Chapter 8: The Cabinet Behind the Door
Mr. Harris returned from the back office carrying a small key ring.
He stopped beside the display case and looked at Mr. Grant.
“The blue cabinet is locked,” he said.
“I've confirmed that the cabinet itself hasn't been opened today.””
“Can you verify that from the access record?””
“The cabinet has a mechanical lock. There is no electronic access history.””
“Then what can you verify?””
Harris glanced at the keys.
“I can verify who signed out the office keys and when.””
“Do that first.””
The manager nodded.
Derek stood several feet away, staring at the key ring.
“Mr. Harris, you can't seriously be planning to open archived files in front of customers.””
Harris looked at him.
“I haven't said I'm opening anything.””
“You're holding the keys.””
“I'm responsible for securing the office.””
“And I'm telling you those records may be confidential.””
“Then we will preserve them properly.””
Derek shook his head.
“You don't understand what you're doing.””
Mr. Grant looked at him.
“Then explain it.””
Derek's mouth opened, but he stopped himself.
His gaze shifted toward the entrance.
The woman standing there folded her arms.
“It's interesting,” she said.
“Every time somebody asks you to explain something, you suddenly have somewhere else to be.””
Derek rounded on her.
“Why are you still here?””
“Because I want to finish watching you learn how to treat people.””
A customer behind her gave a quiet, approving laugh.
Derek turned away.
Mr. Grant didn't smile. He watched Harris open the office door and step inside.
A moment later, the manager returned with a clipboard.
“I found the key register,” he said.
“The office master key was signed out yesterday evening.””
“By whom?”” Mr. Grant asked.
Harris examined the page.
“Derek.””
The salesman immediately protested.
“I signed out the master key because I was closing. That is standard procedure.””
“Did you return it?”” Harris asked.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“After closing.””
“What time?””
“I don't remember.””
Harris checked the register.
“The return time is recorded as 9:12 p.m.””
“Then there you go.””
“Your account accessed the inventory terminal at 8:47 p.m.””
Derek threw up his hands.
“Those are two different things!””
“Yes,” Harris replied.
“Which is why we need to establish whether they're connected.””
Mr. Grant glanced at the clipboard.
“Was the cabinet key included in the master set?””
“No, sir. It has a separate key.””
“Who holds it?””
“Normally, I do.””
“Normally?””
Harris hesitated.
“The spare is kept in a sealed envelope in the office safe.””
“Who can open the safe?””
“Management.””
“Anyone else?””
“Not without authorization.””
Derek looked toward the office again.
His composure was slipping. He rubbed his palms against his trousers and kept glancing at the clock above the rear counter.
The scheduled dispatch was getting closer.
Mr. Grant noticed.
“How long until the shipment is due to leave?””
“Twenty minutes,” Harris answered.
“Then we need to resolve the authorization before then.””
Harris nodded.
“I'll contact the compliance representative again.””
He placed another call and explained the situation. This time, he asked for written confirmation that the disputed records should remain untouched until the representative arrived.
The person on the other end agreed to send instructions.
While Harris waited for the message, Mr. Grant stepped closer to Derek.
“You seem concerned about the cabinet.””
Derek gave a humorless laugh.
“I'm concerned about an employee being publicly accused without evidence.””
“Then why did the caller tell you to get the file before Harris opened it?””
“I don't know.””
“Why did the message say I didn't know what was inside?””
Derek stared at him.
“Maybe whoever sent it was trying to scare me.””
“Were they successful?””
Derek's silence answered the question.
Mr. Grant lowered his voice.
“If you know something relevant, now is the time to say it.””
“I don't know anything.””
“Then you have nothing to fear from the truth.””
Derek looked away.
“You make everything sound simple.””
“No. I make it sound necessary.””
The manager's tablet chimed.
He read the incoming instructions, then showed them to Mr. Grant.
*PRESERVE THE CABINET, ITS CONTENTS, AND ALL RELATED RECORDS. DO NOT REMOVE DOCUMENTS. COMPLIANCE REPRESENTATIVE EN ROUTE.*
Mr. Grant nodded.
“Good. Now we wait for the representative.””
Derek looked almost relieved.
Then Harris noticed something.
“The seal on the office safe,” he said.
Mr. Grant turned.
“What about it?””
“The register says the spare cabinet key was sealed in the safe yesterday. I checked the seal earlier this morning, and it was intact.””
“Is it intact now?””
Harris went pale.
“I don't know.””
“Then don't open the safe. Record its condition and wait for compliance.””
Harris hurried back into the office.
Derek took one step toward the entrance.
The woman immediately noticed.
“Are you leaving again?””
“I need some air.””
“You've needed a lot of air today.””
“Stay out of my business.””
“Then stop making it everyone's business.””
Derek clenched his jaw and remained where he was.
From the office, Harris called out.
“Mr. Grant?””
The older man walked to the doorway.
Harris stood beside the safe, pointing at a narrow strip of security tape across its seam.
The tape had been cut.
Its two ends had been pressed back into place, but the break was obvious.
“The seal was tampered with,” Harris said.
Mr. Grant examined it without touching it.
“Photograph it. Record the time. Don't open the safe.””
Harris took out his phone and documented the seal.
Derek appeared in the doorway behind them.
When he saw the tape, he stopped so abruptly that his shoulder struck the frame.
Harris turned.
“Derek, have you been in this office since opening?””
“No.””
“Have you opened the safe?””
“No!””
The answer came too quickly.
Mr. Grant looked at him.
“Who knew the spare key was kept there?””
“Management.””
“Anyone else?””
Derek swallowed.
“I don't know.””
A knock sounded at the store's front entrance.
Everyone turned.
A Black woman in a navy suit stood outside holding an identification badge and a hard-sided document case. She showed her credentials through the glass, then entered.
“I'm Renee Walker from corporate compliance,” she said.
“Who requested the review?””
Harris stepped forward.
“I did.””
Renee surveyed the store, taking in the open display case, the customers, the folder on the counter, and Derek standing in the office doorway.
Then she looked at Mr. Grant.
For one brief moment, her professional expression faltered.
She recovered immediately.
“Mr. Grant,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “I wasn't expecting to find you here.””
Derek's eyes widened.
“You know him too?””
Renee ignored the question.
She placed her document case on the office desk and opened it.
“I need everyone to remain available while I establish the chain of custody for the records.””
Mr. Grant nodded.
“Of course.””
Renee turned toward Harris.
“Before we examine the cabinet, I need to know whether anyone has already removed anything from the safe.””
“No one has touched it since I discovered the broken seal.””
“Good.””
She photographed the safe, reviewed the access register, and compared the recorded times against the inventory system.
Then she asked for Derek's employee identification.
He handed it over reluctantly.
Renee studied the number, entered it into her secure device, and waited.
The screen loaded.
Her expression changed.
She turned the device toward Mr. Harris.
“There's a second authorization associated with this employee account,” she said.
“It was submitted at 9:03 last night.””
Harris stared at the screen.
“That would have been after his recorded terminal access.””
“Yes.””
“Can you show us what was authorized?””
Renee looked toward the cabinet.
“I can show you the transaction reference. But the supporting document is stored in the archive.””
She paused.
“That's why we need the original.””
Derek's face drained of color.
Renee turned toward him.
“Mr. Derek, before we open anything, I need to ask you one question.””
He swallowed.
“What?””
“Why did your account authorize a transaction that the system says you never completed?””
Derek stared at the screen.
Then he looked at Mr. Grant.
May you like
And the words that came out of his mouth were barely audible.
“Because somebody used my name.””
