Chapter 5 - Daniel Voss
The next morning, I found Ethan before opening service.
“Who is Daniel Voss?”
His face immediately changed.
“You shouldn't ask that.”
“Why?”
“Because people who ask about Daniel don't stay here long.”
I stared at him.
“I already know Beatrice marked him as a problem.”
Ethan looked around.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Daniel was the best chef this restaurant ever had.”
“What happened?”
“He discovered something in the supplier records.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
He shook his head.
“Clara, I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm trying to keep my job.”
“You think keeping your job will protect you?”
He looked at me.
I saw fear in his eyes.
Not fear of me.
Fear of someone else.
Finally, he said, “Daniel found duplicate invoices.”
“For what?”
“Seafood.”
I felt my pulse rise.
“The same deliveries were being charged twice.”
“That's not all.”
He hesitated.
“Some of the seafood never reached the kitchen.”
“Where did it go?”
“I don't know.”
“And Daniel?”
“He confronted Beatrice.”
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“And after that?”
“He disappeared.”
I wanted to ask more.
Instead, I heard Beatrice entering the kitchen.
Everyone immediately returned to work.
She walked past me without speaking.
Then stopped.
“You're not supposed to be here.”
I looked at her.
“You fired me yesterday.”
“And yet you returned.”
“You haven't given me my final paperwork.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I'll have it prepared.”
“Good.”
She leaned closer.
“You should leave before you make things worse.”
I kept my voice calm.
“You already made things worse.”
For one second, she looked terrified.
Then she walked away.
That afternoon, Marco called.
“We found Daniel.”
I stopped moving.
“Where?”
“Not physically.”
“What does that mean?”
“We found a payment made to him six months ago.”
“From Beatrice?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Marco paused.
“The payment came from a company that owns three seafood distribution warehouses.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who owns the company?”
“That's the problem.”
“What?”
“The company is registered under a holding corporation.”
“And the holding corporation?”
Marco exhaled.
“It's connected to the restaurant's investors.”
The investigation had just moved beyond Beatrice.
May you like
Someone higher up was controlling the entire operation.
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