Chapter 2 - The Room Registered to Nina
"I never rented a room here," Nina said.
Nicole reached for the keycard. Brandon stopped her with one hand. "Wait."
The hotel's evening manager, Celeste Park, arrived with two security officers. She knew Nina, but kept her face neutral.
"Room 614 is listed under Nina Ortiz," Celeste confirmed from the desk system. "It was booked through an event account yesterday."
"I was working a double shift yesterday," Nina said. "Check the time sheets."
Nicole folded her arms. "The staff isn't supposed to be upstairs. That's probably why she used the event account."
"You can't have it both ways," Sebastian said. "Either she stole something or someone put a room in her name. Let's find out which."
Celeste called her supervisor and asked the officers to document who entered. Nina stayed outside the door with Brandon and Sebastian. She wanted witnesses.
The room was empty of luggage. On the desk sat a second black folio, identical to the one downstairs, and an envelope marked NINA ORTIZ - CONSULTING PAYMENT. Celeste photographed everything before opening the envelope in view of both officers.
Inside were cash and a sheet claiming Nina had agreed to remove files from the foundation's accounting system. The signature resembled hers, except the final letter curved backward.
"That's not my signature," Nina said.
Brandon stared at the paper. "You've been inside our accounting system?"
"During my contract. With permission. I reported payments that didn't match the grants. Two weeks later, I was dismissed."
Sebastian looked up sharply. "I never heard about that."
"You weren't supposed to," Nicole said from the hallway. She had followed despite being told to stay downstairs. "She's an angry former employee. That's all this is."
Celeste held up the booking record. "The reservation was made using the access credentials of the foundation's events director."
All three turned toward Nicole.
She drew a long breath. "That doesn't prove who used them."
"No," Nina agreed. "But someone worked awfully hard to make me look guilty."
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Then Celeste's radio crackled. Downstairs, an officer had opened the first folio. Inside was a signed instruction to transfer the Harbor House property to a private developer.
The signature belonged to Brandon.
