Chapter 4 - The Staff Key
The brass key had been assigned to the venue manager.
It disappeared from his office that morning.
Victoria claimed she found it beside the ballroom.
Emma opened the corridor security log.
Victoria had entered the manager’s office at 4:12 p.m.
She said she needed privacy to repair her veil.
Ten minutes later, the key was gone.
The manager had reported it.
Victoria’s wedding coordinator told him not to create unnecessary concern around important guests.
Emma looked at Victoria.
“You planned to blame him.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“You hid my phone in your bouquet and kept his key in your sleeve.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“You cannot prove how either item got there.”
The manager removed a small envelope from his jacket.
Inside was a written warning prepared by Victoria’s family attorney.
It accused him of stealing jewelry from the bridal suite.
The accusation was dated before the key disappeared.
Victoria had prepared a reason to dismiss him before committing the act she intended to blame on him.
The class prejudice was precise.
A wealthy bride could enter a staff office and call it an emergency.
A working manager could be destroyed by one missing bracelet.
Ethan looked at Victoria.
“You were going to ruin his career.”
“I was protecting the ceremony.”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
“You were making sure the poorest person near the evidence became the suspect.”
The manager’s eyes lowered.
He had worked at the mansion for eighteen years.
His father polished the ballroom floors before him.
Neither man had ever been invited to an event there.
Tonight, the son had been trusted with every key but no voice.
Then he revealed something else.
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The room beneath the altar had once held the original employee ownership records.
Victoria had not hidden Emma there by accident.
