawer?""

Dylan hesitated.

"No.""

"Then what exactly did you see?""

Dylan glanced at Curtis again.

"I saw the envelope near her bag.""

Megan stepped forward.

"Because Curtis put it there!""

Curtis pointed at her.

"You're making accusations because you got caught.""

Elaine stood.

"That's enough, Curtis.""

He closed his mouth.

Elaine took out her phone.

"I'm calling corporate security.""

Curtis gave a nervous laugh.

"You're seriously escalating this over one envelope?""

"You're the one who accused an employee of theft.""

"An employee who has been asking suspicious questions about our cash reports.""

"She's been asking questions because the reports don't balance.""

Curtis's face reddened.

Elaine turned to Megan.

"Do you have the previous reports?""

Megan nodded.

"In my car. I printed copies before coming in.""

"Why?""

"Because I stopped trusting the computer records.""

That caught Elaine's attention.

"What do you mean?""

Megan reached into her tote, carefully avoiding the envelope, and pulled out a small black notebook.

She opened it to a page covered in handwritten figures.

"October 12th. The night deposit was supposed to contain $2,840. The deposit slip showed $2,840. The envelope delivered to the bank contained $2,340.""

She turned the page.

"October 15th. The report showed $3,120. The bank received $2,620.""

Another page.

"October 18th. Same difference. Five hundred dollars.""

Elaine studied the figures.

"Did you report this?""

"Twice. Curtis told me the bank was making processing adjustments.""

Elaine looked at Curtis.

"Did you tell her that?""

"Yes, because that's what happened.""

"Do you have documentation?""

Curtis crossed his arms.

"Accounting handles that.""

"Then we'll ask accounting.""

He looked toward the office.

"Can we discuss this privately?""

"No.""

The answer was immediate.

Curtis lowered his voice.

"Elaine, you're embarrassing me in front of my staff.""

Elaine gave him a cold look.

"You're the one who called an employee a thief in front of the lobby.""

A guest approached the counter, holding a room key.

"Excuse me. Is everything okay?""

Elaine turned toward him.

"We apologize for the disturbance, sir. We'll assist you in just a moment.""

Curtis forced a smile.

"Everything's fine. Just an internal misunderstanding.""

Megan looked at him.

"Then why did you put company money in my bag?""

Curtis's smile vanished.

Elaine instructed him to step away from the counter.

He refused.

"I'm the property manager. I don't take orders from an auditor.""

Elaine opened her folder and removed a printed document.

"Actually, you do. Your authority was temporarily restricted when corporate opened the financial investigation.""

Curtis stared at the paper.

"That doesn't mean anything.""

"It means you are not authorized to handle deposits, edit cash reports, or access the accounting office until the investigation is complete.""

His face went pale.

Dylan took a small step backward.

Elaine noticed.

"Dylan, stay where you are.""

He stopped.

A few minutes later, a security officer arrived from the regional office. Elaine instructed him to photograph the envelope in Megan's tote before anyone moved it.

The officer put on gloves.

He lifted the envelope carefully.

Inside were ten fifty-dollar bills.

Five hundred dollars.

Exactly the amount missing from every deposit Megan had documented.

Elaine looked at the money.

Then at Curtis.

"Interesting.""

Curtis shook his head.

"This proves nothing.""

"You're right," Elaine replied.

"It doesn't.""

She turned to the security officer.

"Seal it. We'll have the contents documented.""

Megan watched the envelope disappear into an evidence bag.

She should have felt relieved.

Instead, something about the situation bothered her.

The amount was too precise.

Five hundred dollars.

Every time.

She opened her notebook again.

"Elaine, there's something else.""

Elaine looked up.

"What?""

Megan pointed to the bottom of one page.

"I found something strange in the transaction history. Every time five hundred dollars went missing, someone entered a manual adjustment under the same employee login.""

"Whose login?""

Megan turned the notebook around.

Elaine read the name.

Her expression hardened.

"Curtis.""

Curtis immediately shook his head.

"That's impossible. Several people have access to my terminal.""

"Then we'll check the access logs.""

"I didn't take anything.""

"Nobody has reached a conclusion yet.""

Megan looked toward Dylan.

He had gone unusually quiet.