Chapter 12 - THE FALSE WINE ACCUSATIONDavid’s defense team introduced a new claim.
Leah had allegedly stolen expensive wine.
Two bottles.
Retail value over $1,200.
David’s attorney argued Leah’s credibility should be questioned before wage calculations relied on her personal log.
Vincent felt rage.
Celeste stopped him.
“Check.”
So they checked.
Inventory records showed two bottles missing seven weeks earlier.
David wrote a manager note:
Possible staff theft — Leah Carter had cellar access.
Leah had never been told.
When asked, she went pale.
“I don’t drink.”
“Did you enter the cellar?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“David sent me.”
“For?”
“Bring cases upstairs.”
Security footage existed.
Leah entered at 4:14.
Left at 4:22 carrying sealed cases.
No bottles hidden.
At 11:38, after Leah clocked out, David entered.
He left with a leather tote.
Two bottle-shaped silhouettes visible.
Not conclusive.
Then restaurant POS records.
The missing vintages appeared two days later at a private off-book dinner hosted by David.
Photographs on social media showed one bottle on the table.
Same rare label.
David claimed he paid personally.
No receipt.
Another accusation collapsed.
Vincent understood the pattern.
Someone vulnerable raised a claim.
Management created a counterclaim.
Now everything became:
She says / he says.
Even if wage theft proved true, the worker looked imperfect.
That reduced sympathy.
Leah cried after investigators cleared her.
Not relief.
Anger.
“They were going to say I stole.”
Vincent nodded.
“They did.”
“If Rory hadn’t gone to you?”
He had no comforting answer.
The note might have remained.
If Leah later sued, David could produce it.
A mother already struggling financially.
Accused of stealing luxury wine.
How many people would believe her immediately?
Vincent looked at the paper.
“Your personnel file will be corrected.”
“That’s it?”
“No.”
He thought.
“The company will issue you a written finding stating there is no evidence you stole anything.”
Leah nodded.
“That matters.”
People with money could survive suspicion.
May you like
People without it often carried suspicion into the next job.
Vincent was learning how expensive reputation was when you could not buy a new one.
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