Ethan kept those words in mind while he cleaned the storage corridor later that afternoon. Victor had asked him to collect a spare bottle of sanitizer, and the supply cabinet stood near Marcus's office. The door was partly open, and Ethan heard Marcus speaking sharply into his phone. He stopped because the words concerned the records already under investigation, then realized he was close enough to be noticed.
"Change the delivery records before the inspection," Marcus said. "I don't care what you have to do. The owner only sees the numbers I give him. By the time he finds out what's happened, it will be too late."
There was a pause as the person on the other end of the call replied. Marcus made an impatient sound and continued, "No, don't delete the files. That creates questions. Move the discrepancies into the adjustment period and make sure the revised totals match the version the investors have. I want this finished today."
Ethan felt the urge to open the door and demand the phone. He did not. One overheard instruction was important, but it was not a substitute for a reliable chain of evidence, and an impulsive confrontation could give Marcus time to destroy records before the independent team reached them. Ethan moved to the cabinet, picked up the sanitizer, and turned toward the hall.
"How long have you been there?" Marcus asked from the doorway.
Ethan faced him. "I came for cleaning supplies."
"And what did you hear?"
"Enough to know you have a lot to explain."
Marcus stared at the bottle in Ethan's hand, then at his plain work shirt. He seemed less afraid than offended that a dishwasher might consider himself entitled to ask a question. "You're a dishwasher," he said. "Nobody will believe a word you say."
"Truth doesn't become a lie just because it comes from someone you look down on."
For the first time Marcus did not respond immediately. Ethan could almost see him deciding whether to dismiss the worker or find a way to make an example of him. Finally the manager pointed down the corridor and said, "Get out of my sight. Finish your shift, and tomorrow you'll learn whether we still need you."
Ethan carried the sanitizer back to the dish station without speaking. He placed the bottle on the approved shelf and went through the ordinary motions of his job. His heart beat faster than it had during the confrontation, not because he was afraid of losing the temporary position, but because he now understood how little a powerless worker's testimony would be worth under Marcus's rules. The manager had said it plainly: nobody would believe someone with a dish rag in his hand.
At his next break Ethan stepped into the alley and called Daniel. He described the phone conversation carefully, including the words about the delivery records and the way Marcus had responded when he was discovered. Daniel listened without interrupting, then explained that Simone's team was already obtaining original vendor data and preserving the accounting system's revision history. The official records could establish what had changed, who had accessed them, and when; Ethan's account could guide questions but would not become the entire case.