Chapter 11 - The Lease That Wasn't Signed.
The unsigned lease changed everyone's posture.
It did not change Renee Cole's investigation.
She made that clear immediately.
"Property ownership and labor compliance are separate issues."
Vivian nodded.
"I understand."
Marcus's attorney looked less pleased.
"Then Mrs. Mercer should not use a lease as leverage against my client."
Vivian turned toward him.
"Your client is not the tenant."
Theodore Bell was.
And Theodore suddenly looked like a man standing on two floors at once, unsure which one would collapse first.
He asked Vivian to speak privately.
She refused until Olivia said she was comfortable sitting with Nora and Renee.
Then Vivian and Theodore moved into the empty dining room.
White tablecloths covered every table.
Half-melted candles still flickered in glass holders.
The room looked calm enough to belong to another building.
Theodore stood beside the bar.
"I did not know what Marcus was doing."
Vivian remained standing.
"You knew something."
"I knew we had a training recovery program."
"For how much?"
"Small amounts."
"Define small."
Theodore rubbed his forehead.
"Five hundred dollars. Maybe fifteen hundred for an outside certification."
"Did you ever approve ninety thousand?"
"Absolutely not."
"Did you ever look at payroll?"
He hesitated.
"Not personally."
Vivian's expression hardened.
"Then don't tell me you knew nothing. Tell me you chose not to know enough."
Theodore flinched.
"That's fair."
The admission surprised her.
He pulled out a chair but did not sit.
"If you refuse the lease renewal, ninety people could lose work."
Vivian looked toward the kitchen doors.
"Do not put ninety employees between you and your responsibility."
"I'm not."
"You just did."
Theodore lowered his voice.
"Give me thirty days."
"For what?"
"To remove Marcus, replace the payroll system, bring in outside counsel, and repay anything that was improperly withheld."
Vivian stared at him.
"You are negotiating before you even know the total."
"I'm trying to save the restaurant."
"Olivia was trying to save herself."
Theodore looked away.
That was when his phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His face changed.
"What?" Vivian asked.
"Our IT director."
He read quickly.
"Someone is remotely deleting archived payroll exports."
Vivian felt the air leave her chest.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
Theodore called immediately.
"Lock every administrative account."
He listened.
"No, all of them. Mine too."
He ended the call and looked toward the staff corridor.
"The login is Simon's."
Vivian remembered Theodore's nephew.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
Theodore called him again.
No answer.
Vivian returned downstairs with him.
Renee had already heard.
She asked Theodore to preserve the IT logs and instructed him not to have employees alter any records.
Marcus's attorney objected to the direction.
Renee looked at him.
"Your objection is noted."
Marcus stood beside the prep line, strangely relaxed.
Vivian watched him.
"You expected this."
Marcus looked amused.
"Expected what?"
"The records to disappear."
His attorney spoke before he could.
"My client will not respond to accusations."
Marcus ignored him.
"You should ask Theodore why his nephew is deleting company files."
Theodore stepped forward.
"Where is Simon?"
Marcus smiled.
"Maybe running from the same thing you're running from."
Theodore's face hardened.
"I'm standing right here."
"For now."
Vivian noticed a server at the kitchen door.
The young woman looked frightened and held a folded note.
"Mrs. Mercer?"
Vivian walked over.
"Yes?"
"Someone asked me to give you this."
"Who?"
"A man outside."
Vivian unfolded the note.
It contained a parking garage level and a time.
LEVEL B2. FIVE MINUTES. COME WITH RENEE.
There was no signature.
At the bottom was one more sentence.
I SENT THE TEXTS.
Vivian showed Renee.
Renee read it once.
Then she looked toward the rear exit.
"We're not going alone."
Grant joined them.
The city officer followed.
Olivia rose from her chair.
"Mom, don't."
Vivian touched her face gently.
"I'm not going anywhere by myself."
Olivia looked at the note.
"Who is it?"
May you like
Vivian folded it.
"I think we're about to find out."
