Chapter 18 - The Second Account
The auditor had followed the fake vendor invoices to a second bank account held by a company with no employees, no trucks, and no apparent business. The payments had been approved through the Aster Grand's facilities budget. Some money had then moved into accounts tied to the Vale Foundation.
"We have enough to refer this for formal investigation," the auditor told Dana. "But this isn't a courtroom. We shouldn't announce conclusions we can't yet prove."
He was right. I wanted to call Graham a thief in front of everyone he'd ever impressed. I wanted Vivian to feel a tenth of what Ana and Celia had felt. Wanting wasn't evidence.
"Preserve the records," I said. "Give the investigators the originals. Make sure the foundation's independent trustees are notified so they can protect any legitimate scholarship funds."
The emergency board meeting took place in a small conference room overlooking the darkened fountain. Dana read the notice, verified attendance, and explained that the contested share-transfer instructions had never been completed. Northline's controlling vote stood.
Graham objected through his attorney. The objection was recorded. Then the directors voted to suspend Graham's executive authority pending a full investigation and appoint an interim hotel manager from outside the Vale organization.
The decision didn't make the criminal allegations true by magic. It didn't repay a single stolen dollar by itself. But for the first time in years, Graham couldn't direct staff to hide paperwork or fire anyone who asked questions.
When Dana read the result, Graham stared at the tabletop.
"You have no idea what you're taking on," he said.
"I have nineteen days' worth of ideas," I answered. "And a building full of people who can tell me the rest."
Vivian waited outside the room. The moment she saw his face, she understood.
"Tell them to reverse it," she said.
"Vivian—"
"Graham, tell them!"
He didn't.
She turned to me, furious. "My family made this hotel!"
"Your family ran it," I said. "That's not the same as owning every person inside."
Luis approached with a police officer and quietly informed us that investigators wanted separate statements about the assault, the attempted bracelet accusation, and the men who had grabbed Ana. Vivian looked toward the exit.
For the first time that night, no employee moved to open a door for her.
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Then the auditor called Dana aside and spoke one sentence that nearly stopped my heart.
"The operating account may not have enough money to keep the hotel open next month."
