Chapter 4: The Envelope That Changed Everything
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Daniel Collins stood beside the reception desk, holding his tablet as though it contained something explosive.
My father studied the photograph.
Then he looked at Marcus.
“Would you care to explain this?””
Marcus's face had gone pale.
“Sir, I don't know what that is.””
Daniel enlarged the photograph.
It showed Victoria Whitmore entering Marcus's office at 8:47 the previous evening. She was carrying a thick cream-colored envelope. Marcus was standing in the doorway, holding it open for her.
The timestamp was clearly visible.
Victoria immediately shook her head.
“This is ridiculous. I visit the hotel regularly. I have meetings here.””
Daniel's expression remained neutral.
“Your visit wasn't recorded in the guest appointment system.””
“Perhaps because I don't need appointments.””
“Then why did you enter through the employee corridor?””
Victoria looked at Marcus.
He looked away.
My father handed the tablet to Amelia, his chief of staff.
“Save the original footage. Make two secure copies. One for our legal department and one for the police.””
Victoria's voice rose.
“You cannot use private security footage against me!””
The police officer stepped forward.
“Ma'am, the footage may be relevant to the assault investigation or another matter. We'll determine that.””
Victoria folded her arms.
“This is harassment.””
I watched her carefully.
Only twenty minutes earlier, she had been ordering Marcus to throw me out.
Now she was the one struggling to maintain control.
Daniel tapped the screen again.
“There is also an entry in the hotel's financial records that concerns me.””
Marcus immediately interrupted.
“Daniel, I really don't think we should discuss internal accounting in front of guests.””
My father looked at him.
“Then perhaps you should have considered that before creating a reason for an investigation.””
Daniel continued.
“Last night, a payment of twenty-five thousand dollars was recorded under a miscellaneous guest-relations expense.””
I frowned.
“Twenty-five thousand?””
“Yes, Ms. Bennett. The payment was approved using Mr. Reed's management credentials.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That wasn't a personal payment. It was an operational expense.””
Daniel looked at the tablet.
“Who received it?””
Marcus remained silent.
Victoria suddenly grabbed her handbag.
“I have had enough. I'm leaving.””
The police officer stepped in front of her.
“Mrs. Whitmore, I still need to complete your statement.””
She glared at him.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble you're causing?””
“I'm doing my job.””
My father turned to Amelia.
“Have the finance department freeze discretionary payments until we understand what happened.””
Marcus's eyes widened.
“You can't freeze hotel operations because of one misunderstanding.””
My father replied without raising his voice.
“I'm not freezing hotel operations. I'm freezing unexplained payments.””
Daniel looked at Marcus.
“That's a reasonable instruction.””
Marcus loosened his tie.
“I've worked here for fourteen years. I've never been accused of anything like this.””
I finally spoke.
“Neither had I been accused of causing trouble until your guest slapped me.””
He looked at me.
For a moment, I thought he might apologize.
Instead, he said, “Ms. Bennett, you have no idea how difficult it is to manage people in this environment.””
I felt Grace's little hand curl against my blouse.
“Then perhaps you should find a different environment to manage.””
Nobody laughed.
My father gave me a brief approving look.
Daniel asked the security supervisor to retrieve the previous night's footage.
Within minutes, the supervisor returned with a laptop.
He placed it on the reception counter.
The recording began.
At 8:42 p.m., Victoria entered the lobby.
She spoke briefly to a receptionist, then walked toward the employee corridor.
At 8:47 p.m., she entered Marcus's office.
The footage had no sound, but the actions were unmistakable.
Victoria placed the envelope on his desk.
Marcus opened it.
He removed several documents and examined them.
Then he placed the envelope inside his bottom drawer.
At 9:03 p.m., Victoria left.
Marcus followed her to the corridor.
Before she disappeared from view, he handed her a small piece of paper.
My father leaned closer.
“Can you enlarge that?””
The supervisor adjusted the image.
It was a printed document.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“That's a room assignment sheet.””
I looked at him.
“Why would she need that?””
He scrolled through the records.
Then his expression changed.
“Because Mrs. Whitmore requested access to the list of guests staying on the executive floors.””
Victoria snapped.
“I had a legitimate reason.””
“What reason?”” Daniel asked.
She didn't answer.
My father turned toward her.
“Were you collecting information about hotel guests?””
“Of course not.””
“Then explain the payment.””
Victoria looked at Marcus.
He looked at the floor.
And that was when I realized something.
They weren't simply embarrassed by what had happened.
They were frightened of what the footage might reveal.
The police officer approached the tablet.
“I'm going to need copies of these records.””
Daniel nodded.
“Certainly.””
Then the officer turned toward Marcus.
“Mr. Reed, we may need to ask you additional questions.””
Marcus rubbed his face.
“Am I being accused of something?””
“I'm telling you that we need information.””
Before anyone could respond, Amelia's phone rang.
She answered, listened for a few seconds, and then walked toward my father.
“Richard, the legal department has found something.””
“What?””
She lowered her voice.
“The twenty-five-thousand-dollar payment wasn't the only one.””
My father's expression hardened.
“How many?””
Amelia looked at the screen.
“Seven payments over the last four months.””
“And the total?””
She swallowed.
“One hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.””
I looked at Marcus.
He was no longer pretending to be confused.
He was staring at the photograph of Victoria with the envelope.
Then he whispered something that changed everything.
“Mrs. Whitmore told me the arrangement had already been approved by the previous owners.””
Daniel slowly turned toward him.
“What arrangement?””
Marcus looked at Victoria.
She shook her head once.
“Don't you dare.””
May you like
But Marcus was already speaking.
“She said the payments were for guest information.””
