Chapter 6 - The Charity Ledger
Catherine Vale Foundation funded rare-disease treatment for children.
After Catherine's death, Darius took operational control.
Grant had barely looked at the books.
Grief made delegation feel like survival.
That was his mistake.
Nolan's wife Elena had worked with several families receiving foundation assistance.
Her old email account contained messages Catherine sent through aliases.
They discussed denied treatments.
Missing funds.
Invoices for children who did not exist.
Catherine believed someone was stealing from the charity.
The amount exceeded sixteen million dollars.
One payment vendor appeared repeatedly.
Kell Medical Advisory.
Howard Kell's shell company.
Another.
Vale Strategic Services.
Controlled by Darius.
Grant stared at the spreadsheet.
"They stole from sick children."
Nolan answered.
"Looks that way."
Then one email from Catherine to Elena read.
DARIUS KNOWS I FOUND THE LEDGER.
IF HE THINKS I COPIED IT, HE WILL COME AFTER AVERY.
Grant closed the laptop.
His hands shook.
He had spent eleven months thinking Avery needed treatment.
She had needed protection.
That night, someone broke into Nolan's apartment.
Nothing valuable was taken.
Only Elena's old laptop.
Lily's sketchbook was missing too.
Nolan called Grant.
Before Grant could answer, Lily screamed from the hallway.
A man in black gloves was climbing through the bathroom window.
Nolan grabbed a lamp.
The intruder ran.
He left one thing behind.
May you like
A silver watch.
