This time, he wouldn’t be alone.
Vero waited in the hall with her ear pressed to the restroom door, listening for the sound of the stall door closing before following Philip inside. The toilet lid creaked as he sat down. Paper rustled, followed by the click of a ballpoint pen.
Vero hummed to herself as she turned on one of the faucets.
“Is someone here?” Philip called out, his voice high and uncertain.
“Don’t mind me,” Vero said. “I’m just refilling the soap dispensers. Someone complained they were empty, and we wouldn’t want you caught with dirty hands, right?” She let the running water mask the rustling sound as she withdrew the plastic liner from the only trash can, leaving the metal bin naked inside. She tied off the bag and opened the door, where Terence was waiting in the hallway. He took the bag from her and handed her a dripping wet mop, holding the door open for her as she dragged it backward through the men’s room. She left a soapy trail behind her on her way back to the sink. “All done!” she called out, turning off the tap. “I’ll get out of here and leave you to your business, Philip.”
Instead of leaving, Vero hoisted herself up and sat on the vanity. She laid the mop across her lap and pulled her feet up out of sight. She signaled to Terence. He let go of the door. A heavy silence filled the bathroom as the pneumatic hinge sighed and the door clicked shut.
Philip’s newspaper resumed its rustling. For several long minutes, Vero could hear the soft scratch of a pen and the crackling of paper. Nothing more. No rattle of the TP dispenser. No flush of a toilet, and (fortunately) no awkward bodily sounds.
When the stall door finally opened, out walked Philip, with his crossword tucked under his arm. He crumpled a wad of papers into a ball and tossed them into the trash can. They hit the bottom with a hollow thud.
Philip paused, as if he’d registered the unfamiliar sound.
“Did you forget to wash your hands?”
He whirled toward the sound of Vero’s voice. The blood drained from his face when he saw her sitting on the counter, her legs swinging cheerfully.
“What are you doing in here?” he sputtered. “This is a violation of my privacy. I’m going to report you to Mr. Singh right now!” He turned hastily to the door and flung it open wide. The smooth soles of his dress shoes slipped on the freshly mopped tiles, and he cried out as his feet flew out from under him, his arms pinwheeling to keep him upright. The crossword puzzle slipped from the crook of his elbow, a stack of deposit slips scattering across the floor as he fell.
Terence stood in the doorway, frowning down at Philip. The security guard might have pulled a little harder than necessary as he helped Philip to his feet.
Vero hopped down from the counter and started to gather the deposit slips.
“No, stop!” Philip cried. “That’s not necessary. I can get those!” He lunged, but Terence grabbed the back of his collar, holding him in place as Vero collected the evidence from the floor and handed it over to Terence. Philip watched in horror as she opened the lid of the trash can and turned it upside down. A ball of discarded deposit slips rolled out. His breathing became ragged as she pried them open.
Vero clucked her tongue, raising an eyebrow at him. “Looks like someone’s been up to some shady math in here. And I’m not just talking about number one and number two.” She handed the last of the evidence to Terence.
An angry voice rose from the hallway. “What’s going on in here? Why is a police car parked outside, and where is—” Mr. Singh stormed into the bathroom, nearly tripping as he spotted the three of them standing over the overturned trash can.
Philip’s face turned red. He pointed at Vero. “I was just using the restroom when this janitor barged in and—”
“Her name isMs. Ruiz,” Terence corrected him. “And she just solved our mystery about why the vault counts have been off. The police are here because I called them. And I think once you review the evidence Ms. Ruiz found, you’ll understand why.” Terence handed the deposit slips to Mr. Singh. They all watched his face as he scanned them. His eyes widened, leaping to Philip.
“I’d recommend doing a quick audit of his drawer,” Vero added. “And search his pockets while you’re at it. The difference between the totals on the real deposit tickets and the ones he’s been fudging in the bathroom stall probably match the amount of cash he’s got squirreled away in his jacket right now.”
Philip reached for his pocket. His eyes darted around the bathroom, but he was cornered. No way out.
Mr. Singh’s face hardened as he held out his hand. “Your drawer key, Mr. Biggs.”
Philip swallowed. Reluctantly, he turned over his key to the manager. Mr. Singh led their somber procession to the lobby, where Terence kept a close eye on Philip as Mr. Singh performed an audit of the teller’s drawer.
Several minutes later, the manager emerged from behind the plexiglass partition. He shook his head at Philip. “Why?” he asked with a baffled expression. “You’ve worked at this bank longer than any of us. Why would you do this?”
“Twelve years,” Philip said through gritted teeth. “I’ve worked here for exactly twelve years, and do you know how many vacations I’ve taken? None. Not a single one. And what did I get for my commitment? For twelve years of selfless service to this bank, I received a lousy plastic statue. That’s it! Not a generous bonus or a paid vacation. Not so much as a gift card to take myself out to dinner. And certainly not a promotion. I’m tired of it, Mr. Singh! Tired of being overworked and overlooked. I deserve a salary increase at the very least, and you haven’t seemed eager to offer me one.”
“So you decided to steal it from our customers?”
“I didn’t steal it from our customers!” Philip sputtered. “I took the money from the bank, and the bank is insured!”
Vero sucked in a breath. That was it. Philip had just confessed. She’d done it. She’d solved the crime. Had found the proof. She could practically see her new future unrolling like a victory banner in front of her.
Mr. Singh nodded solemnly to Terence.
Darren and Helen paused to watch as Terence escorted the thief from the building. Vero looked on, hiding behind the tinted lobby windows as Philip was handcuffed and loaded into the police car outside.
