Chapter 10 - MIA’S STORY
The investigation moved faster after Brittany’s admission.
By afternoon, Darren had hired a lawyer.
By evening, Bellamy & Rowe’s legal team had preserved records from every affected register.
The next morning, Janet asked if I would speak to Mia.
“Why me?”
“She requested you.”
“That’s unusual.”
“She knows who you are now.”
“I assumed everyone does.”
“Everyone does.”
Wonderful.
So much for privacy.
Mia met me in a small conference room.
Twenty-six.
Nervous.
Smart eyes.
She stood when I entered.
“Mrs. Reed.”
“Margaret is fine.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t think I can do that.”
I smiled.
“Sit.”
She sat.
I did too.
“Janet says you wanted to speak with me.”
Mia twisted her fingers.
“I almost quit.”
“Because of Brittany?”
“And Darren.”
“Tell me.”
She looked toward the door.
“They were close.”
“How close?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer told me plenty.
“Go on.”
“Darren favored her.”
“Schedules?”
“Yes.”
“Sales credit?”
“Yes.”
“Discipline?”
“Yes.”
“Returns?”
Mia swallowed.
“Yes.”
My stomach tightened.
“Did you know what they were doing?”
“Not at first.”
“When did you realize?”
“A customer came back.”
“What customer?”
“She had supposedly returned a handbag.”
“Supposedly?”
“She came in wearing it.”
I sat straighter.
“She returned it and kept it?”
“No.”
Mia shook her head.
“She never returned it.”
“So what happened?”
“Her account showed a full refund.”
“To her card?”
“No.”
Mia looked sick.
“It showed store credit.”
“Where did the store credit go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you report it?”
“I tried.”
“To whom?”
“Darren.”
Of course.
“He told me the system sometimes duplicated records.”
“And you believed him?”
“For about a week.”
“What changed?”
“I found another one.”
She pulled a notebook from her bag.
“I wrote down transaction numbers.”
Janet had already seen it.
I could tell by her calm expression.
Mia handed it to me anyway.
Seven numbers.
Same ones compliance flagged.
“Why didn’t you go above Darren?”
“I was scared.”
“Of losing your job?”
She nodded.
“I take care of my mom.”
That sentence cut through me.
“You thought Darren could fire you?”
“He told me I wasn’t management material.”
I almost smiled sadly.
“Neither was he.”
Mia looked down.
“Brittany told me to stay out of it.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“What exactly did she say?”
Mia thought.
“She said, ‘Darren handles things differently. Don’t make trouble where there isn’t any.’”
“Did she seem scared?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
Mia’s expression changed.
“Later she seemed… involved.”
“How?”
“She started using his office.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Anything else?”
Mia hesitated.
“There was an envelope.”
My attention sharpened.
“What envelope?”
“I saw Darren give her one.”
“When?”
“Last Monday.”
“The day before Arthur died?”
“Yes.”
“What was in it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you see her open it?”
“No.”
“Did you see what she did with it?”
“She put it in her purse.”
Janet finally spoke.
“We checked security footage.”
My eyes moved to her.
“And?”
“The envelope existed.”
“What was inside?”
“We don’t know.”
I leaned back.
Then Mia said quietly,
“I might.”
We both looked at her.
She reached into her bag.
Pulled out a folded photocopy.
“I found this in the copy machine tray after Brittany left.”
Janet’s expression sharpened.
“Mia, you didn’t mention this.”
“I forgot I had it until last night.”
She handed it over.
I unfolded the page.
It was not a receipt.
Not a schedule.
Not a return.
It was an internal company ownership chart.
Confidential.
At the top was my name.
Margaret Reed.
Under it:
May you like
58% voting control.
Brittany had known exactly who I was before Arthur’s funeral.
