Chapter 3: The Woman Brooke Feared
The woman stopped beside my chair and faced the guests.
“My name is Hannah Price,” she said.
“Until six weeks ago, I supervised charitable accounts for this hospitality group.”
Chad moved toward her.
“You were dismissed for misconduct.”
“No,” Hannah replied.
“I was dismissed because I refused to alter a ledger.”
Miriam Cole, our chief attorney, stepped between them.
“Do not approach my witness again.”
Brooke looked at me.
“You arranged this.”
“I ordered an audit,” I said.
“Your actions arranged the rest.”
Hannah opened a folder and placed three transfer records on the nearest table.
Each carried Brooke’s electronic approval.
Brooke shook her head.
“Chad told me they were temporary transfers.”
“Transfers to where?” I asked.
“A community outreach company.
The money was supposed to come back after the gala.”
Hannah tapped the first page.
“There is no outreach company.
There is a mailbox, a dormant account, and a director whose address matches Chad’s apartment.”
A murmur moved across the ballroom.
Chad pointed at Hannah.
“She created those papers.
She’s angry because I discovered she was incompetent.”
“Then explain this,” Hannah said.
She raised her phone and played a voicemail.
Chad’s voice filled the room.
“Move the final amount before the owner returns.
Brooke has access, and she’ll sign whatever I put in front of her.”
Chad lunged for the phone, but two security officers blocked him.
“That recording is incomplete,” he snapped.
“You cut off the rest.”
“Then tell us the rest,” I said.
He straightened his jacket.
“I was discussing an authorized restructuring.”
“Of money meant for accessible guest rooms?” I asked.
“Money raised in my mother’s name?”
Brooke’s eyes met mine.
“I didn’t know that.”
“You stood on this stage and praised the Eleanor Grant.
Your signature is on every transfer.”
“Because Chad said you had approved them.”
“And you believed him without calling me?”
Her mouth opened, but no words came.
The attendant remained beside me.
I looked up at her.
“What’s your name?”
“Elena Morales, sir.”
“Elena, please ask the staff to close the ballroom doors.
Nobody involved in tonight’s financial presentation leaves until counsel has copied every device.”
Chad laughed.
“You cannot detain guests.”
“No,” Miriam said.
“But we can prevent company property from leaving.”
Chad reached inside his jacket.
A security officer caught his wrist.
“Slowly, sir.”
“It’s my phone.”
“It belongs to the company,” Miriam replied.
“You signed the equipment agreement yourself.”
Brooke backed away from Chad.
“You said the account couldn’t be traced.”
He turned on her.
“And you said he never checked the foundation reports.”
The words hung between us.
I placed the audit pages on my lap.
“So you both knew.”
“No,” Brooke said quickly.
“He’s twisting it.”
Hannah pulled another sheet from her folder.
“There’s one more problem.”
Miriam took the page, read it, and looked at me.
“We need to speak privately.”
“Read it here.”
“This authorization does not carry Brooke’s signature.”
Chad’s confidence returned.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Miriam lowered the document onto my lap.
The final transfer was larger than all the others combined.
Brooke stared at the signature at the bottom.
“That can’t be real.”
May you like
It was my name.
And beneath it was an access code that only Brooke and I had ever known.
