Biker's Virgin

“No, I’m not,” Molly insisted. “I know Alani. She wouldn’t do something like this. She wouldn’t risk her job for a chain.”

“It’s a valuable piece of jewelry,” Ben pointed out.

“So the Beaumonts say,” Molly said. “Personally, I don’t buy it.”

“What makes you so sure they’re trying to frame Alani?” Ben asked. “What’s their motive?”

“Mr. Beaumont certainly has a motive,” she said. “Revenge.”

“Revenge?” I repeated. “For what?”

“For the fact that Alani rejected him repeatedly,” Molly explained.

“He was hitting on her?” I asked.

“It was sexual abuse, plain and simple,” she said firmly. “He had her come up to his suite while his wife was out, then he grabbed her and kissed her. He might have done more had Mrs. Beaumont not walked in and interrupted him.”

“His wife saw all this?”

“Alani

told me he backed off before the door opened,” Molly said. “The likelihood is that she didn’t see… If anything, she only suspects. She should know her husband is a sleazeball by now, though.”

I looked towards Ben. “What do you think?” I asked. “Does it sound plausible that Mr. Beaumont might be framing Alani?”

“He’s rich, and men like him don’t handle rejection well,” he said. “It’s possible.”

“Mr. Beaumont tried to woo Alani,” Molly continued. “He cornered her by the pool one day and offered her the choker as a gift. Alani saw it as the bribe it was and turned him down. That was two days ago.”

“And then she discovered the choker in her drawers?” I asked.

“Yes,” Molly nodded.

“It could still be a story,” Ben pointed out.

Molly turned to Ben with fire in her eyes. “You know Alani,” she said. “Do you really think she’s capable of theft?”

He avoided eye contact for a moment. “I don’t… She doesn’t seem like the type.”

“Because she’s not,” Molly said strongly. “You need to show the people who work under you that they’re valued, that they won’t just be dismissed because it’s easier than standing up to a guest. Alani didn’t come to you or Tristan—or me for that matter—because she was scared we would take their side over hers. Because she’s dispensable to us and they’re not.”

I watched Molly’s fire and felt a surge of pride and respect for the woman she was. “We need to check the cameras,” I said, jumping into action.

“Not the resort surveillance system,” Molly said, stepping towards my desk.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’m talking about your own personal surveillance system,” Molly said. “The one that only the three of us know about. You have the feed.”

“Yes, but I don’t watch it,” Tristan said. “I added it on as an extra precaution, but I don’t have the time to filter through it every day.”

“Nor do you have to,” Molly said. “Until something like this happens. The whole resort will know about the surveillance system; most guests will assume there is one in place, too. Whoever planted the choker in Alani’s room will have been able to bypass the cameras if they were careful. But no one knows about your personal surveillance system.”

I nodded, as I turned on my computer and turned on the live feed. “This would have happened in the last two days?”

“Yes,” Molly nodded. “I’m going to let Alani in; hold on.”

A few moments later, Alani entered the room looking sad and extremely nervous. I gave her a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you sit down, Alani?”