Chapter 6: The Complaint Against Megan
Megan read the document twice.
Then a third time.
Her name appeared at the top.
Her former employer's name appeared beneath it.
And at the bottom was a signature that looked almost identical to hers.
The complaint accused her of deliberately altering inventory reports, hiding missing funds, and blaming a former supervisor when the discrepancies were discovered.
Megan slowly lowered the phone.
"This is fabricated.""
Elaine watched her.
"Do you recognize the document?""
"No.""
"Is the signature yours?""
"It looks like mine. But I didn't sign this.""
Dylan leaned forward.
"Could Curtis have sent it?""
Megan turned toward him.
"Why would you ask that?""
He hesitated.
"Because he mentioned your old job.""
"When?""
"Last night. He said he'd already checked your background.""
Megan's stomach tightened.
"What exactly did he say?""
Dylan rubbed his forehead.
"He said you weren't some honest auditor. He said you'd been fired for stealing from another company.""
Elaine looked at the screen again.
"Did he show you anything?""
"No. He just said he had proof.""
Megan walked to the conference room window.
For a moment, she couldn't hear anything except the low hum of the heating system.
She remembered the day she'd left her previous job.
The restaurant group's owner had demanded that she sign off on an inventory report that contained false numbers.
She refused.
Three days later, her supervisor accused her of violating company policy.
She had defended herself with spreadsheets, receipts, and supplier invoices.
The company eventually corrected the report.
But the accusation had followed her through several job interviews.
And now it had appeared again.
"Elaine," Megan said quietly, "I think Curtis has been collecting information about me.""
Elaine nodded.
"That's possible.""
"Not just about my work. He knew exactly where I'd worked before. He knew what happened there.""
"Then we'll investigate the source of the complaint.""
Megan turned around.
"How can I prove I didn't sign something?""
"Your former employer should have the original records. We can also compare the document's creation history and transmission details.""
Elaine picked up the phone.
"I'm requesting a forensic review.""
Curtis was still in the building, being questioned in another conference room.
Elaine instructed the security officer to keep him separated from the employees and to preserve his company devices.
Then she called corporate legal.
The conversation lasted nearly twenty minutes.
When she returned, she had a different expression.
"They've authorized an independent forensic examiner.""
Megan nodded.
"Good.""
"They're also sending someone to review the previous employer complaint.""
Dylan shifted in his chair.
"Does that mean Megan could get fired?""
Elaine looked at him.
"Nobody is making an employment decision based on an anonymous allegation that hasn't been verified.""
Megan sat down.
"I want to see Curtis.""
Elaine frowned.
"Why?""
"Because I want to ask him one question.""
After a brief discussion, Elaine agreed to a supervised conversation.
The three of them entered the second conference room.
Curtis sat at the far end of the table.
His jacket was folded over the chair beside him. A paper cup of coffee sat untouched in front of him.
He looked up when Megan entered.
Then he smiled.
"Well, look who's back.""
Megan pulled out a chair.
"Did you send a complaint to corporate about my previous job?""
Curtis shrugged.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
Elaine placed the printed complaint on the table.
"This was submitted anonymously last night.""
Curtis glanced at it.
"Looks serious.""
"Do you recognize it?""
He took a sip of coffee.
"I recognize her name.""
Megan leaned forward.
"Did you create it?""
Curtis smiled.
"Why would I do that?""
"Because you knew about my previous employer before I arrived.""
"People talk.""
"Who?""
Curtis put down the cup.
"Maybe you should ask yourself why your old employer had such a problem with you.""
Megan's hands tightened beneath the table.
Elaine interrupted.
"Answer the question, Curtis.""
He leaned back.
"I didn't create the complaint.""
"Did you ask anyone to create it?""
"No.""
"Did you send information about Megan's employment history to anyone?""
Curtis shook his head.
"No.""
Megan watched his eyes.
He wasn't looking at the complaint anymore.
