Chapter 2 - THE BLUE ENVELOPE
Victoria moved first.
She reached toward Isabella's handbag.
Emma stepped between them.
"Don't."
Victoria laughed sharply. "Are you planning to police the whole ballroom now?"
Vincent turned to his head of security. "Marco, secure my mother's bag."
Marco Bellini took it before Victoria could touch it.
The ballroom began breathing again, but the whispers grew louder.
Emma's manager, Carl Dempsey, appeared at her elbow with fury in his eyes.
"Kitchen. Now."
Emma followed him through the service doors.
The second they closed, he hissed, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I stopped a woman from being hit."
"You grabbed Victoria Langford in front of three hundred guests."
"So?"
Carl looked almost panicked. "So you don't work here anymore. Turn in your badge."
Emma stared at him.
"You're firing me for stopping an assault?"
"I'm firing you because this hotel cannot afford your judgment."
She removed her badge and placed it on the prep table.
"Then maybe the hotel needs better judgment."
She walked out through the employee entrance into the freezing Chicago night.
Her phone rang before she reached the bus stop.
It was her younger sister, Sophie.
"Emma, Dad's hospital called. They need another deposit by Monday."
Emma closed her eyes.
Of course they did.
"I'll figure it out."
"How?"
Emma looked back at the glowing ballroom windows.
"I don't know yet."
A black sedan rolled to the curb.
Marco stepped out.
"Mr. Moretti would like to speak with you."
Emma folded her arms. "Am I being sued?"
"No."
"Arrested?"
"No."
"Then he can call me."
Marco almost smiled.
"He tried. Your manager had security collect your phone with your locker items."
Emma frowned.
"My phone is in my pocket."
Marco's expression changed.
"Then what exactly did hotel security collect?"
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At that same moment, inside the ballroom, Vincent opened Isabella's handbag.
The blue envelope was gone.
