Chương 7
“I found the original files from the inspection.”
Daniel did not touch it.
“How?”
“That is not the part you are going to like.”
A tired laugh escaped him.
“I haven’t liked any part of this yet.”
For the first time, Mara almost smiled.
Then the expression disappeared.
“The files show the report was changed after you signed it.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Changed by who?”
Mara looked directly at him.
And that was when he realized she was not there to accuse him.
She was there because she was afraid.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“But I know someone wanted both of us to believe we were responsible.”
Daniel found Marcus in the foundation’s boardroom, standing beside the large window overlooking the courtyard where volunteers were still carrying boxes of donated supplies.
Marcus did not turn around when Daniel entered.
“I was wondering how long it would take you to come here,” Marcus said.
Daniel closed the door behind him.
“That sounds like you knew I would.”
Marcus finally looked over.
His expression was controlled, almost too controlled.
“I knew you would want answers.”
“I want more than that.”
Marcus glanced at the folder in Daniel’s hand.
“You should be careful what you look for.”
Daniel noticed the warning hidden inside the sentence.
Not a threat.
Not exactly.
Something worse.
Concern mixed with fear.
“Did you remove the audit report?” Daniel asked.
Marcus’s face changed slightly.
It was small.
Most people would have missed it.
Daniel did not.
“You think I did?”
“I think you know more than you’re saying.”
Marcus walked toward the table and placed both hands on the back of a chair.
“You have always had this problem.”
“What problem?”
“You believe knowing the truth is enough to fix something.”
Daniel stared at him.
“That’s not an answer.”
“No.”
Marcus looked tired suddenly.
Older than he had looked yesterday.
“I suppose you deserve one.”
Daniel waited.
“The original audit report was incomplete.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning it showed irregularities, but not who caused them.”
“Then why was it removed?”
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
The same hallway where employees had avoided Daniel earlier.
“Because whoever took it knew people would assume the worst.”
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
“About me.”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
That bothered him.
“Why me?”
Marcus did not respond immediately.
Instead, he walked to the coffee machine in the corner and poured himself a cup.
The machine made a loud grinding sound.
For a few seconds, the room was filled with something ordinary.
Something almost normal.
Daniel hated that.
He hated that life kept doing normal things while his own life was falling apart.
“You were the easiest person to blame,” Marcus said.
Daniel looked at him.
“That’s a terrible thing to say.”
“It’s also true.”
Marcus took a sip.
“You had access.”
“I had access because I trusted people.”
“You signed documents.”
“I signed hundreds of documents.”
“You were involved in every major project.”
“Because I ran community programs.”
“And because everyone knew your name.”
Daniel felt anger rise.
Not explosive anger.
The slower kind.
The kind that stayed after the shouting was gone.
“So you’re saying my reputation made me a target.”
“I’m saying your reputation made the accusation believable.”
Daniel looked away.
The sentence hurt because it made sense.
That was the dangerous part.
A lie did not survive because it was strong.
It survived because it connected to something people already feared might be true.
His phone buzzed.
He ignored it.
Marcus noticed.
“Your daughter?”
Daniel looked up sharply.
“How do you know?”
Marcus looked uncomfortable for the first time.
“Because you talk about her.”
“I don’t talk about her.”
“You do.”
Daniel almost denied it.
Then he stopped.
Because Marcus was right.
He mentioned Emily without realizing it.
A story about a song on the radio.
A joke she made years ago.
A place she liked.
Small things.
The kind of things people revealed when they missed someone.
“She doesn’t speak to me much,” Daniel said.
Marcus nodded.
“I know.”
That answer bothered him.
“You know a lot.”
Marcus looked down.
“I know enough to understand that losing her hurts you more than losing this job.”
Daniel did not like hearing that from him.
Not because it was wrong.
Because it was true.
Before he could respond, the boardroom door opened.
Rachel stepped inside.
She looked between them.
“I thought you would be here.”
Daniel turned.
“How did you know?”
“Because Marcus is the person everyone goes to when they don’t know what else to do.”
Rachel sounded tired, but there was something sharper underneath.
Disappointment.
Marcus noticed.
“You think I did this.”
“I think you knew something was wrong and waited too long.”
The room changed.
Daniel looked at Rachel.
“What does that mean?”
Rachel hesitated.
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
“Rachel.”
“No.”
She looked at Daniel.
“He needs to know.”
Marcus did not stop her.
That was the first time Daniel saw something close to defeat on his face.
“Three months ago, I noticed money moving through accounts that didn’t match the reports,” Rachel said.
Daniel stayed silent.
“I brought it to Marcus.”
“And?”
“He told me he would handle it.”
Daniel looked at Marcus.
“You knew.”
Marcus nodded once.
“I suspected.”
“Suspected?”
“I didn’t have proof.”
Rachel crossed her arms.
“You had enough to investigate.”
“I had enough to worry.”
Daniel stared at him.
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No,” Marcus said quietly.
“It isn’t.”
For a moment nobody spoke.
Outside the window, a group of teenagers unloaded boxes from a truck.
One of them dropped a box and laughed.
The others teased him.
The world continued.
Daniel found that almost insulting.
“How long were you going to wait?” he asked.
Marcus looked at the floor.
“Until I knew who was involved.”
“And while you waited, someone used me.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice became harder.
“You know that happened.”
Marcus looked up.
May you like
“You don’t know what it feels like.”
Marcus absorbed the words without defending himself.
