Chapter 5: The Name on the Approval Form
Elaine closed the office door.
She didn't sit down immediately.
Instead, she stood beside the desk, staring at the handwritten ledger as if the pages contained something she'd hoped never to see.
Megan folded her arms.
"What did Curtis mean when he said someone approved his bonuses?""
Elaine exhaled.
"Six months ago, Curtis received an unusual performance bonus.""
"How unusual?""
"Eleven thousand dollars.""
Megan frowned.
"For what?""
"According to the paperwork, he improved the property's operating profit.""
"But the deposits were short.""
"Exactly.""
Elaine opened her folder and removed a printed compensation report.
The hotel's revenue had increased on paper.
Expenses had decreased.
Customer satisfaction scores had improved.
Curtis had been praised for turning around a struggling property.
But Megan noticed something.
The dates didn't match.
"These figures were entered after the deposits were made.""
Elaine nodded.
"That's why the company opened a preliminary review.""
"Who approved the bonus?""
Elaine placed the report on the desk.
At the bottom were two signatures.
Curtis Miller.
And Elaine Brooks.
Megan stared.
"You approved it?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because the report was presented as verified financial information. At the time, I had no reason to believe it had been falsified.""
Megan looked at her.
"But you were the regional manager.""
"I was responsible for approving regional performance reports. The financial department was supposed to verify the numbers.""
Elaine sat down.
"After the bonus was paid, an internal review discovered inconsistencies. I requested supporting documents. Curtis kept delaying.""
"Why didn't corporate investigate immediately?""
"Because the discrepancies initially appeared to be accounting errors. Then the bank confirmed that several deposits were incomplete.""
Megan studied the report.
"Did you tell them you approved the bonus?""
"Yes. I also requested that my approval be reviewed.""
For the first time, Megan noticed how tired Elaine looked.
This wasn't just an investigation for her.
Her own judgment was now under scrutiny.
"Did you know Curtis was stealing?""
"No.""
"Did you suspect?""
Elaine paused.
"I suspected he was hiding something. I didn't know how much.""
Megan walked toward the window.
Outside, cars passed along the highway, their headlights cutting through the early morning darkness.
She thought about the envelope.
The accusation.
Dylan's trembling hands.
Then she turned back.
"Why did corporate send me instead of someone from accounting?""
"Because someone inside the company had already tried to alter the records. They needed an independent review.""
"And you trusted me?""
"I reviewed your previous audit work.""
Megan nodded slowly.
She hadn't expected that answer.
Her previous job had been with a regional restaurant group, where she'd uncovered a manager manipulating inventory records. She'd lost that job after refusing to sign a report she knew was false.
Elaine had apparently seen the documentation.
"There's something else," Megan said.
She pointed at the handwritten ledger.
"These entries show that Dylan was involved. But they don't tell us whether he received the money willingly or under pressure.""
Elaine nodded.
"That's why his statement matters.""
They returned to the conference room.
Dylan sat alone, his employee access card on the table.
He looked up when they entered.
"Am I fired?""
Elaine took the chair opposite him.
"You're currently being interviewed as part of an internal investigation.""
"That sounds like fired.""
"It isn't a final employment decision.""
Dylan rubbed his face.
"My mother can't afford another hospital bill.""
Megan pulled out a chair.
"Dylan, nobody is asking you to pretend you didn't do anything. But we need the truth.""
He stared at the table.
"I know.""
"Did Curtis threaten you?""
Dylan nodded.
"Not at first.""
"What changed?""
"After I made the first transfer, he started asking me to do more.""
"Did you refuse?""
"Once.""
"What happened?""
Dylan gave a bitter laugh.
"He showed me a report saying I had stolen money from the register. He told me he could make the company believe I'd taken it.""
Megan leaned forward.
"Was that report real?""
"I don't know. He said he had video footage.""
Elaine wrote something down.
"Did he ever show you the footage?""
"No.""
"Did he give you money?""
Dylan hesitated.
"Sometimes he let me keep a little.""
"How much?""
"Two hundred dollars here. Three hundred there.""
Megan stared at him.
"So you knew what was happening.""
Dylan nodded.
"Yes.""
The honesty was ugly, but it was the first honest thing he'd said all morning.
"Why did you accuse me?"" Megan asked.
Dylan looked at her.
"Curtis told me the envelope would be found in your bag. He said if I backed him up, he'd make sure the company blamed you for the missing deposits.""
"And you agreed.""
"I thought he'd protect me.""
"By letting me go to jail?""
Dylan's eyes filled.
"I didn't think it would go that far.""
Megan looked away.
"That's the problem. You didn't think about what would happen to anyone except yourself.""
Dylan lowered his head.
Elaine placed a document on the table.
"Do you recognize this?""
It was a printed email.
Dylan examined it.
"Yes.""
"Who sent it?""
"Curtis.""
The email instructed Dylan to deposit company cash into his personal account and transfer the money to a second account.
There was another message attached.
It was dated the previous evening.
Elaine read it aloud.
"Tomorrow, make sure Megan is caught with the envelope. Once she's accused of theft, nobody will believe her audit findings.""
Megan felt a chill move down her spine.
"He planned it in writing?""
Dylan nodded.
"He sent it to me.""
"Why didn't you delete it?""
"I was scared.""
Elaine picked up her phone.
"Forward the entire conversation to corporate security. Do not delete or alter anything.""
Dylan did as instructed.
A few minutes later, an investigator called Elaine.
She listened without interrupting.
Then her expression changed.
"You're certain?""
A pause.
"Send me the document immediately.""
She ended the call.
Megan looked at her.
"What happened?""
Elaine turned the phone around.
A new email had arrived from corporate finance.
It contained a preliminary report showing that the money transferred through Dylan's account was only part of the missing funds.
There were other transfers.
Larger ones.
And one recipient appeared repeatedly.
Megan leaned closer.
The account belonged to a company called Miller Property Solutions LLC.
"Who owns it?"" she asked.
Elaine checked the registration details attached to the report.
"Curtis Miller.""
Megan stared.
"He was transferring the money to his own company?""
"Apparently.""
Dylan looked sick.
"I didn't know about that.""
Elaine scrolled down.
Then she stopped.
"There's something else.""
"What?""
Elaine pointed to a payment listed six months earlier.
A payment of $18,000 had been made to Miller Property Solutions.
The approval field contained a familiar name.
Elaine Brooks.
Megan looked at her.
"Your signature?""
Elaine's face went white.
"I never approved this transfer.""
She enlarged the document.
The electronic authorization carried her name, employee identification, and digital approval stamp.
But Elaine shook her head.
"That's not my approval.""
Megan looked at the date.
It was from a period when Elaine had been away from the property for two weeks.
Someone had used her credentials.
And if the records were accurate, Curtis had been stealing far longer than anyone had realized.
Elaine picked up her phone again.
This time, she called corporate legal directly.
But before she could explain what they'd found, another email arrived.
Its subject line contained only five words.
*URGENT: REVIEW OF MEGAN CARTER.*
Elaine opened it.
The first paragraph made Megan's blood run cold.
The company had received an anonymous complaint accusing Megan of falsifying financial records at her previous employer.
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And attached to the complaint was a document bearing Megan's signature.
A signature she'd never seen before.
