Chapter 3
“What is happening?” she asked.
Priya stepped between us, not aggressively, merely with the calm efficiency of someone who had spent her career keeping conversations from becoming reckless.
“Mr. Mercer, Ms. Price, we need to review several documents with you both.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. “This is absurd. Nora can’t walk into a company event and stage some kind of investigation.”
“No investigation is being staged,” Daniel said. His voice was mild. “The review began six weeks ago.”
Julian turned toward him. “Who are you?”
“Daniel Cho. I was retained by Northstar to conduct an independent financial review before the acquisition closed.”
“You had no right.”
“Northstar had every right. It was a condition of the transaction.”
Julian looked at me then, and beneath the anger I saw something more revealing.
Fear.
It was not the fear of losing a promotion. It was the fear of being understood.
Priya gestured toward a quiet corridor leading to a private conference room. “We can discuss the findings there.”
“I’m not going anywhere with them,” Camilla said.
Daniel glanced at the earrings. “That may be your choice. The documents concern Aurelia’s vendor accounts, not your personal belongings.”
Camilla’s fingers rose instinctively to her neck.
I noticed. So did Priya.
The four of us entered the conference room while Malcolm remained outside to speak with the employees. The ballroom music resumed, though no one in the room seemed able to hear it anymore.
The conference room had a long glass table, six leather chairs, and a view of Boston’s winter skyline. Snow had begun falling over the Charles River, softening the city lights.
Julian sat opposite me. Camilla chose the chair beside him, then seemed to reconsider and moved one seat away.
Daniel opened a black folder.
“For the past eighteen months,” he said, “Aurelia has reported declining revenue, delayed receivables, and increasing operating costs. The board was told those expenses were connected to the western expansion and several emergency consulting arrangements.”
Julian leaned back. “That’s all in the quarterly reports.”
“Yes. The reports were prepared using information supplied by the chief strategy office.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of something?”
“I’m explaining the source of the information.”
Priya placed several printed pages on the table. “During our review, we identified payments to four vendors that share the same registered address, bookkeeping service, and beneficial ownership.”
Julian glanced at the pages. “Those were independent firms.”