Chapter 3 — The Complaint
Colin arrived ten minutes later.
He looked irritated rather than apologetic.
“Mr. Harris, I’m told there’s a problem.”
George stared at him.
“You had my hearing aid.”
Colin folded his hands.
“A device was discovered during tournament play.”
“A hearing aid.”
“We received a complaint.”
Rachel stepped forward.
“From whom?”
Colin shook his head.
“Complaints are confidential.”
George’s expression hardened.
“You confiscated something I need to hear because an unnamed person complained?”
Colin corrected him.
“I didn’t confiscate it.”
“Then who picked it up?”
Colin hesitated.
“A volunteer.”
Rachel pointed toward the lost-property label.
“Your receptionist said it was found yesterday.”
Colin glanced sharply at Natalie.
She looked down.
Rachel continued.
“The timestamp says 10:26 this morning.”
“That’s when it was logged.”
“Exactly.”
Colin sighed.
According to him, another player noticed George using an electronic device during the tournament.
Under chess rules, unauthorized communication electronics could raise serious concerns.
“My father wasn’t wearing an earpiece to receive chess moves,” Rachel said.
“He was wearing his prescribed hearing aid.”
“We hadn’t verified that.”
George laughed in disbelief.
“You could have asked me.”
Colin didn’t answer.
Rachel did.
“Instead you waited until he left his table?”
Colin’s eyes shifted.
That tiny movement was enough.
Rachel noticed.
“Wait.”
She looked toward George.
Then back at Colin.
“You didn’t find it on the floor, did you?”
Colin said nothing.
“It was sitting on his table.”
Still nothing.
Rachel turned toward hotel security.
“Show us the ballroom cameras.”