Her Silence

Chapter Four

"The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter." Sophecles

My shift was coming to a close, at last. We were all called into the kitchen at around a quarter to one to be told that the man from the other night was now at home, after being discharged having made a full recovery. Smiles had lit up around the room, so I gave a small one out of acknowledgement. As everyone gets up to leave, Jacob asks those asides from the chefs to stay put, and that he would be back 'in a minute'. Queries began arising throughout the room, some making accusations, and some predicting it isn't anything to be worried about. As promised Jacob returned with the cash box in his hands. He dropped it dramatically onto the table, placing both hands beside it, hanging his head. Slowly, everyone's eyes began to widen, and heads were turning rapidly, looking quizzically at each other. Jacob took a deep breath before looking up.

"It seems... It seems as though we have a thief on our hands." My chest tightens. "This has been dragging out for a week now, and I didn't want to let it drag out any longer. So here I am, to nip this in the bud. If anyone knows anything about this or would even like to hold up their hands in admittance, you know where to find me. Of course, don't do it now, I don't agree with public humiliation."

"How do you know it's one of us?" A waiter called Greg asks. Rightfully, everyone looks at him with suspicion. He chuckles and holds up his hands, "hey, I'm not suggesting anything sketchy here. But it really could be anyone. Public, staff, anyone."

"What Greg is saying is right." States Sami, standing up. Though a chef, being the head of the kitchen means he is part of the superior staff, giving him the right to be in any meeting he chooses. In fact, he was probably asked to attend. "But for those who are unaware of how the till works, it requires a password that only the bartenders and potentially a few waiters know." As Sami says this, he casts his eyes around the room, as though looking for an expression of guilt. He continues, "obviously, the chefs never have any reason to be on the main floor, so do not know the password as there is no reason for them to." Out of genuine concern, I raise my hand to gain the rooms attentions, a gesture we all agreed I would make when I want to talk.

"Rosie?" Jacob makes the room aware of me beginning to sign.

"Exactly how much money has been taken across the week?" Everyone begins to nod, all probably as eager to find out as each other.

"From the beginning of the week to now, about three hundred pounds. So approximately fifty pounds a day." I gulp. That's a lot of money to be taking from a small bar thinking it would go unnoticed. "I noticed we were forty pounds short on Monday evening, which at first I thought was simply a mathematical error made by someone behind the bar – admittedly a stupid assumption as you all have solid grades in maths, and the till works the money out for you. But then the same has pattern occurred everyday since, and I've to the conclusion that someone has deliberately been taking it. I thought I'd leave it until last night to allow the thief to strike one last time before I called you all together, just to confirm my theory. And sure enough, we are now three hundred pounds short." Every member of staff in the room looks stunned, making it difficult to figure out who has been taking the money. To make it even more of a challenge, all staff members are required to work on a Saturday night, and no one has called in sick, meaning everyone is here. This makes everyone a potential culprit.

"My guess is that whilst the man was having a seizure, and whilst I was in the court yard with Rosie," I feel myself heating up, "one of you took the opportunity to take what will be your last batch of cash whilst everyone was distracted. I can assure you, that was your last opportunity. Before everyone arrived for today's shift, I had a man come to installed security cameras across the bar, specifically above the till." Well that explains why I saw him arriving here so early today. "The meeting's over." Jacob finishes gruffly, taking the box off of the table, most likely to return it to the bar. The rest of us stay seated, taking in all that had been revealed in the past fifteen minutes.

Before anyone makes a move to leave, Sami clears his throat and stands up. We all look up at him, and his eyes pierce menacingly through us – he isn't giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. "Just so you know,", he starts, "Jacob may be lenient, but I shall not be. We all know he started here from scratch. It's..." Sami pauses, ponders, and continues, "it's selfish and sickening. That's what it is." And with that, he too leaves the room. Seemingly, and expectedly, everyone's faces grew grief-stricken, and you could tell that the blame game was well under way. It's easy to predict that no one is going to own up, but no one looks remotely guilty. Either the thief has a very, very good poker face, or there has been some huge mistake. I doubt it's the latter.

*****

Wow... who else loves a plot twist? Does anyone want to make some early predictions as to who may be taking the money?

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