Chapter 6 - The Wine Cellar Door.
Olivia did not want to go back downstairs.
Vivian could see that immediately.
The staircase to the wine cellar began behind a narrow service door beside the pastry station.
It was not locked.
That somehow made it worse.
Renee Cole read the anonymous messages twice before asking Theodore Bell a simple question.
"Do you consent to us looking in the wine cellar?"
Theodore looked at Marcus.
Marcus said nothing.
"Yes," Theodore replied.
Marcus finally stepped forward.
"The cellar contains private inventory records."
Theodore stared at him.
"It's my inventory."
"And my purchasing files."
"Then there shouldn't be a problem."
Marcus's mouth tightened.
Vivian understood then that Theodore was frightened too.
Not of Marcus physically.
Of what Marcus might have been doing under his name.
Grant led the way downstairs.
Renee followed.
Vivian stayed beside Olivia.
Theodore and Daniel came behind them.
Marcus remained at the top of the stairs until the city officer told him he could either stay in sight or wait in the kitchen.
Marcus chose to follow.
The cellar was unexpectedly beautiful.
Dark wooden racks stretched from floor to ceiling beneath soft amber lights.
Thousands of bottles rested in neat horizontal rows.
Small brass plaques identified regions and years.
Burgundy.
Bordeaux.
Napa Valley.
Tuscany.
Olivia stopped near the far wall.
"There."
She pointed to a rolling ladder attached to a rail.
Behind it stood a narrow cabinet painted the same dark brown as the wine racks.
The cabinet had no label.
Renee looked at Theodore.
"What's stored inside?"
Theodore frowned.
"I have no idea."
Marcus laughed softly.
"Old invoices."
Vivian turned to him.
"You seem to know exactly what's in every place your employer doesn't."
Marcus ignored her.
Grant tested the cabinet.
Locked.
Theodore held out his hand.
"Key."
Marcus did not move.
"I don't carry it."
Daniel looked at him.
"Yes, you do."
The room went still.
Marcus slowly turned.
Daniel was pale, but he did not look away.
"You keep it behind your identification card."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"You're mistaken."
"I've seen you open it after payroll nights."
Theodore's voice became cold.
"Marcus."
Marcus removed his wallet.
Behind his employee identification card was a flat silver key.
He placed it in Theodore's hand.
Theodore unlocked the cabinet.
The first shelf contained wine invoices.
The second held binders marked SUPPLIERS, EVENTS, and PRIVATE DINING.
Marcus exhaled through his nose.
"As I said."
Renee crouched and looked at the bottom shelf.
A black metal cash box sat behind two empty champagne cases.
Theodore stared at it.
"What's that?"
Marcus answered too quickly.
"Petty cash."
Theodore lifted the box.
It was heavy.
The key from Marcus's wallet opened it too.
Inside were no bills or coins.
There were envelopes.
Dozens of them.
Each envelope carried a person's name and a number written in red ink.
Renee pulled on gloves before touching anything.
Mason Reed - $8,460.
Elena Ruiz - $14,220.
Daniel Hart - $27,100.
Nora Price - CLOSED.
Olivia Mercer - $90,000.
Vivian felt her daughter sway beside her.
"Mom."
Vivian put an arm around her.
"I'm here."
Theodore looked at Marcus as though he had never seen him before.
"What are these?"
Marcus folded his arms.
"Employee receivables."
"Employees don't owe my restaurant eighty and ninety thousand dollars."
"Some do."
Renee opened Mason's envelope.
Inside were printed pages listing deductions.
Housing administration.
Knife replacement.
Uniform sanitation.
Training remediation.
Customer recovery fee.
There were no receipts attached.
No signatures appeared beside most entries.
Renee opened Daniel's envelope.
The pattern repeated.
The numbers were larger.
Daniel stared at the pages.
"I've never seen that."
"You signed your employment package," Marcus said.
Daniel turned toward him.
"I signed a four-page offer letter."
"There were attachments."
"No, there weren't."
Marcus looked toward the staircase.
The city officer stepped slightly into his path.
Nobody accused him of trying to leave.
Nobody needed to.
Vivian noticed an envelope at the back of the box without an employee name.
It was marked BELL.
She pointed.
"What's that one?"
Theodore saw it.
His face changed.
Renee removed the envelope.
Inside was a single printed spreadsheet.
The first column listed dates.
The second listed employee initials.
The third listed amounts.
The fourth was labeled RECOVERY.
At the bottom was a total.
$312,880.
Theodore's voice was barely audible.
"What is this?"
Marcus smiled faintly.
"You tell me."
Theodore stared at him.
Marcus continued.
"Your company received the money."
Vivian looked from one man to the other.
The room seemed smaller than it had a moment earlier.
Theodore shook his head.
"That's impossible."
Marcus shrugged.
"Bank records don't care what you remember."
Renee immediately placed the spreadsheet into a separate evidence sleeve.
Vivian saw something else inside the envelope.
A small white card.
Renee lifted it.
It was a business card from Bell Dining Group.
On the back, someone had handwritten four words.
KEEP THE RECOVERY QUIET.
Theodore stared at the handwriting.
Vivian stared at Theodore.
May you like
"Is that yours?"
Theodore did not answer.
