Her hands were still shaking.
He said:
“Take your time.”
The teller processed the one hundred forty dollars.
The CEO watched her, not the manager.
When she finished, she printed the receipt.
She started to hand it across.
Then stopped.
“Sir…”
“Yes?”
“Your account balance.”
The CEO raised one hand gently.
“Not aloud.”
“Of course.”
The manager stared at the screen.
He still had not seen it.
The CEO noticed.
“You wanted to know.”
The manager’s eyes lifted.
The CEO said:
“Now you don’t get to.”
The security guard almost smiled.
He caught himself.
The CEO folded the receipt and placed it in his hoodie pocket.
Then looked around the branch.
“Is there a conference room?”
The manager answered instantly.
“Yes.”
The CEO turned toward the teller.
“I asked the room.”
She swallowed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Would you show me?”
The teller stood.
The manager stepped forward.
“I’ll take you.”
The CEO looked at him.
“No.”
One word.
The manager stopped.
The CEO pointed toward the two hundred dollars still on the counter.
“Pick those up.”
The manager did.
“Then wait in your office.”
The manager’s face changed.
“Am I suspended?”
“I haven’t decided anything.”
The CEO’s voice remained calm.
“And neither have you.”
The manager opened his mouth.
The CEO continued:
“No emails.”
“No phone calls to regional leadership.”
“No employee discussions about what happened.”
“No deleting anything.”
The manager’s face went pale again.
“I wouldn’t—”
“Good.”
“Then that instruction should be easy.”
The CEO looked toward the security guard.
“Can you make sure the branch camera footage from this morning is preserved?”
The guard nodded immediately.
“Yes, sir.”
The manager said:
“Security doesn’t manage footage.”
The guard looked at him.
“I can call the vendor.”
The CEO nodded.
“Do that.”
Then he turned toward the assistant.
“Please continue normal operations.”
She stared.
“Normal?”