What she had avoided asking was what those results cost. The complaint summaries on her screen showed repeated dissatisfaction, yet local managers had assured her the issues were misunderstandings or unreasonable guests. Janet had approved coaching plans and closed several escalations without speaking directly to the people who filed them. Seeing the recording now, she recognized how convenient those explanations had been.
"Preserve everything," Janet told Marcus and Sarah. "No one changes reservations, phone logs, incident reports, or shift notes. Derek and Patricia are to step away from guest contact pending review. I'll arrange coverage and coordinate with human resources."
"Are we being fired?" Patricia asked from the edge of the screen. Janet looked at her. "I'm not making employment decisions from a video conference before everyone has been interviewed," she answered. "But what I have seen is serious enough that neither of you should be supervising guests tonight."
Derek laughed bitterly. "So you're going to let a billionaire walk in wearing sneakers and destroy my career because she didn't want to show a little respect?" Janet was silent for a moment before replying. "She showed you her identification and reservation. What respect did you think she owed you beyond ordinary civility?"
Derek had no useful answer. He said that the situation had been misinterpreted, that he had been protecting guests, and that the hotel's reputation was at stake. Janet asked him to put his statement in writing and to refrain from contacting witnesses. For the first time, his name appeared in an official instruction that he could not dismiss as the complaint of a difficult traveler.
The police dispatcher called back to clarify the fraud report. Marcus answered and explained that the reservation had been verified and no evidence of fraud had been identified. The dispatcher recorded the update and advised the hotel to call again if a genuine crime occurred. Derek listened from several feet away, his earlier performance about protecting private property collapsing under a few ordinary questions.
Just after one in the morning, Maya returned to the lobby. She had taken fifteen minutes after the call to speak privately with Olivia and the company's legal counsel, Evelyn Ross. Olivia wanted her to rest before the flight, and Evelyn warned against making snap disciplinary decisions in front of cameras. Maya agreed. Her anger had become sharper rather than louder during the call, and she wanted its direction to be useful.
Jennifer noticed her first and stood from the seating area. A few guests turned, but Maya raised one hand gently to discourage another public spectacle. The person standing in front of them was still the same tired woman who had arrived with a messenger bag and an unremarkable pair of sneakers. She had not changed clothing, only context.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Maya told the guests. "What happened at the desk was unacceptable. The reservation was legitimate, and there was no justification for insulting me or accusing me of fraud."