Chương 4
She did not trust him enough to forget that he was still part of the same organization she was investigating.
“I found another approval request.”
Daniel's face changed slightly.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Small enough that someone else would miss it.
Mara did not.
“What?” she asked.
“I said nothing.”
“You reacted.”
“I reacted because you said you found another one.”
“You already knew there was a first one?”
Daniel looked away.
That was answer enough.
“Daniel.”
He put the tablet on her desk.
“I heard there was an issue with the Carson file.”
“That is not what I asked.”
“No.”
“Then answer the question.”
He rubbed the side of his jaw.
“I knew someone was reviewing irregular approvals.”
“Someone?”
“I didn't know it was you.”
“You knew there were irregular approvals and didn't tell me?”
His silence made the accusation stronger.
Daniel looked toward the glass wall.
A group of employees passed by, laughing about something unrelated.
“I wasn't sure what I knew.”
Mara leaned back.
“That sounds convenient.”
“It sounds true.”
“Those two things are not opposites.”
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Daniel was usually prepared. He had an answer for almost everything. Watching him search for one made Mara more uncomfortable than if he had immediately defended himself.
“What did you see?” she asked.
He lowered his voice.
“Two weeks ago, someone asked me to review a compliance report before it went to you.”
“Who?”
“I can't tell you.”
Her expression hardened.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I think whoever did this underestimated you.”
“That is not helpful.”
“It is the only thing I can say without making the situation worse.”
Mara stared at him.
“You are already making it worse.”
Daniel looked down.
“I know.”
That admission surprised her.
People rarely admitted that quickly.
Especially people like Daniel.
He picked up his tablet.
“I need you to understand something. I am not avoiding this because I don't care.”
“Then why?”
“Because I signed off on a process that might be connected to it.”
The room seemed to narrow.
“What process?”
Daniel did not answer immediately.
“My team approved a temporary access change.”
“Whose access?”
His eyes met hers.
“Yours.”
The anger came before the fear.
Mara stood.
“You approved someone getting access under my account?”
“No. I approved a system request. I was told it was for an audit backup.”
“And you didn't verify?”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
There it was.
The flaw she had always seen in him.
He was careful with people.
Less careful with systems.
“I checked what I was supposed to check.”
“That is what everyone says after something goes wrong.”
The words landed harder than she intended.
Daniel looked like he wanted to argue.
Instead, he nodded once.
“That's fair.”
Mara hated that more.
She wanted defensiveness.
She wanted anger.
Something easier to fight.
Her phone vibrated.
An email notification appeared.
From Lena Ortiz.
Mara opened it.
The message contained only three words.
Come alone. Please.
Daniel saw her face.
“What?”
She locked the screen.
“Nothing.”
He gave her a tired look.
“You know, for someone who hates people hiding information from her, you are becoming very comfortable doing it.”
“I'm learning from experience.”
“That was almost funny.”
“It wasn't meant to be.”
“I know.”
That was the problem.
Daniel knew when she was joking.
He knew when she was scared.
Sometimes that made him useful.
Sometimes it made him dangerous.
Mara found Lena in a small conference room near accounting.
The lights were off except for the one above the table.
Lena had a folder open in front of her.
She looked different from the person who had visited Mara earlier.
Less hesitant.
More exhausted.
“You came,” Lena said.
“You asked.”
“I didn't know if you would.”
“Why wouldn't I?”
Lena looked at the folder.
“Because after what I show you, you might decide I am part of it.”
Mara sat down slowly.
“That depends on what you show me.”
Lena pushed the folder across the table.
Inside were printed emails, handwritten notes, and a copy of an internal access request.
Mara scanned the pages.
The request was for emergency review privileges.
The approval line had her name.
The date was three weeks earlier.
“You saw this three weeks ago?”
“Yes.”
“And you waited until now?”
Lena looked embarrassed.
Not guilty.
Embarrassed.
“I thought I could fix it quietly.”
Mara closed the folder.
“Why?”
“Because I made the mistake that allowed it.”
The answer stopped her.
Lena folded her hands together.
“I was balancing reports during a deadline. Someone from operations asked me to move a file into a shared review folder. I did it.”
“You gave access?”
“I gave access to the folder.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you blaming yourself?”
“Because the person who asked me knew I was tired. They knew I would follow the normal process. They knew exactly what shortcut to suggest.”
Mara looked back at the documents.
“Who asked?”
Lena's eyes moved toward the closed door.
“I don't know if saying the name helps.”
“Try me.”
Lena swallowed.
“Evan Ellison.”
The room went still.
Mara did not move.
Her brother's name looked impossible sitting between them.
“You're sure?”
“I saw the email.”
“Show me.”
Lena opened the folder again and pulled out a printed message.
The sender address belonged to Evan.
The request was written in his style.
Short sentences.
No unnecessary explanation.
A habit he had developed after their father died because he hated conversations that lasted longer than they needed to.
Mara read it twice.
Then a third time.
“You could have told me this immediately.”
“Yes.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Lena looked down.
“Because I have a daughter starting college next year.”
Mara said nothing.
“My job is the thing paying for that. If I was wrong, I would destroy my career because I was scared.”
“And if you were right?”
May you like
Lena's fingers tightened around the edge of the paper.
“Then I was already too late.”
