ROOM 408 PART- 3

ROOM 408

PART 3 — THE RECORDING

The manager, Daniel Alvarez, placed the bracelet on the desk and locked the office door.

"Start from the beginning," he said.

Victoria recovered her voice.

"This is absurd. That recording has no sound. You don't know what I was doing."

Daniel turned the tablet so all three could see the frozen image: Victoria's hand inside Maya's tote.

"You reported the bracelet stolen. We found it in the place where this video shows you putting it."

"Perhaps I saw the bag and realized she had moved it. Perhaps I was taking it back."

Maya looked at the bracelet.

"You put it inside. You didn't remove it."

Victoria pointed at her.

"She knew who I was before she entered my room. She could have taken something else and hidden it."

"Then why did you try to stop me from opening the recording?" Daniel asked.

Victoria ignored him.

"This woman was fired from my company for accessing private financial information. She has been threatening us ever since."

Maya's hands remained still at her sides.

"I have never called you, emailed you, or approached you since the day you fired me."

Daniel looked from one woman to the other.

"What happens Tuesday?"

Maya explained the payroll deductions, the shell consulting company, and the hearing. She kept her words precise. She had learned that accuracy mattered more than anger when powerful people wanted to call you unstable.

Victoria gave a short laugh.

"A group of former employees wants money. She wants revenge. That's the entire case."

"Then why frame her for theft?" Daniel asked.

"I did not frame anyone."

Daniel tapped the screen once.

The recording began again.

Victoria stepped out of Room 408. She checked the corridor. She approached the cart. Her hand entered the open tote, empty, then came out. She returned to her room. Seven minutes later, she called the front desk and reported the bracelet missing.

Daniel stopped the video.

"The police can decide what to call it."

Victoria's face tightened.

"Do you know how much business my company brings this hotel?"

"Enough that you thought we would blame an employee without checking."

He picked up the office phone.

This time, Victoria did not try to stop him.