Chef Lucas Tried to Throw Henry Out of the Kitchen — Then the Manager Showed Him the Signature on the Wall
Chapter 5 — Rosa’s Last Night
Lucas stepped toward Daniel.
“You don’t know what you saw.”
Henry moved between them.
“Then explain it.”
Lucas said nothing.
Elaine looked toward Daniel.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Daniel laughed nervously.
“Because Rosa did.”
The room went silent.
Daniel explained what happened the night Rosa disappeared from the schedule.
She found Lucas photographing the old recipe book.
She confronted him.
Lucas told her he was only studying the restaurant’s history.
Rosa didn’t believe him.
She had already noticed that several new dishes Lucas introduced were slightly modified versions of recipes from the Bell family notebook.
She threatened to tell Elaine.
The following morning, Rosa’s access code stopped working.
Lucas announced that she had resigned.
“That’s not true,” Daniel said.
“She called me crying from the parking lot.”
Elaine turned toward Lucas.
“You told me she sent an email.”
“She did.”
“Show me.”
Lucas hesitated.
“I don’t keep every email forever.”
Elaine stared at him.
“HR does.”
She walked toward the office computer.
The termination record showed something very different.
Rosa had been dismissed for “insubordination and unauthorized removal of proprietary recipes.”
Elaine read the line twice.
“You accused her of stealing recipes?”
Lucas shrugged.
“She was taking photographs.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She was photographing you photographing them.”
Henry’s expression hardened.
“Where is the book, Lucas?”
Lucas remained silent.
Then Elaine noticed something.
One of the security cameras above the office hallway pointed directly toward the storage cabinet.
She looked at Henry.
“We don’t have to ask him.”
