I stared at it.
“Why would Vanessa leave her dog for the woman she just accused of stealing?”
“She didn’t.”
Marcus sat at the security console.
“Her husband did.”
He pulled up footage from 6:38 the previous evening.
Hours after I had been fired.
There were Vanessa and Richard near the elevators.
No audio.
But it was obvious they were arguing.
Vanessa pointed angrily at him.
Richard responded.
Then she turned and stormed away.
Richard remained behind.
Holding Princess.
Then he did something strange.
He looked directly at the security camera.
Not accidentally.
Deliberately.
Then he carried Princess into the service hallway.
Another camera showed him entering the security office.
A minute later, he walked out alone.
I watched the footage twice.
“This still makes no sense.”
Before Marcus could answer, the door opened.
Mr. Bennett stepped inside.
He saw me.
His expression tightened.
“Rachel? You aren’t authorized to be here.”
“I called her,” Marcus said.
“You cannot bring a terminated employee onto hotel property.”
Marcus pointed toward Princess.
“Sir, I think we have a bigger problem.”
Mr. Bennett looked at the dog.
Then the note.
“What is going on?”
Before anyone answered, shouting echoed from the lobby.
A woman’s furious voice.
“Where is she?”
Marcus and I looked at each other.
“Vanessa.”
She appeared less than a minute later.
Same cream coat.
Same perfect appearance.
Richard followed several steps behind her.
He looked exhausted.
“Where is Princess?”
Then Vanessa saw me.
Her face hardened.
“You.”
I removed the note from the carrier.
“Do you recognize this handwriting?”
Vanessa looked at it.
Then at Richard.
Her expression changed.
“You left my dog here?”
“Yes,” Richard said.
“You left Princess overnight in a security office?”
“Yes.”
She reached for the carrier.
“We’re leaving.”
Richard stepped between her and the dog.
“No.”
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