Chapter 4
“They were presented that way,” Daniel said. “But they were not independent.”
Camilla shifted in her seat.
“Three of the companies provided strategy services,” Daniel continued. “The fourth supplied communications and event management. Together, they received approximately two million dollars over fourteen months.”
Julian’s expression hardened. “The work was legitimate.”
“Some of it was,” Daniel said. “Much of it was duplicated. Several invoices describe the same deliverables using different wording.”
“That’s a matter of interpretation.”
“It would be,” Daniel replied, “if the money had remained with the vendors.”
He slid another document across the table.
Julian did not touch it.
“Payments from those vendors were transferred within forty-eight hours to an account belonging to a private consulting partnership in Delaware.”
Priya added, “The partnership was formed by an individual named Lucas Bell.”
Camilla looked at Julian.
It was brief, but I saw the recognition.
Julian saw it too.
“What does Lucas Bell have to do with me?” he asked.
Daniel turned another page. “Mr. Bell was listed as a personal adviser to the chief strategy officer in an email recovered from Aurelia’s server. He also accompanied you on two trips described as supplier negotiations.”
“He’s an outside consultant.”
“An outside consultant who received funds from companies he indirectly controlled.”
Julian’s voice rose. “I didn’t control those companies.”
“No,” Daniel said. “But the evidence suggests you directed the contracts.”
“What evidence?”
“Your approvals. Your messages. And a series of calendar entries that were deleted from the shared system but preserved in the backup archive.”
The room seemed to shrink around us.
I had known the audit was serious. I had not known Daniel had recovered deleted records.
Julian looked at me. “You did this because you were angry about Camilla?”
“No.”
“Because you think I embarrassed you?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
I allowed myself to meet his eyes.
“Because Aurelia’s board asked Northstar to help them survive, and before I invested a dollar, I needed to know what had happened to the money they already had.”
He stared at me as though the answer offended him more than any accusation.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have answered honestly?”
His mouth opened, then closed.
Camilla looked toward the window. The falling snow reflected faintly in the glass.
Priya turned to her. “Ms. Price, we also need to ask you about several reimbursements.”
Camilla’s posture stiffened.
“Your corporate card was used for personal purchases,” Priya said. “The charges were approved by Mr. Mercer and coded as client relations.”