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

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Elaine held the receipt between two fingers.

Dylan stared at it as if he had never seen it before.

Curtis, however, reacted immediately.

"That's personal banking information. You have no right to look at that.""

Elaine turned toward him.

"Why are you concerned?""

"I'm concerned about employee privacy.""

"Then explain why a hotel deposit receipt is connected to Dylan's personal account.""

Dylan reached out.

"That's mine.""

Elaine didn't hand it back.

"Why is it in your possession?""

"It's a mistake.""

"What kind of mistake?""

Dylan swallowed.

"I was helping Curtis with deposits.""

Megan looked up sharply.

"What?""

Curtis stepped between them.

"He's a part-time employee. Sometimes I ask him to handle errands.""

Elaine studied the receipt.

"The transaction date is October 18th.""

Megan opened her notebook.

"That's one of the dates when five hundred dollars disappeared.""

Dylan closed his eyes.

Curtis turned toward him.

"Don't say anything else.""

The warning was quiet, but everyone heard it.

Elaine placed the receipt on the counter.

"Dylan, are you being instructed not to answer questions?""

"No.""

Curtis laughed.

"This is ridiculous. You're treating a routine paperwork issue like a criminal investigation.""

Elaine took out her phone.

"I'm contacting corporate security again. This time, we're also involving the company's legal department.""

Curtis rubbed his forehead.

"You people are going to destroy this property over a clerical error.""

Megan looked at him.

"Five hundred dollars isn't a clerical error when it happens six times.""

Curtis pointed at her.

"You've been here three weeks. You don't understand how this business works.""

"Then explain it.""

"I don't have to explain every transaction to you.""

"You didn't have to put money in my bag either.""

His expression darkened.

"Careful, Megan.""

Elaine stepped between them.

"That will be enough.""

She instructed the security officer to escort Curtis away from the accounting office while the records were secured.

Curtis refused to move.

"I'm not leaving my own property.""

Elaine opened the document she'd shown him earlier.

"This hotel belongs to the company, Curtis. And your access has been suspended.""

He looked at her.

Then at Megan.

For a moment, the anger in his face seemed to disappear, replaced by something colder.

"You think you've won something?""

Megan didn't answer.

Curtis leaned closer.

"People who dig too deep usually find things they don't want to know.""

The security officer stepped forward.

"Sir, please come with me.""

Curtis straightened his jacket and walked toward the office.

But before he disappeared through the doorway, he turned back.

"Dylan. Don't forget who gave you this job.""

Dylan didn't respond.

Elaine waited until Curtis was out of sight.

Then she pulled a chair toward Dylan.

"Sit down.""

Dylan remained standing.

"I didn't steal anything.""

"Nobody asked you that yet.""

"I just did what Curtis told me.""

Elaine folded her arms.

"Then tell us what he told you.""

Dylan looked at Megan.

She was watching him without blinking.

He looked away.

"He asked me to make some deposits.""

"Which deposits?""

"The ones with missing amounts.""

Megan felt her stomach tighten.

"Why?""

Dylan rubbed his palms against his trousers.

"He said the company was taking too much out of his bonus. He said there were adjustments he was allowed to make.""

Elaine's voice remained steady.

"Did he ask you to deposit hotel money into your personal account?""

Dylan nodded.

"Sometimes.""

"How many times?""

"I don't know.""

Megan turned to the notebook.

"Was it always five hundred dollars?""

"Mostly.""

"Mostly?""

Dylan hesitated.

"Sometimes it was seven hundred. Once it was twelve hundred.""

Elaine's expression changed.

"How much money have you received in total?""

"I didn't keep it.""

"Where did it go?""

"Curtis told me to transfer it.""

"To whom?""

Dylan looked down.

"To an account he gave me.""

Megan stared at him.

"So you knew the money wasn't supposed to go into your account?""

Dylan's face crumpled.

"I knew something wasn't right.""

"Then why did you do it?""

He looked at her.

"Because I needed the job.""

The answer came out almost like a whisper.

"My mother had surgery last month. I was behind on rent. Curtis knew everything. He said he'd give me extra shifts if I helped him with some accounting.""

Megan's expression softened slightly, but her voice remained firm.

"That doesn't explain why you lied about me.""

Dylan looked at the floor.

"He said you were going to be fired anyway.""

Elaine leaned forward.

"Who said that?""

"Curtis.""

"When?""

"Yesterday.""

Dylan swallowed.

"He told me you were sent here to investigate him. He said if we couldn't stop you, he'd make it look like you were stealing.""

Megan felt the room tilt.

She glanced at the tote still sitting on the counter.

The envelope.

The timing.

The false accusation.

It had all been planned.

Elaine took out her phone.

"Do you have messages proving this?""

Dylan nodded slowly.

"Some.""

"Where?""

"On my phone.""

He reached into his pocket, but stopped.

Curtis's warning seemed to echo in his head.

Don't forget who gave you this job.

Elaine waited.

"Dylan, I need you to understand something. If you were involved in moving company funds, you have responsibility for that. But if you're telling the truth about being instructed to do it, the messages may help establish exactly what happened.""

Dylan unlocked his phone.

His fingers shook as he opened a conversation.

He scrolled.

Then he stopped.

Megan could see Curtis's name at the top.

Dylan placed the phone on the counter.

Elaine leaned closer.

The first message read:

*CURTIS: Make sure the October deposit goes through your account. Same arrangement as before.*

The next message was dated the previous evening.

*CURTIS: Tomorrow, we deal with Megan. I want her gone before she finds the original ledger.*

Megan looked at Elaine.

"The original ledger?""

Elaine's face became very still.

She slowly turned toward the accounting office.

"What original ledger?""

Dylan shook his head.

"I don't know. Curtis keeps a separate book.""

"Where?""

Dylan hesitated.

Then he pointed toward the office.

"There's a locked drawer underneath his desk.""

Elaine stood immediately.

The security officer returned from the hallway.

"Secure that office," she instructed.

"Nobody enters without authorization.""

Megan gathered her notebook.

"Elaine, if there's another set of records, it could explain every missing deposit.""

Elaine nodded.

"That's what we're going to find out.""

They walked toward Curtis's office.

The door stood slightly open.

Inside, the desk was neat, the computer screen dark, and a framed photograph of Curtis shaking hands with the company's former regional director sat beside a paperweight.

The security officer checked the drawers.

One was locked.

He looked at Elaine.

"Do you have authorization to open it?""

Elaine took out her phone.

"I'm getting it.""

Before she could finish dialing, a loud crash came from the back hallway.

Everyone turned.

Curtis appeared at the far end, holding a metal trash can.

Papers were scattered across the floor behind him.

Megan recognized the yellow cover of a document lying near his shoe.

It was labeled: