CHAPTER 3 – The Evidence
The confrontation moved into the conference room because the lobby had become too small for the truth.
Employees filled the chairs along the walls. Some had worked there for decades. Others were young enough to have believed my father when he called the company a family.
Madison remained near the door.
Ethan sat beside her, pale and rigid.
Nora connected her laptop to the screen.
One by one, the records appeared.
False invoices.
Wire transfers.
Forged signatures.
Property valuations inflated to secure larger loans.
The four thousand dollars I had given Dad appeared in a column labeled emergency payroll.
It had been transferred out of the company account twelve minutes after I sent it.
The destination was a private account bearing Madison’s initials.
I heard someone inhale behind me.
Madison rose.
“That was not my account.”
Nora clicked again.
The account belonged to Madison Vale Consulting.
“It was opened nine months ago,” Nora said. “The company had no clients. The only deposits came from Hale Promotional Group.”
Madison turned to Dad.
“You said that money was for the buyer.”
Dad’s mouth tightened.
“You knew about the buyer.”
“I knew there was a buyer. I did not know you were stealing from the company.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You told me Claire was giving him the money voluntarily.”
“She was.”
“You said the money would keep the deal alive.”
“It was supposed to.”
