Chapter 6 - THE CLEAN AUDIT
Natalie did not deny being at Maria's apartment building.
She denied knowing why Owen was there.
We met in a conference room at Blackwell Tower with independent counsel recording every word.
'I was reviewing a termination issue,' she said.
'At ten at night?'
'Owen said it was sensitive.'
'You told him my audit team was coming.'
'Because they were.'
'Why warn him?'
Her eyes hardened.
'Declan, do not confuse proximity with guilt.'
I slid the Northstar transfers toward her.
'Six million dollars left your finance system.'
'Subledger transfers happen below CFO level.'
'Not without controls you certify.'
She leaned back.
'Then your controls failed.'
Mine.
She knew exactly where to put the knife.
Grace traced Northstar's account deeper.
Money moved from worker deductions into consulting fees, then into three investment vehicles.
One belonged to Owen.
One belonged to Denise Mercer.
The third was called BFW Strategic Holdings.
I knew the initials.
Blackwell Family Wealth.
My own family office.
'How much?' I asked.
'One point eight million.'
For a second I could not speak.
My empire had not only failed to stop the theft.
It had benefited from it.
Natalie saw my reaction.
'That proves exactly why you need to slow down.'
'No. It proves I need to go faster.'
I froze every domestic-services account and ordered direct emergency payments to workers based on the higher company rate until the audit was complete.
By noon, calls flooded in.
Workers crying.
Workers angry.
Workers asking if taking the emergency payment would get them fired.
June listened beside me.
'They don't trust it,' she said.
'I know.'
'No. You don't.'
She pointed at one voicemail.
A woman whispered that she could not speak because her supervisor was in the room.
June looked at me.
'This isn't just money.'
She was right.
At 3:40 p.m., our legal hotline received a photograph.
A Blackwell Domestic Services storage room.
Rows of employee files.
May you like
A handwritten note beneath it:
THEY'RE BURNING THESE TONIGHT.
