When Tom Kekoni showed up for work at Babbitt's Sports Center on May 17, he had no idea it would be his last day. That morning, a sales manager approached Kekoni, a 46-year-old certified mechanic, and asked him whether he had made a certain recent purchase. The mechanic acknowledged he had, and the sales manager informed him that he didn't need to punch in for work. Kekoni thought the guy was teasing him. "Too late, I already did," Kekoni responded. A little later, the sales manager again approached Kekoni, asking if he believed him. Kekoni said he did, but he...