Chapter 18 - The Recording Nobody Knew Existed
Elise did not resist.
That surprised Sébastien.
"May I show you something before we leave?" she asked the officer.
He frowned. "Quickly."
Elise looked at Camille.
The young receptionist nodded and opened a file on the lobby display.
Earlier that night, when Elise first pressed the Founder badge to the brass plate, the legacy system had activated more than locks.
It had activated a dormant audit camera above reception.
A camera no modern administrator knew existed.
Luc had found it in the original schematics.
The screen showed 12:43 A.M.
Victoire receiving a message from Sébastien.
Then 1:51 A.M.
Sébastien entering the closed concierge office and using the fourth badge.
Then 3:47 A.M.
Marc Dumas arriving through the kitchen corridor while the hotel was supposedly locked.
Then something even better.
Audio.
Sébastien's voice.
"Once the closing goes through, the bluff is gone, the debt stays with the company, and Elise carries the authorizations."
Marc answered.
"And if she challenges it?"
"We have the incident report. Injured guest, unstable behavior, illegal lockdown. By breakfast, she'll be defending herself instead of the hotel."
His smile had vanished.
Marc moved toward a side door.
Two officers stopped him.
Elise faced her cousin.
"Everything under control?"
Sébastien's eyes filled with something close to hatred.
"You think you've won because of a camera?"
"No."
Elise looked around at the staff.
"You lost because everyone you trained to stay quiet finally spoke."
The officer moved to cuff him.
Sébastien jerked away.
"Ask her about René."
Elise froze.
"What about my father?"
Sébastien laughed bitterly.
"You still don't know why he wrote that letter."
May you like
Then he looked at Victoire.
"Tell her what was in the bottle."
