Richard's jaw tightened.
He looked at Marcus.
"Did you record any private conversations at work?"
Marcus remained silent.
Margaret's expression changed.
"Richard, what exactly are you asking?"
Richard laughed nervously.
"Nothing serious. We have policies regarding confidential information."
Margaret nodded.
"That's understandable. But employees also have rights."
Richard turned toward Marcus again.
"Show me your phone."
Marcus slowly removed it from his pocket.
He held it in his hand.
For a moment, he considered refusing.
But he remembered his mother's medical expenses.
He remembered his brother.
He remembered how easily Richard could make his life difficult.
Finally, Marcus spoke.
"I have a recording."
Richard's face changed.
Margaret looked at him.
"What recording?"
Marcus swallowed.
"A conversation between Mr. Collins and someone from the accounting department."
Richard immediately stepped forward.
"That's private company information!"
Marcus held the phone closer to himself.
"I didn't intend to record it. But I heard something that concerned me."
Richard's voice became louder.
"Delete it."
Margaret stood.
"Richard!"
The manager stopped.
Margaret looked directly at Marcus.
"Do not delete anything."
Richard stared at her.
"Mrs. Whitmore, you don't understand the situation."
"Then explain it."
Richard said nothing.
Margaret turned toward Marcus.
"Can you show me the recording?"
Marcus unlocked his phone.
His hands were shaking.
He opened the file.
And for the first time, Richard looked genuinely afraid.
CHAPTER 8: THE RECORDING
The recording began with the sound of papers moving across a desk.
Then Richard's voice became audible.
"Move the amount through the supplier account."
A second voice answered.
"That account has already been used twice this month."
Richard replied:
"Then use another one."
The accountant sounded nervous.
"What about the overtime payments?"
Richard answered:
"Leave the report unchanged. Nobody checks those numbers individually."
There was a brief silence.
Then the accountant asked:
"And if someone notices?"
Richard laughed.
"Who is going to notice? The employees don't see the financial statements. Headquarters only cares about the final figures."
The recording continued for another minute.
It included references to supplier invoices, missing payments, and adjustments to internal reports.
Margaret listened without interrupting.
When the recording ended, she looked at Richard.
"Is that your voice?"
Richard shook his head.
"The recording is incomplete."
"Is it your voice?"
"Mrs. Whitmore, I can explain."
"Then explain."
Richard looked around the patio.
Several employees had stopped working.
Customers were beginning to notice the tension.
He lowered his voice.
"This is not the appropriate place."
Margaret replied:
"You're right. It isn't."
She turned toward Marcus.
"Thank you for showing me this."
Then she looked at Richard.
"We're going to the office."
Richard nodded slowly.
But Margaret was not finished.
She turned to the employees nearby.
"Please continue your work. Nobody will be punished for cooperating with an investigation."
Marcus put his phone away.
For the first time that afternoon, he felt that someone might finally listen.
CHAPTER 9: THE SECRET IN THE ACCOUNTING FILES
Inside the management office, Margaret asked Richard to explain the financial discrepancies.
He insisted that the recording was misleading.
He claimed the conversation referred to legitimate accounting adjustments.
Margaret did not argue.
Instead, she requested the original documents.
Richard opened several files on his computer.
He presented spreadsheets showing the restaurant's financial performance.
The figures appeared reasonable.
But Margaret noticed something unusual.
Several supplier payments had been recorded as expenses without matching delivery confirmations.
She asked for the original invoices.
Richard said the accounting department handled those documents.
Margaret contacted the regional finance director.