He was looking at Elaine.
And when Elaine mentioned the digital signature, his expression changed for just a fraction of a second.
Megan caught it.
"You know something about that signature.""
Curtis laughed.
"You're imagining things.""
"Then why did you look at Elaine when she mentioned it?""
"Because she's the one running this circus.""
Elaine closed the folder.
"This interview is over.""
Curtis stood.
"Good. I've got work to do.""
The security officer escorted him out.
As he passed Dylan, he stopped.
"You should remember something, son.""
Dylan didn't look up.
"People who betray their friends end up alone.""
The officer moved him along.
Megan watched Curtis disappear down the hallway.
Then she turned to Dylan.
"How long have you known him?""
"Almost two years.""
"Did you ever see him use someone else's login?""
Dylan looked uncertain.
"Sometimes he'd ask me to leave the office while he worked on the reports.""
"Why?""
"He said the company didn't want employees seeing confidential financial information.""
Elaine wrote that down.
"Did he ever use your login?""
Dylan nodded.
"Once or twice.""
"Why?""
"He said his account was locked.""
Megan exchanged a look with Elaine.
That could explain why some transactions had appeared under Dylan's credentials.
But it didn't explain the forged complaint.
The forensic examiner arrived just after noon.
He examined the document and requested the original email, the company server records, and the attached file.
Then he asked Elaine for access to the digital authorization system.
While he worked, Megan called her former employer.
She spoke with the human resources director, a woman named Patricia Collins.
Patricia recognized her immediately.
"Megan? It's been a while.""
"I need a copy of the investigation records from when I left.""
There was a pause.
"Is something wrong?""
"Someone has submitted a complaint claiming I falsified financial reports.""
Patricia's voice became firm.
"That's impossible.""
Megan closed her eyes.
"Can you confirm that?""
"Absolutely. Our internal review found that you were correct about the inventory discrepancies. The supervisor who requested the false report was disciplined.""
Megan felt her shoulders relax.
"Could you send me the final investigation findings?""
"Of course. I'll have legal prepare a certified copy.""
"Thank you.""
She ended the call.
Elaine smiled faintly.
"That's good news.""
But the forensic examiner had stopped typing.
He turned his monitor toward them.
"I've found something.""
Everyone moved closer.
The anonymous complaint had been created from a company workstation.
Not an outside computer.
Not an unknown email service.
A workstation registered to the hotel.
Megan stared at the screen.
"Which computer?""
The examiner enlarged the device information.
The registered user was visible.
*CURTIS MILLER — PROPERTY MANAGER.*
Dylan stepped backward.
"I knew it.""
Elaine didn't respond.
The examiner continued.
"There's also an attached file history. The signature image wasn't scanned from an original document. It was copied from another electronic file.""
"Which file?"" Megan asked.
He opened the attachment details.
The source document was an old employment application.
Megan recognized it immediately.
It was the application she'd submitted when she first applied for the hotel job.
Someone had taken her signature from that form and placed it beneath a false accusation.
Megan stared at the screen.
"He used my own application.""
Elaine nodded slowly.
"That's what it looks like.""
But the examiner wasn't finished.
He opened the email's routing information.
The anonymous complaint had been forwarded through an internal corporate account before reaching the investigation team.
The account belonged to a senior executive in human resources.
Megan looked at Elaine.
"Who is that?""
Elaine read the name.
Then she sat down.
Because it wasn't Curtis.
It was someone who had access to every employee record in the company.
And according to the email history, that person had received a message from Curtis just eleven minutes before the complaint was submitted.
The message contained only one sentence:
*"She must never find out what happened at the old property.""*
Megan looked at Elaine.
"What old property?""
Elaine didn't answer immediately.
She stared at the name on the screen.
Then she whispered:
May you like
"That's the hotel where Curtis worked before Akron.""
And suddenly, the missing money wasn't the only secret they needed to uncover.
