Chapter 13 - What Theodore Knew.
Theodore Bell did not deny Simon's account.
That was almost worse than if he had tried.
He sat alone at a dining-room table while Renee questioned Simon in another room.
Vivian stood across from him.
Olivia sat nearby with Nora.
For the first time all night, Marcus was no longer the center of the story.
Theodore was.
"Eighteen months," Vivian said.
Theodore rubbed both hands over his face.
"Simon told me the account was growing."
"And you ignored him."
"I asked Marcus about it."
"What did he say?"
"That employees were signing advanced development contracts."
Vivian stared at him.
"Did you ask to see one?"
Theodore said nothing.
"Did you ask an employee?"
Nothing.
"Did you ask why a dishwasher owed thousands of dollars?"
Theodore finally looked up.
"No."
Olivia watched him from across the room.
"Why not?"
Theodore turned toward her.
Olivia's voice was quiet but steady.
"You walked through that kitchen every week."
Theodore swallowed.
"I trusted my managers."
"You trusted them more than us."
The sentence landed harder than shouting would have.
Daniel stood near the doorway.
Mason stood beside him.
Neither looked away.
Theodore nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Vivian expected an excuse.
Instead, Theodore said the only honest thing left.
"I did."
Olivia's face tightened.
"Then don't say you had no idea."
Theodore lowered his eyes.
"You're right."
Marcus's attorney entered the dining room and announced that Marcus would answer no further questions without formal process.
Marcus himself followed carrying his coat.
Grant blocked the rear corridor.
"Where are you going?"
Marcus looked annoyed.
"Home."
Renee stepped out of the meeting room.
"You are not under arrest, Mr. Vale."
Marcus smiled faintly.
"Then I'm leaving."
"You may leave after you return restaurant property in your possession and after Mr. Bell determines whether you are suspended from the premises."
Theodore stood.
His voice shook once, then steadied.
"Marcus, you are suspended effective immediately."
Marcus laughed.
"You think that fixes this?"
"No."
Theodore looked around the room.
"Nothing fixes tonight."
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Good answer."
He reached for the strap of a leather document bag near his chair.
Grant looked at Theodore.
"Is that company property?"
Theodore frowned.
"The bag is."
Marcus released it.
"Fine."
Renee did not search it herself.
Theodore opened it as the property owner of the bag and pulled out several folders.
One folder contained blank employee acknowledgment forms.
Another contained photocopies of identification documents.
A third contained printed signature images on transparent labels used for document processing.
Olivia stood abruptly.
"That's mine."
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed toward a sheet containing small versions of employee signatures.
Her name appeared beside one image.
Mason's appeared below it.
Daniel's appeared below his.
Marcus's attorney immediately told his client not to speak.
Marcus did not need the warning.
Theodore looked horrified.
"Why do you have these?"
Marcus stared at him.
"Administrative convenience."
Simon, standing in the doorway with Renee, gave a bitter laugh.
"That's not what those were for."
Marcus turned toward him.
"You built the system."
Simon flinched.
"And you abused it."
Marcus pointed at him.
"You approved the money."
"And I was wrong."
The room went silent.
Simon continued.
"I was scared to admit it because I thought admitting my part would destroy my career."
He looked at Olivia.
"So I helped Nora quietly instead of stopping it publicly."
His voice broke slightly.
"That was cowardly."
Nora said nothing.
She did not owe him forgiveness.
Vivian watched Theodore.
He seemed to understand that too.
Theodore turned toward the lease folder on the table.
"Vivian, I know what you're going to do."
Vivian shook her head.
"No, you don't."
"You're going to refuse the renewal."
Olivia looked at her mother.
Vivian had been thinking exactly that.
Then she looked at Mason.
Daniel.
Nora.
The pastry station where Elena should have been.
The servers waiting nervously in the kitchen doorway.
Closing the building could punish the people who had already been punished enough.
Vivian closed the lease folder.
"I'm not signing tonight."
Theodore nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"But I'm also not making a decision tonight."
Marcus looked surprised.
Vivian turned toward Olivia.
"The workers get a voice in what happens next."
May you like
Olivia stared at her.
Then, for the first time since Vivian had entered the kitchen, her daughter stood completely straight.
