Chapter 3 - The Gold Snowflake
Victoria arrived in the basement wearing a silver evening gown and the
gold snowflake pin.
She was Ethan’s late brother’s widow and had served as regional vice
president for eighteen months.
“What is this emergency?” she demanded.
Then she saw Sophie.
Her expression barely changed.
Ethan noticed.
“Do you know this child?”
“No.”
Sophie whispered, “That’s her.”
Victoria’s eyes sharpened.
“Children imagine things.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“Interesting first response.”
“What are you accusing me of?”
“Nothing yet.”
“You dragged me away from two hundred donors.”
“Donors raising money for disadvantaged children.”
Victoria crossed her arms. “Don’t be theatrical.”
Rosa stepped forward. “Mrs. Vance, you told Caleb to keep employee
families out of public areas.”
“I told him to maintain professional standards.”
“You said the children made the hotel look cheap.”
Victoria’s jaw tightened.
“That is not exploitation.”
“No,” Ethan said. “But this might be.”
He showed her North Star deductions.
For the first time, she looked worried.
“I don’t manage payroll.”
“You receive regional performance bonuses based on labor costs.”
“So?”
“So somebody has been making labor costs look very good.”
Victoria glanced toward Caleb.
He had followed Ethan downstairs despite being told not to.
“There you are,” she said sharply. “Explain this.”
Caleb stared at her.
Something silent passed between them.
Ethan saw it.
Caleb said, “North Star was approved at regional level.”
Victoria’s face went still.
“That’s a lie.”
“I have emails.”
“You have nothing.”
“Then you won’t mind if corporate forensics checks your account.”
Victoria turned on Ethan.
“You’re going to humiliate this family because a housekeeper made
accusations?”
Rosa flinched.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Rosa showed compassion to my daughter when your management team treated
us like garbage. Choose your next words carefully.”
Victoria lowered her voice.
“You’ve become sentimental since Sarah died.”
The mention of Sarah changed the air.
Ethan said, “Leave her out of this.”
“Sarah understood business.”
“Sarah would have fired everyone involved before midnight.”
Victoria smiled without warmth.
“Sarah understood that hotels run on margins, not feelings.”
Lily appeared in the doorway holding Mateo’s hand.
“Daddy?”
Ethan turned.
Rosa said, “I told them to stay upstairs.”
Mateo looked terrified.
“Mr. Vance, my mom is gone.”
“What?”
“I called her. Her phone’s off.”
Caleb suddenly became interested in the floor.
Ethan noticed.
“When did you last see her?”
“This morning.”
“Where does she live?”
Mateo gave an address in Cicero.
Victoria said, “This is becoming absurd. Call social services.”
Mateo grabbed Ethan’s sleeve.
“No!”
Lily hugged Buttons to her chest.
“Don’t take him away.”
Victoria sighed. “Ethan, children cannot run corporate investigations.”
“No,” Ethan said. “But frightened children can tell us where adults
buried the truth.”
He called his security director, Grace Holloway, and asked her to send a
team to Elena’s apartment.
Then he ordered food and rooms for every employee family hidden
downstairs.
Caleb protested about occupancy.
Ethan said, “Move my gala guests if necessary.”
Victoria looked horrified.
“You cannot displace paying customers.”
“Watch me.”
Twenty minutes later Grace called.
“Elena’s apartment is empty.”
“Empty how?”
“Drawers open. Medicine still on the counter. Purse gone. No suitcase.”
“Anything else?”
A pause.
“There’s blood on a kitchen towel.”
Mateo heard.
His face collapsed.
Ethan caught him before his knees hit the floor.
“Hey. Look at me. We don’t know what happened.”
“My mama said she was going to tell.”
“Tell who?”
“You.”
Ethan froze.
Mateo pulled a folded Christmas card from his pocket.
“She made me keep this if she disappeared.”
On the front was a cheap picture of Santa.
Inside, Elena had written one sentence.
May you like
MR. VANCE, NORTH STAR ISN’T STEALING FROM THE HOTEL.
IT’S BUYING PEOPLE INSIDE YOUR FAMILY.
