Part 8
“You have not voted.”
“We have not received sufficient information to justify a vote.”
Nora placed Paul’s note and the storage receipt on the table.
“This is information.”
Carolyn did not touch either document.
Lila did.
She read the note, then turned it over.
“Where did this come from?”
“It was mailed to me.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“That is convenient.”
“No,” Nora said. “Convenient would have been a confession with a notarized signature.”
Amara’s mouth shifted slightly.
Thomas Bell leaned back. “We should be careful not to let last night’s regrettable personal incident contaminate a closed corporate matter.”
Nora looked at him. “Grant assaulted me because of the closed corporate matter.”
“That is your interpretation.”
“The video is my interpretation?”
“The video shows a physical altercation after you initiated contact.”
Julian said, “Thomas.”
Nora held up one hand.
“No. Let him finish.”
Thomas adjusted his cuff. “I’m saying we should separate emotion from evidence.”
“Four years ago, you told me my concern about a dead worker made me too emotional to evaluate evidence. Today you are using the fact that Grant shoved me to say I am too emotional again. At what point does your method produce an answer that can be wrong?”
Thomas looked toward Carolyn.
Carolyn said, “Ms. Vale, this board is not on trial.”
“That is the problem.”
Lila pushed the note toward the center of the table.
“My brother denies the allegations.”
“Which allegations?” Nora asked.
“The alteration of project records.”
“I have not made that allegation publicly.”
“You made it to Julian.”
“Your brother knew before Julian did.”
Lila’s fingers tightened around her pen.
Amara said, “How?”
Nora told them about the original authorization, the stolen laptop, Paul Renner’s warning, the safe-deposit receipt, and Elise’s account of the encrypted drive. She left out Marianne’s daughter until she could decide whether speaking Beth’s name would help or merely expose her.
Carolyn listened without interruption.
When Nora finished, the audit chair said, “Do you possess any direct evidence that the scope page was altered?”
“No.”
“Do you possess the original file?”
“No.”
“Did you report the alleged alteration before signing your settlement?”
“Yes.”
“To whom?”
“Company counsel.”
“Was it included in the written complaint?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“They wrote the complaint.”
Carolyn replaced her glasses. “You were represented by independent counsel.”
“For eleven billable hours.”
“You chose the lawyer.”
“I chose the lawyer I could afford while unemployed.”
Thomas said, “This is exactly why settlements exist. To resolve disputed claims.”
Amara looked at him. “Settlements resolve exposure. They do not resolve facts.”
The room changed slightly.
Nora noticed Carolyn glance at Amara, then Julian.
Lila said, “What are you proposing?”
“An independent forensic review,” Julian replied. “All Saint Alder records, including archived project-management data, email systems, access logs, and payment records. Grant remains suspended pending the outcome.”
Thomas shook his head. “That announcement will trigger lender concerns and investor questions.”
“Then we do not announce it,” Carolyn said.
Nora looked at her. “You investigated quietly last time.”
Carolyn’s face remained controlled. “We conducted a privileged review.”
“You hired the same firm that negotiated Miguel Sosa’s settlement and defended Grant’s division.”
“They were familiar with the facts.”
“They were familiar with the client.”
Julian said, “The new review will report to Amara and outside independent counsel.”
Thomas leaned forward. “You do not have authority to restructure committee oversight unilaterally.”
“No,” Julian said. “But I have enough votes to propose it.”
Lila stared at her uncle.
“You called people before the meeting.”
“Yes.”
“You decided before hearing Nora.”
“I decided after watching Grant put his hands on her.”
“That has nothing to do with Saint Alder.”
“It has everything to do with whether I am still willing to assume his restraint.”
Carolyn’s phone vibrated on the table. She looked at the screen, then turned it facedown.
Nora saw the name before it disappeared.
Grant.
Carolyn said, “We should move to executive session.”
Nora stood.
Amara said, “Before you leave, Ms. Vale, would you be willing to provide a sworn statement and submit your devices for forensic examination?”
“Yes.”
“Even though the review may identify errors on your part?”
“Yes.”
Thomas looked at her. “You understand that reopening the matter could affect your professional license.”
“Yes.”
“And the settlement agreement includes confidentiality obligations.”
“It also permits disclosure required by legal process and investigation.”
Thomas’s expression shifted. He had not expected her to remember.
Nora picked up her handbag.
Lila said, “My brother believes you are doing this because Julian offered you the foundation directorship.”
“I have not accepted it.”
“You came back to Chicago.”
“I did.”
“You attended his reception.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Nora considered giving the clean answer: because Paul’s note created a duty, because Miguel’s family deserved truth, because Grant had mistaken silence for surrender.
The clean answer would not be complete.
“Because I wanted my name back,” she said. “And because I was tired of pretending I didn’t.”
Lila looked down at her legal pad.
Outside the boardroom, Julian caught up to Nora near the elevators.
“You could have told them what they wanted to hear.”
“I did.”
“No. You told them the part that can be used against you.”
“It was already being used against me. I just stopped making them discover it.”
The elevator arrived.
Julian pressed the lobby button.
“Amara has the votes for the review,” he said.
“How many?”
“Four.”
“Out of seven.”
“Yes.”
“Carolyn?”
“Undecided.”
“She took Grant’s call.”
“She ignored it.”
“She turned the phone facedown. That isn’t the same thing.”
Julian looked at the descending numbers.
“You don’t trust anyone.”
“I trust Daniel.”
“Do you?”
The question angered her because it found the exact bruise.
She turned toward him. “You don’t get to ask me that.”
“No.”
“Then don’t.”
The lobby was crowded with employees arriving late from meetings. As Nora crossed toward the revolving doors, a security guard approached.
“Ms. Vale?”
“Yes?”
“There’s a woman asking for you in the coffee shop.”
May you like
Nora followed his gesture.
Marianne Renner sat alone at a table near the windows. She was smaller than Nora expected, with blunt-cut gray hair and a navy raincoat folded over the chair beside her. A paper cup rested between both hands.
