I froze, clutching the bag, as Tanya stepped in—no longer friendly. “That’s not yours,” she said.
“No,” I replied, steadying myself, “but it’s not yours either.”
She blocked the door. “Put it back. Things get misplaced.”
“This is theft.”
She moved closer. “You don’t want to make a scene. Think about your mother.”
That’s when it clicked—this wasn’t random. It was planned. People, including my mother, were at risk.
“I think you should be worried,” I said. “The police will want answers.”
She hesitated. That was enough. I slipped past her and rushed out with the bag.
Sophie was waiting. “Mom?”
“It’s okay. We’re going to help Grandma.”
At the front desk, I didn’t hesitate. “Call the director—and the police.”
Everything blurred after that. I gave my statement, Sophie’s hand in mine. The director promised an investigation, but one question lingered—how long had this been happening?
Outside, Sophie looked up. “Did we help Grandma?”
I hugged her tightly. “Yeah… we did.”