Rich Man stands beside the scarred desk, still holding the VC-184 folder. His injured knuckles ache as Mara places the carbon receipt beside the open ledger.
Mara Venn
Look at the receiving signature, then look at the manager’s initials on your folder. They were not written by the same hand.
The receipt’s ink is faded brown, pressed firmly into the paper. The manager’s blue initials are narrower, slanted sharply, and appear over a faint erased mark.
Jonas Sutter
The manager used blue ink for route corrections, but receiving signatures were supposed to be written at the diner. That distinction matters.
Mara Venn
My signature is genuine. The date and quantity were entered when the sleeves arrived. Someone altered the shop copy afterward, not this receipt.
Mara turns the carbon receipt toward the light. A pressure impression beneath the transfer line suggests an earlier number was covered, while her initials remain undisturbed.
Jonas Sutter
If you find the original shop copy, compare its pressure marks. The later alteration may show who changed four sleeves into an authorized transfer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find the original shop copy