Ethan leaned back.
“Then why four cents?”
Priya shrugged.
“That's what I'm saying.”
A silence settled over the table.
Ethan remembered something.
“Did you see a percentage?”
Priya looked at him.
“What percentage?”
“Four percent.”
She frowned.
“I saw a 0.04.”
Ethan's fork stopped.
“Where?”
“In the preliminary cost allocation.”
“Which one?”
Priya stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because I think I saw the same number.”
Before she could answer, a voice interrupted them.
“Hayes.”
They looked up.
Martin Voss, the plant's operations manager, stood behind Ethan.
Martin was fifty-six, broad-shouldered, gray-haired, and famous for remembering every employee's first name.
“Conference room three,” he said.
“When?”
“Now.”
Derek raised his eyebrows.
Ethan stood.
“Am I in trouble?”
Martin smiled faintly.
“If you were, I'd have brought HR.”
That didn't make Ethan feel better.
He followed Martin through the cafeteria doors.
As they walked, Ethan noticed something strange.
Martin wasn't looking at him.
He was looking at the factory floor.
At the production boards.
At Line Seven.
At the maintenance logs.
Finally, Martin said quietly, “You know something about the gainshare calculation?”
Ethan stopped walking.
“Why?”
“Just answer.”
“I know four cents doesn't make sense.”
Martin's jaw tightened.
“That isn't what I asked.”
Ethan studied him.
Then said, “I saw a preliminary number last week.”
Martin's expression changed.
“Where?”
“Maintenance planning folder.”
“Who showed it to you?”
“No one.”
“Then how did you see it?”
“It was left open on a shared terminal.”
Martin stared at him.
“What did you see?”
“A cost adjustment.”
“Anything else?”
“A percentage.”
“Which percentage?”
“0.04.”
Martin said nothing.
The hallway suddenly seemed quieter.
Then he asked:
“Did you tell anyone?”
“Priya.”
Martin closed his eyes briefly.
“Ethan.”
“What?”
“Forget you saw it.”
Ethan's voice became calm.
“Why?”
“Because you don't have the full picture.”
“Then give me the full picture.”
Martin looked toward the factory floor.
“I can't.”
“Can't or won't?”
Martin's eyes hardened.
“Go back to work.”
Ethan didn't move.
“Martin.”
The operations manager lowered his voice.
“There are things happening above your pay grade.”
Ethan almost smiled.