Chapter 9 - The Waitress They UnderestimatedWhen the police arrived, Marcus tried one final performance.
He stood straight, adjusted his tie, and pointed at Mia.
“She planted that box,” he said. “She has been acting strange for weeks.”
Mia stared at him in disbelief.
The old Mia might have frozen.
The old Mia might have apologized for standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But something had changed when she knelt beside Adrian on the pavement and chose a life over a paycheck.
“No,” she said.
The officer looked at her. “Miss Carter?”
Mia took a breath. “Check the cameras.”
Marcus went still.
Caleb turned toward the security monitors. “I was hoping you would say that.”
Marcus lunged suddenly toward the desk, reaching for the recording system.
One of Caleb’s men stopped him before he got far.
“No!” Marcus shouted. “You can’t use that!”
Adrian’s voice was quiet. “Afraid of being watched?”
Mia remembered all the times Marcus had warned staff that the cameras were fake, broken, only there to scare thieves.
He had lied.
Caleb pulled up the footage.
There was Marcus placing the metal box under table nine.
Marcus meeting with unknown men after closing.
Marcus taking envelopes.
Marcus slipping something into a cup that morning, then throwing the cup away when Adrian did not drink it.
Mia covered her mouth.
Adrian watched silently.
The officer turned to Marcus. “You need to come with us.”
Marcus’s face twisted. “You think he’s innocent?” he shouted, pointing at Adrian. “He ruined people!”
Adrian stood with effort.
“No,” he said. “I ruined men who thought people like Mia were disposable.”
The room went quiet.
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Marcus had no answer.
For once, he had no power left.
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